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Tommy

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BEFORE RETURNING HOME, Sue Lee went into Yoshi’s Market to buy a few items for her dinner and was greeted by Nick and little Yoshi.

“We were getting ready to take our artistic son home for the night if I can get him away from his favorite coloring books.”

Sue Lee looked at Yoshi; he was deep in thought, holding two crayons in each hand while trying to imagine his next creation.

“Maybe you should buy him an easel and a French Beret? His talent seems to attract a lot of attention!”

Two ladies shoppers stopped, admiring Yoshi’s scribbling while telling him how good he was.

“Your little table has become the focal point in our store. It free’s up our time; we don’t need a sitter during the day,” Judy said while Nick went to help a customer. “Try a few of the oranges; we just got them in today.”

Sue Lee stopped at the fruit section while selecting two oranges she glanced out the window. The boy who had stolen the bread was standing across the street watching her.

Nick returned, following Sue Lee’s gaze. “It’s that kid again. I won’t let him in the store. He’s been accused of shoplifting by other merchants in Japantown, but nobody has actually caught him yet.”

“I haven’t seen him before, except during these last few days.” Sue Lee explained to Nick about him eating bread from Like’s Bakery.

“Yeah, Judy saw him run into our alley. We assumed you knew him?”

“No, like I said, he’s new here. Maybe we should have a talk with him before he gets into trouble?”

“Let’s use enticements to keep him from running. I have some leftover apple pie and chicken sandwiches from our lunch.” Judy said, carrying a plate.

“How do you propose we get him in here to eat that?”

“Nick, just ask him, tell him you have some work for him to do after he eats. He can clean up around the store.”

“Okay, but I bet he runs.”

Sue Lee and Judy watched while Nick approached the boy.

“He’s not running. Hey, they’re coming in. Great, I’ll get some milk.”

Sue Lee continued shopping until they settled the young man with his huge sandwich Judy made for him. She didn’t want to scare him away with too many adults surrounding him asking questions. However, Judy called and waved her to join them in the backroom.

“Sue Lee, this is Tommy Lu. He wants to meet you.”

“Hello Tommy,” She was wondering why he wanted to meet.

“I heard about you in the Camp. You help people.”

“Camp? Do you mean the internment camps, which one? “

“They sent us to The Granada Relocation Center in Colorado.”

“I helped several families resettle from there, was one your family?” She asked, knowing how hard the transition into normalcy was for many Japanese Americans. Sue Lee used her own money and her lawyers to evict a couple who took over an American family’s residence moving back after their detainment.

“No, my guard told me?” Tommy said with a mouthful of pie.

“Your guard, please explain, Tommy,” Nick asked?

“Ya see, if you’re nice to a guard, you get stuff. Billy was great, but he couldn’t help me at the end; he got transferred.”

“Billy, what was his last name, Tommy?” Sue Lee thought she knew from what Naomi told her. According to Naomi’s letters, her young friend Billy was transferred from the Presidio army base in San Francisco to Colorado. He was now married and living in Denver.

“Bill Singer, he told me to contact you.”

“Tommy, where do your parents live here in Japantown. We would like to meet them,” Judy asked?

Sue Lee watched him before he answered. His shoulders dropped. His facial features changed, his voice became softer. He looked down at his food and said, Yeah. I’ll...

“Tommy, Sue Lee interrupted. They’re not alive, are they?” The store became silent; everyone who was not supposed to be listening was waiting for his answer. “You’re on your own, but how did you manage to leave Colorado unaccompanied?” Sue Lee wanted to give him an out so he could talk about his parents on his time when he felt more comfortable around everyone, including the neighbors who were listening but with good intentions to help. He wasn’t the first orphan child from the camps.

“Billy was going to help me, but at the last minute, they transferred him. It was all very mixed up. I just tagged along behind another family.”

“How did you get on the trains without a ticket? Nick asked. They must have checked?”

“Yeah, I just moved to another family, one that already checked in...”

How simple Sue Lee thought, “He blended into any Family like an invisible boy.”

“Where have you been living for the last six years, son?” Mayra, Nick’s mother, asked, joining them along with the others who were listening.

“We were living in Los Angeles, Mom, Dad, had a shoe shop, Tommy stated proudly; I went back to see if I could run our shop. The new people said I was trespassing, and the police put me in a juvenile center, then into an Adoption Home.”

“Do you have family anywhere in California,” Sue Lee asked, placing her hand gently on his shoulder?

“No, our family is in Japan. I tried writing to grandma when dad died, mother was too sick. Billy said they wouldn’t let me send a letter to Japan. Everyone tried to help. Mom became so small I carried her to bed. The doctors said it was cancer.”

Tommy was trying hard to hold back the tears until Mayra said, “It’s okay to cry, son. We all have been in the camps or served in the war, losing friends and family. We understand.”

Everyone stood quietly around the table while the young man put his head down into his arms and cried.

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NICK KEPT TOMMY BUSY cleaning the store while Mayra and Judy talked having coffee in the back room.

“I could use help in our store. Tommy probably knows about shoes since his father was in the business, but he needs schooling. I guess that he’s fourteen or fifteen? Mayra paused after accepting a cup of coffee; Judy passed her. I also decided Tommy can live with us and stay in Nick’s old room. I sure as hell do not want him to go into a juvenile court and let the government decide how and where he can live, especially after what he’s been through.”

“What about the Adoption home he apparently walked away from?”

“I’ll have our lawyer check into that; I’m sure they can make some arrangement.”

Sue Lee joined them after carrying her groceries up to her apartment. “I just got off the phone with Father Brown at St. Ignatius school. I planned for him to enroll if he wants to?”

“Wonderful, he needs to be around young people his age and live a more normal life. All of us we’re prisoners of prejudicial stupidity, but we didn’t have to face it alone, not at such a young age! Damn it all, the kid needs a break, and I’m going to see that he gets one.”

Sue Lee knew how determined Mayra could be. After returning from the internment camp, she insisted they reopen their small department store. She told her husband that It had served Japantown for years and will continued to do so. Sue Lee’s neighbors told her Mayra also set up a small store serving the Camp’s needs. Nick often said his mother would support the world’s needy if his father allowed her to do so