In Crystal City, Mr. Abe was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Hana and her mother accompanied him on a long car trip across Texas to Dallas, yet another unfamiliar city, where he received treatment. After his treatment, the Abes returned to Crystal City; but not long after their return, Mr. Abe died. So Hana and her mother remained in Crystal City by themselves until the end of the War.
Some Crystal City residents thought it was nicer than Topaz because they had an actual house, unlike the dusty barracks with cots in Topaz. Hana, looking back, always thought of Topaz as a relatively happy place compared to Crystal City because she had some fun times with friends; and her father, even though separated from his family, was still alive. To her, Crystal City was a place of sadness.
About the contributor: Tom was born in Salt Lake City, UT. His father worked in the coal mines of Utah, became the manager of the Japanese labor camp, and later, owned a restaurant in Salt Lake City. As Utah residents, Tom’s family was not interned during WWII; but he remembers playing basketball against “a bunch of Topaz Nisei” (second generation) in high school. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Tom settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he met his wife, Hana Abe. Tom passed away in 2024.
Copyright 2018, Tom Kawakami. All rights reserved.