ブックタイトルeigo13

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eigo13

went out. I looked for my teacher and when I found her I hugged her. Shesaid ‘You are dismissed.’ Then as I had become free, I went to the Red CrossHospital.The hospital was full of people and I couldn’t stay there. Next I went tothe Mutual Aid Association Hospital. It too was full of people. So I went backto my school. When I was about to ask the caretaker to give me water, I metmy classmate. ‘Hi, Miss Ishikawa!’ ‘Hi, Miss Honji. You have changed somuch.’ We hugged each other and cried together. At this school, I asked forwater, but no one gave me any. Mom, only you have let me drink water.Please let me drink as much as I can.” My daughter drank Japanese tea inthe water bottle which I had brought with me. Then she was satisfied. AgainI, her dear mother, helped her to go to the toilet. She felt relieved and fellasleep peacefully. After a while, she woke up. She was in a condition ofclouded consciousness. Her physical condition had gotten worse. Meanwhilewe read the Imperial Rescript on Education and talked with her teachers.With every moment, her death came closer. In the darkness without anylight, she called my name and I gave her water. What a pity! After I gave herwater six times, her young life ended forever.It took seventeen hours for me to be able to meet her. Until the very end,she could speak to me clearly. There were a few reasons for that. First, shewas able to return to the school. Second, there were barracks there and shewas taken care of by army doctors, soldiers, and other girl students. Third,there was medicine for soldiers there and she was given them. She was solucky. I really appreciate everyone who took care of her.I can never forget this terrible tragedy, even on rainy days and windynights. Now, more than twenty years have passed since that day. She wasworshiped at Yasukuni shrine. On April 26th in 1969, she was given theEighth Order of Merit, just like soldiers. Appropriately, a war memorialwas built in the green field to the south of the Atomic Bomb Dome.Nowadays people who visit Hiroshima from foreign countries place flowersbefore it and pray for peace. Whenever I see these people, I think that thedeath of so many students was not in vain, it was for world peace. I will prayfor the repose of my daughter’s soul forever.I cannot forget August 6th, 1945 however hard I try to forget that day.The atomic bomb was so terrible. My little daughter’s strong spirit was soimpressive. She really loved our country even though she was only a very