Our Art Collection: #2 Takenaka Store

In 1979, my brother, Dennis sent me another drawing he did from our childhood.  I am still so grateful that he did this for me.  I think these two drawings from yesterday's post and today are the most precious artwork I own.

This is a drawing of Takenaka Store.  It was a mile away from our house.  Dennis, who is three years younger than I am, and I would often walk down the hill to this store and sit on that bench to wait for my mother who would get off the bus at the bus stop across the street.  With our precious dime, we would buy two little Dixie cups of frozen strawberry ice cakes.  The ice cakes were just sweet frozen syrup.

The owner's son was a classmate of mine.  His dad used to always call me Ishkaboo.  I asked my mother what it meant and she said it had no meaning.  It was just a nickname he gave me.

Dennis and I would eat those little ice cakes and keep a watch for the bus that would bring our mother home from Honolulu where she worked at a newspaper.  People used to tell us how pretty our mother was.  I suppose we thought she was beautiful, but what we really wanted was to walk her home so she could start making dinner.  It amazes me now to think of how she used to go to work when it was barely light, come home at around 4:30, walk home, cook dinner, make sure our homework was being done, clean the house, etc.  before she could get to bed.

Looking at this drawing now, I can remember the taste of the ice cakes and the anticipation of seeing our mother come home.  I can hear Mr. Takenaka's laughing voice.  He always knew what we wanted since we could never afford anything more.

Gosh!  Those  were the good ol' days.