We were returning from the Buddhist Temple in Waipahu when Mom burst out laughing. The Buddhist Temple is next to my old elementary school.
She was remembering something that happened fifty eight years ago. I have a poor memory, but I remember this very clearly.
I was walking with my brother, Dennis to school. He was in kindergarten and I was in 3rd grade. It's a long walk. I would tell my own children a couple of decades later that it was five miles uphill both ways, going to and coming home from school.... in wind and blinding snow... rain or sleet...
Well... no, the kids didn't believe me, but that's another story. Dennis googled it and tells me now that it was really only about .6 miles at most.
No way!
Anyway, there I was with five year old Dennis about to cross the street to the entrance of the school. The JPOs were on duty to help children cross the street. (Who knows? Maybe it was starting to snow.)
"I don't have my sleeping bag." Dennis tells me. "I can't go to school."
Arrrghhh! I told him the teacher would find something else for him to sleep on. I told him he could survive one day without his sleeping bag. I told him it was a horrible, long walk back home. I told him to give me a break!
Nope. He stood there with a stubborn pout on his cute baby face refusing to cross the street.
Arrrrghhhh!
I ran all the way home (going uphill, remember?). Mom says she was shocked to see me. I just grabbed his sleeping bag and ran back to school (uphill again). I don't remember a look of extreme gratitude on his face for what I did for him. Doesn't matter.
I've never let him forget it.
She was remembering something that happened fifty eight years ago. I have a poor memory, but I remember this very clearly.
I was walking with my brother, Dennis to school. He was in kindergarten and I was in 3rd grade. It's a long walk. I would tell my own children a couple of decades later that it was five miles uphill both ways, going to and coming home from school.... in wind and blinding snow... rain or sleet...
Well... no, the kids didn't believe me, but that's another story. Dennis googled it and tells me now that it was really only about .6 miles at most.
No way!
"I don't have my sleeping bag." Dennis tells me. "I can't go to school."
Arrrghhh! I told him the teacher would find something else for him to sleep on. I told him he could survive one day without his sleeping bag. I told him it was a horrible, long walk back home. I told him to give me a break!
Nope. He stood there with a stubborn pout on his cute baby face refusing to cross the street.
Arrrrghhhh!
I ran all the way home (going uphill, remember?). Mom says she was shocked to see me. I just grabbed his sleeping bag and ran back to school (uphill again). I don't remember a look of extreme gratitude on his face for what I did for him. Doesn't matter.
I've never let him forget it.
lol
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those unforgettable memories.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how our memories come back to us after all these years, this is a good one!
ReplyDeleteYou were a great sister
ReplyDeleteThat is so fun! Do you see your brother often enough to bug him about this?!
ReplyDeleteLove this story! Our childhood memories are fun to explore. We lived about a mile from the high school, so we were "walkers". I played the French Horn, so back and forth, with my books and instrument, I would walk to school each day. My mother would take pity if it was raining and would drive us to school.
ReplyDeleteMom doesn't know how to drive so we walked even if it rained. Since this was Hawaii, we rarely had really horrible weather to walk in.
DeleteGreat story. And, yes, I believe you when you say it was 5 miles, uphill, in both directions. I've been on walks like that!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I do understand the perils of being the big sister.
ReplyDeleteSimply a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good big sister! Never, ever, let him forget!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute photo of the two of you! Such angelic faces (LOL).
ReplyDeleteActually, our childhood was so different from our kids since we moved to the mainland. Life changed in Hawaii too, I believe. We used to run all over the camp and down into the gulches to catch guppies in the stream. I couldn't allow my children that freedom. I'll bet Kauai was more easy going too.
DeleteOh, what a precious story. I love the picture...you look exactly the same now as you did then!
ReplyDeleteI think I know the school you went to, since I use to walk my dog in that area. The one next to the old camp graveyard. If so, where the current portable classrooms are today across the street by the by-pass, was there also a graveyard on that area. In the back are a bunch of new houses. Someone told me that it was and I've been trying to confirm that for years. Did you live in Waipahu Gardens (I use to live there) and I remember it was a mean hill going up towards the school. BB
ReplyDeleteReally? You lived in Waipahu too? Cool! Yes, there is a graveyard behind what used to be the school cafeteria. I don't know if it's still used that way. All the kids had cafeteria duty twice a year. Remember the shortbread cookies?
DeleteNo, I didn't live in Waipahu Gardens. I lived up in the sugar mill plantation camp next to the Japanese School where we'd go after going to Waipahu Elementary School. Life was sure different then.
Do you remember Takenaka Store? Horiuchi's for saimin? Our plantation housing was burned down years ago and you can't even find the place we lived. We can guess though because there's still Manager's Drive.
Unlike you, we actually went down the hill to go to school.
So funny, you will never let him forget it, I love it! What an adorable photo of you and your brother!! Kay, we have more in common than just our names...I had those same short bangs!! (Hey, guess what, in England, hair cut short on your forehead is called a "fringe", NOT bangs!)
ReplyDeletewhat an adorable story, lol... the things we do for our loved ones, ;)
ReplyDeleteI can just see your mother laughing by herself. You will remember this more than ever.
ReplyDeleteFor your age 0.6 probably did seem like 5 miles
ReplyDeleteAs an only child you don't get to have those experiences.
ReplyDeleteNo, I rented there a few years ago and got to know the history of that area from my landlord who lived there from the beginning. I walked my dog daily around all of the Gardens and I'd also go to the elementary. I would read the headstones from the school. Sadly the graveyard is in a bad state with no new generation tending it as it was all camp workers buried there. Also the school is badly haunted I'd "feel" it if I'd walk when the sun was setting. And the portables across the street, the alarms would go off all the time in the evening. That's why I was trying to verify if that place was also part of the cemetery. I found an archive of the history of Waipahu town with photos and captions. I had belonged to one of those 'olden days' groups and once I posted those archives, so many former camp ppl shared their memories of Waipahu during the mill days. Very very fascinating. It's in one of my folders and I have to dig thru to find the link. When found I'll post it here. Aloha,BB
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story, Kay. And you still remember all those things that happened and places you lived. My memory has gotten very hazy for those early years. I know I went to school but don't remember any of it! :-)
ReplyDeleteA really cute story, Kay! It is nice to remember fun stories like that, isn't it, although I'm sure at the time, it wasn't fun for you!
ReplyDeleteGreat story. I like the wind and snow. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt's a cute story you wrote, Kay. But wait, I don't understand. You had to carry a sleeping bag to school every day, to nap on?
ReplyDeleteIt was probably a Monday and children, I think, brought their bags home to be washed.
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