The last tomato - Hiroshima told in his own words: (7)

　
(7) The pillar of strangely huge clouds

I did not remember progress of time and progress of the way. It seemed that it did not clear since it was dark, but I came to the place where we were before, the place where everybody in class went out to make the firebreak for structure. When I wondered what happened on everybody, suddenly two middle school pupils came to cling to me and said, "-- please take us with you -- please take us and escape --". Both of them are naked with only belts at their waists left.

Their skin was burnt and festered, and drooped as dust cloth was hung down. Their feet were bare. I thought that I might see the ghost. I asked, "At what school are you studying?" They answered, "We are in a first grader of the Hiroshima San-yo middle school." So, they were pupils of the younger classes than mine.

I thought that I would take them to a safe place. I said. "I understand. Lets escape together." We came out to the place of a large pond. Since we were going in the darkness, I worried missing our way. However, I believed that we were progressing south.

Soon, several tens of schoolgirls came from the direction toward which we wanted to walk. Although I thought that they wore monpe (women's work pants, gathered at the ankles), they were almost in stark-naked state like the middle school pupils. Their hairs were burnt and cut, and their skins were boiled and drooped.

Since they were escaping from the direction which I thought was safe, I asked them, "Why are you escaping in this direction?", They answered, "Fire began to burn in that direction".

For a moment I wavered in judgment of whether I should go back together with them. Since it was found that the fire was going up in all over the place, I had a doubt that this air raid might be different from that which was heard from my friend of Kure.

However, I decided that I would not be safe, if I did not overcome the fire and go out of the town. We parted from the schoolgirls and began to walk to the southern direction already aimed at.

The fire was approaching us gradually. It was terrible heat, the heat which could not be expressed as others except heat itself. Two middle school pupils who escaped together shouted, "hot, hot." Since two persons were burning themselves to the whole body, they met too much heat and began to cry, "Oh, I feel very painful". I regretted them as pitiful. However, if I would not pass through fire, I would die.

I exceeded the fire desperately, encouraging two pupils who did not want to enter the fire. The women came out of the fire, and they cringed to me.
Even if I tried to detach hers, they held my clothes firmly and did not release them. They said, "There is my child in the fire. Please! Help me! ". Hearing about the child, I sympathized them very much. However, although I sympathized very much, if we remained there, we would also die in the flames. We again had to shake off the mother's hand and had to escape. Even now, I remember the sad shout of the mother at that time.

It became soon somewhat bright and I could see our front view of 10m ahead. I looked around. The pillars and walls of houses all vanished like a Daruma omission game, and the roof covered over the rubble. Although I saw fires going up in many directions, any new fire was not seen around me. I thought we were saved in any case and I looked behind me. I could not find two pupils behind. I had parted from the middle school pupils unawares.

As a result, it was good luck that I escaped toward the fire. The schoolgirls who escaped toward the central part, I think, probably would die in the flames. When I progressed for a while, there was a hand pump which could pump up well water, on the left-hand side of the way.
The man of the middle age was sitting before the pump, and said, "Please kindly push the pump and draw water from well "

The man's head was divided to two parts. His body faced to the front, but one part of the divided head turned to me, standing on the side of him. He said, "I could not see any longer ". Much blood was flowing from the head. His body was full of blood. The blood flew into his eyes, and he could not see and walk. He wanted to wash his eyes and asked me to draw water. After I drew water to him I progressed aiming at south further.

I came out to the river soon. Although seven big rivers were flowing in Hiroshima, the river was Hijisan-gawa (kyoubashigawa).
Coming there, I looked back upon the way where I escaped.
I did not understand what time it was -- it was before noon in practice.
But, there was only brightness of the same grade as a twilight front.

I saw a grotesque scene such that many clouds were coming out here and there from the ground. There were a could of red color, a cloud of black color and also a cloud of purple color. I raised my eyes looking after the clouds. An extraordinarily giant pillar of cloud, climbing on the sky, was recognized. "I see. Since I was under that cloud, then I was in the darkness as pitch," I understood finally.

(To be continued)