Mom, Im home now ! （by LIPTONE）

Foreword

My memories of WWⅡwas contributed by late Liptone (handle name).
This report consists of four parts.

* During the War as an engineer of International Telegraph and Telephone Corp in Celebes (Sulawesi Ile in Indonesia)
* After the War, as a prisoner
* Repatriate for Japan by ship
* Finally go back to his home town (Mom, Im home now!)

We are permitted to reprint by his bereaved family.

--------------------------------------------------------
　
Finally I arrived at the Osaka station.
There, I should transfer the train for Hukuchiyama,though I did't know when it would start.
From Hukuchiya, to go far more seemed to be rather easier by train.
The Osaka station which had been broken by the aerial bombings was filled with a stink.
I went through among the blocks of crashed cements, stepped over the rails and got into the train for Hukuchiyama.

I could not go through the passage because the entrance floor was blocked with the earlier passengers rucksacks or big parcels wrapped in cloth.
There was no way to get into the train except passing through the non-glass window.
But the window was too high to enter from the platform.
So I dragged the dust box that scarcely remained the original shape and got in and out using it as a cripple.
I didnt want to do such a rude behavior but everybody got in and out from the window.
The earlier passengers adapted to the situation, shouted Come here! and kindly pulled my hands toward them.
An earlier man seated near me on the right side facing to the advanced direction described himself as a soldier who had retreated from the Manchuria through Korea. His right earlobe was left only a half.
He asked me to watch his baggage and left through the window.
After a while, having stepped over the window, he spoke verbosely, A guy carrying wheat was arrested at the toilet. There is a lot of papers (newspaper) in that toilet! etc.
In this carriage, it smelled out with sweat and excrement.
I knew it had passed four hours by the wall clock in the station since I loaded into the train.

He told the reason of the arrest was  the man was carrying wheat for a black market.
Also I was taught that newspapers were valuable.

The Hinomaru lunch box (Lunch of rice and pickled plum) was prepared by the Repatriate Relief Bureau in Tanabe city for the repatriate and it was stuffed with salty rice with a little wheat for fear of rot in the hot season and I took it out and began to eat. Looking at me, the people around me were impressed and said, General! What a rich meal you have!
That was the last one of four bearings from Tanabe.
Drank out the last drop of the water in the bottle, I finished my belated lunch.
Immediately I went out of the window, filled a bottle with water and returned from the window.

The train suddenly jerked and the engine seemed to be connected.
After thirty minutes or so, it started.
The station attendant explained abouta danger in a tunnel to the people on the roofs of the train but no one got down from there.

On the way, the train had stopped frequently then just at midnight it arrived at the Hukuchiyama station ---two or three lights of lanterns were twinkling.
From there I walked ten or fifteen km with my baggage to the Ayase station along the railway.
The train from Ayase to the Maizuru repatriation port was cleaner and not so crowded.
Watching the sea in the area of west Maizuru it dawned.
I felt hungry without a supper last night.
I got off from the formal(?) door and filled the water in the bottle.
Incidentally I relieved myself at the toilet.
To my destination, Tango Miyazu, it takes thirty km on foot, easier distance a day for military march. I wished to give a message to my mother that I already reached at this place.

I heard the train from Maizuru to Toyooka would start next morning around 6.
There was no another train till then.
In the West Maizuru station there was a half legalized restaurant of black market. Good!

Three dishes of potato porridge, two loaves of bread and one dish of sasimi, ---I paid about 100yen only for them.
When I was given 200yen on cash at the Repatriate Relief Bureau, I was so surprised at the large sum of money--- but this was inflation!
My monthly salary was 120yen except local expense in Celebes (Sulawesi　Ile in Indonesia).
I could not find a clock near there, so I went around many times to the opposite platform to see the time.

It dawned so early in summer at the sea side. After it became brighter I had waited patiently the train for Toyooka.
In the carriage, some buzz arose, Why?

Women with a small Japanese hinomaru flags in their hands gathered on the platform and in the group there was a lady who resembled my mother.
Women living in the mother country were unfamiliar (?) to me, so I watched them carefully and there is a marriageable lady (?) with warship flag and in her another hand she had a lunch box or something wrapped by a bamboo sheath. Oh, how wonderful a lady wearing an apron.

The train that we were waiting since last night came into whistling, shooting up the black smoke violently and pushing up the white steam.
This was the last boarding for my home town.
Taking a grip on myself I re-bound my baggage.
The train creaked and stopped. The step door was just in front of me.
Few people stepped down and only some people got on at West Maizuru.
But I got in quickly and unconsciously, then seated on the sea side.
I wanted to see the Miyazu port as soon as possible.

The ladies with a little flag began to serve a cup of hot Japanese tea.
Another ladies took out baked and boiled fish from the pan and handed it to the person who wanted to get over the window.
The papers of magazine piled two or three were the replacement of dish.
Cooking fish was a free ration for the repatriate.

They said in chorus Congratulations! Welcome back! or  Where are you going back?Please., they continued to speak to us.
I had enjoyed for a while until the train started,---just I felt speaking with my mother.

A man who put on a battle cap, gaiters and brogues said to me.
I was in hospital for 5days in Maizuru. I had heavy diarrhea on the ship, so when the ship landed, immediately I was sent to the Navy Hospital. Yesterday afternoon, I left the hospital and lay down on the second carriage backward, but I could not sleep for hunger.
A little while ago, I was given a fish, but I want more so I moved to this carriage.
Eventually he came to take one more ration.
He had a trick, what a disgusting creature!

I leaned over the window and spoke to a young lady,
What time is it now?  for I knew she put on a wristwatch.
"Yes?", then she looked at me and raised her pretty wrist, Its half past six now. "The train should start soon. I appreciate for your hard time. How about a tea?  Like that, she was so kind.
She put on a cloth above the upper waist written An ex-soldier female　unit(?), but she did not wear a sash.

During I was thanking with great courtesy to her, the train started and she bowed politely then stood straight and shouted in a squeaky voice with other ladies BNNZAI and saw off us waving a prepared small flag.

Here! After one hour or so I will actually arrive at Tango Miyazu(North part of Kyoto), but my mother doesnt know yet I will come back by this train.



The train squeaked and stopped at the quiet station.

I got out of the train with my baggage and within ten feet walk or so, I heard a thunderous voice.
MA SA TA KA---again same thunder---!
The voice called me by name so friendly. Thats my mothers voice?
No, it isnt.

Im here!, a woman toeing and crying outside of the ticked gate was my mother!

In silence, I walked intentionally slowly on the platform and on the bridge where my figure was hidden I crossed it in a hurry and came up to the ticked gate where my mother was waiting.

Thank for your telegram., that was the first wards of my mother.
Though I already cabled the rough starting date and time at the Tanabe station, the arrival time was late almost a whole day.---afterward I heard that my company in Tokyo ( International Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) cabled to my mother Mr.Masataka return in triumph to Tanabe Kisyu, come back to you soon Corp

Later I understood that my mother came to welcome me at the station yesterday from the first down train to every arriving one.

Well ---,then she said in an undertone, Welcome home--moved to tears, Thank you.,--- finally concluded. This was her familiar voice to me!

The thunder voice I heard at the station when I had descended from the train was my mother's cry of joy and gushed convulsively from her throat. She was able to shout like that.
As there were some waiting people except my mother I was ashamed of her tearful face.
Am I an unfaithful son thinking like that ?

Going out of the ticked gate, my mother helped me to unburden my baggage from the shoulder and said I will borrow a handcart, so watch the baggage carefully.
In front of the station there was a shop. On the signboard, a letter was written Souvenir only. She went into the shop.
Before long she came out delightfully pulling a handcart with two wheels.
One middle aged woman closed the door behind her and followed after my mother in a hurry.
While loading my baggage, my mother introduced me to this shop owner.
This is my only son and soon he will take a bride. My mother said redundantly with joy---.

After her husband had been called out, this woman closed the shop and was waiting for him.
My mother frequently stayed there and waited for the Arrival of train.---that was what I heard from the shops woman.

There were few baggage to put on the handcart but I was so grateful for my mothers affection that I put all my things from the water bottle to the cap.

It was difficult to pull one navigating rod by two so we held the bar from right and left and advanced to our home at my mothers pace.
What a happy traveling companion we are!

When I re-handed the rod I grasped my mothers hands.
I squeezed strongly her hands with my thinking ( I am fine and strong like this ).
That was my mothers soft hands.
I tried to nestle up to her like a child.
She re-glanced at me and walked in silence.

Under the daylight the sun shines ---.
I　--- irreverently but broke the silence and dare said,

Mom, Im home now!

The end