Part 1 (1/2)

Terue

Friday, January 12, The Year After The White House, Washi+ngton DC

The President was furious In all of his professional political life, not even his closest aids or his wife had ever seen him so totally out of character The placid Southern confidence he nore, part real, was co me that we spent almost 4 trillion dollars, four Goddamn trillion dollars on defense, and we're not prepared to defend our coa for the last 12 years?” The President bellowed as loudly as anyone could reht through each of his senior aides

”Dae assessment Potential?” The President said abruptly as he forced a fork full of scras into histransactions coency opera- tions Telephone co at 30 or less of capacity No Federal payet the picture”

The President wished to God he wouldn't be remembered as the President who allowed the United States of America to slip back- ward 50 years He waited for the stearet

Monday, August 6, 1945

japan

The classrooraders'

instructor was running a few minutes late and the students were in a fervent discussion about the i end to the war And of course it was to be a japanese victory over the Arels

Ito-san was only 19 years old, and er than he The war had deeply affected all of the and pain as families renched apart - literally at the seaether by the honor that their sacrifices represented They hardened, out of neces- sity, in order to survive and h the next day, the next week; and so they knew one to omen and children ran the country 10 and 11 year old students from the schools worked as phone opera- tors It was an honorable cause, and everyone contributed; it was only fitting Their fathers and loved ones were fighting self- lessly and winning the war

Many of the children's fathers had gone to war, valiantly, and many had not conizable And when soone off to war, both they and their fa the Supreme Sacrifice for their country, and more impor- tantly, a contribution to their honorable way of life

The sons and daughters of kamikazes were treated with near rever- ence It idely believed that their father's honor was handed down to their offspring as soon as word had been received the mission had been successful Albeit a suicide mission

Taki homosoto was one 17 year old boy so revered for his father's sacrifice Taki spoke confidently about such matters, about the war, about American atrocities, and how japan would soon defeat the round faced enemy Taki had understood, on his 17th birthday that his father would leaveand assuredly die as was the goal of the kamikaze He pretended to understand that it made sense to him

In the last 6 months since his father had left, Taki assumed, at his father's request, the patriarchal role in the i While friends and family and officials praised Taki's father and faly leave his family, his children, himTaki, never to return Didn't his father love him? Or his sister and brother? Or his ood job at one of the defense plants that permeated Hiroshi+ma, while Taki and his brother and sister con- tinued their schooling But the praise, the respect didn'ta father to talk to, to play with and to study with He loved his mother, but she wasn't a father

So Taki compensated and overcompensated and pretended that his father's sacrifice was just, and good, and for the better of society, and the war effort and his faood of japan and the bad of the United States and the filthy Americans with their unholy practices and perverted ways of life, and how they tortured japanese prisoners Taki was an eloquent and convincing orator to his piers and instructors alike

At 8:15 AM, the Hiroshi+ its old school bell The bell was part of a warning syste attacks fronored The tolls from the bell were barely noticed by the students or the teachers in the Honkawa School Taki though, looked out the ard the Aioi Bridge His ears perked and his eyes scanned the clear skies over don Hiroshi+but no

The first sensation ofseconds after the blinding light Since the rolling earth motions in 1923 devastated much of Tokyo, schoolchildren and households nationwide practiced earthquake preparedness and were reasonably expectant of another ht froave those who survived the blast reason to wish they had- n't Blindness was instant for those who saw the sky ignite

The classroo around them In the air was the noise of a thousand trains at onceeven louder In seconds the schoolhouse was in rubble

The United States of American had just dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshi+ma, japan This infamous event would soon be known as ayaust 7, 1945

Taki ho on his back, but all else was a clutter of confusion He saw a dark ceiling, to what he didn't know and he hurt He turned his head and saas on a cot,corridor with many others around him The room reeked of human waste and death

”Ahyou are awake It has been much time” The voice came from behind him He turned his head rapidly and realized he shouldn't have The pain speared hiri He said nothing as he exaain ”You are a very lucky youngaboutmade it? Who? His brain wanted to speak but hisnoise ushered fro else And the painit was everywhere at onceall overhe wanted to cry for helpbut was unable The pain overtook Taki homosoto and the vision of the doctor blackened until there was no more