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Authors: William Andrews
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trembled.
Soo-hee led me back to my step. She tugged at my sleeve and told me to come closer. “Take this,” she whispered. She lifted a fold of her yukata . In her hand was the comb with the two-headed dragon. “ Ummah said that it will protect us.”
“But Onni , Ummah gave it to you.”
“You were born in the year of the dragon,” Soo-hee said. “This comb with the dragon is a sign for you. Take it little sister.”
I wrapped my hand around the comb. It was the first time I had ever held it. It was heavy and cool in my hand, and felt like something important. But after what had happen to Jin-sook, I doubted if a comb could help me.
“Where will I hide it?” I asked.
“In your chamber pot,” Soo-hee said. “No one will find it there. Put it there now.”
I slid the comb inside my yukata and went to my room. I did as Soo-hee said and dropped it inside my chamber pot.
*
We waited in the courtyard exchanging nervous glances. Then, Lieutenant Tanaka walked in with his shinai at his side. Private Ishida grabbed his rifle and stood straight. The Japanese women continued to lounge on their steps. Now that the sun had set, it was cooling quickly. There was no breeze and I could hear the rumble of trucks in the village. We huddled close except for Sun-hi who stood off to the side and stared at the ground.
With his shinai , Lieutenant Tanaka pointed at the yellow dirt in front of him. He ordered us to form a line and stand straight with our hands at our sides. He said we were not to talk. “The officers are coming,” he said.
I heard voices and the laughter of men from behind the barracks. The voices grew louder and a group of men entered the courtyard led by a man a half head taller than the rest. I had seen Japanese senior officers before, but never anyone like him. He had square shoulders, smooth skin, and a strong chin. Just by the sight of him, I feared him like I’d never feared anyone before.
“Attention!” Lieutenant Tanaka barked. He and Private Ishida snapped to attention. The Japanese women stayed seated on their steps.
The square-shouldered officer approached Lieutenant Tanaka. “Lieutenant, I see we have new girls,” he said.
“Yes, Colonel,” Lieutenant Tanaka said crisply and with a slight bow. “One was disrespectful and had to be disciplined. She is in the infirmary. The doctor reports all the rest are virgins except the one at the end.” He pointed at Sun-hi.
“Let’s take a look,” the Colonel said. With his hands behind his back, he slowly examined each one of us. He stopped at me. I bowed my head low and looked at his feet. His boots were polished, clean and tied tight. Under my yukata , my knees shook.
“This is a young one,” he said. “Is she clean, Lieutenant?”
“Yes sir. She is the youngest. Her name is Namiko Iwata.”
The Colonel lifted my chin with a finger and examined my face from side-to-side. The shaking in my knees spread to my legs. The courtyard spun around me and thought I would faint. “You have a pretty face, Namiko Iwata,” he said, his eyes fixed on me. “Pretty and delicate, like an aristocrat.”
He turned to Lieutenant Tanaka and said, “This one.”
T EN
August 2008, Seoul, South Korea
“H e raped me ,” my birth-grandmother says, glaring at me from across her table. I want to look away but I don’t dare. “They took me to his quarters where he raped me. I was fourteen years old. I didn’t know what sex was. I had only been menstruating for five months. Five months! How could I know? How could I know?”
“You couldn’t possibly,” I say. It’s hot and humid inside the apartment. I need to fan myself, but I don’t dare. Not now. Not with Mrs. Hong reliving her horrible rape. The agony of it is written on her face and is deep in her eyes.
“He raped me in the cruelest way,” she continues. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you must know. First, he told me to take off my clothes in front
Soo-hee led me back to my step. She tugged at my sleeve and told me to come closer. “Take this,” she whispered. She lifted a fold of her yukata . In her hand was the comb with the two-headed dragon. “ Ummah said that it will protect us.”
“But Onni , Ummah gave it to you.”
“You were born in the year of the dragon,” Soo-hee said. “This comb with the dragon is a sign for you. Take it little sister.”
I wrapped my hand around the comb. It was the first time I had ever held it. It was heavy and cool in my hand, and felt like something important. But after what had happen to Jin-sook, I doubted if a comb could help me.
“Where will I hide it?” I asked.
“In your chamber pot,” Soo-hee said. “No one will find it there. Put it there now.”
I slid the comb inside my yukata and went to my room. I did as Soo-hee said and dropped it inside my chamber pot.
*
We waited in the courtyard exchanging nervous glances. Then, Lieutenant Tanaka walked in with his shinai at his side. Private Ishida grabbed his rifle and stood straight. The Japanese women continued to lounge on their steps. Now that the sun had set, it was cooling quickly. There was no breeze and I could hear the rumble of trucks in the village. We huddled close except for Sun-hi who stood off to the side and stared at the ground.
With his shinai , Lieutenant Tanaka pointed at the yellow dirt in front of him. He ordered us to form a line and stand straight with our hands at our sides. He said we were not to talk. “The officers are coming,” he said.
I heard voices and the laughter of men from behind the barracks. The voices grew louder and a group of men entered the courtyard led by a man a half head taller than the rest. I had seen Japanese senior officers before, but never anyone like him. He had square shoulders, smooth skin, and a strong chin. Just by the sight of him, I feared him like I’d never feared anyone before.
“Attention!” Lieutenant Tanaka barked. He and Private Ishida snapped to attention. The Japanese women stayed seated on their steps.
The square-shouldered officer approached Lieutenant Tanaka. “Lieutenant, I see we have new girls,” he said.
“Yes, Colonel,” Lieutenant Tanaka said crisply and with a slight bow. “One was disrespectful and had to be disciplined. She is in the infirmary. The doctor reports all the rest are virgins except the one at the end.” He pointed at Sun-hi.
“Let’s take a look,” the Colonel said. With his hands behind his back, he slowly examined each one of us. He stopped at me. I bowed my head low and looked at his feet. His boots were polished, clean and tied tight. Under my yukata , my knees shook.
“This is a young one,” he said. “Is she clean, Lieutenant?”
“Yes sir. She is the youngest. Her name is Namiko Iwata.”
The Colonel lifted my chin with a finger and examined my face from side-to-side. The shaking in my knees spread to my legs. The courtyard spun around me and thought I would faint. “You have a pretty face, Namiko Iwata,” he said, his eyes fixed on me. “Pretty and delicate, like an aristocrat.”
He turned to Lieutenant Tanaka and said, “This one.”
T EN
August 2008, Seoul, South Korea
“H e raped me ,” my birth-grandmother says, glaring at me from across her table. I want to look away but I don’t dare. “They took me to his quarters where he raped me. I was fourteen years old. I didn’t know what sex was. I had only been menstruating for five months. Five months! How could I know? How could I know?”
“You couldn’t possibly,” I say. It’s hot and humid inside the apartment. I need to fan myself, but I don’t dare. Not now. Not with Mrs. Hong reliving her horrible rape. The agony of it is written on her face and is deep in her eyes.
“He raped me in the cruelest way,” she continues. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you must know. First, he told me to take off my clothes in front
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