Among Them Only My Family Had No Scratch

My mother always told us to wear a long sleeved winter shirt with work pants so we would not get hurt during the air raids. Also I had to put on my protective cotton hood. In midsummer it was too hot to wear such clothes, but I was an obedient child and wore them without complaining.

On the early morning of the 9th, we heard an air raid warning, so we hurried to the big public air raid shelter in the mountain field Soon the "All clear" was sounded and grown-ups went down to prepare lunch. Only three of us—my year-old sister, three-year-old brother and I— were left in the large shelter. It was so quiet that we felt very lonely. No one came to the shelter though we had waited for a long time. I made up my mind to get out of the shelter and took my brother and sister by their hands. Carrying a hood and a mat on my shoulder, we walked down to the main street. We were just like beggars. When we came to the street many people were gathering there and talking fearfully about the bombings. My mother was among them. They were anxious at the sight of us little children and said over and over, "Hurry up to an air raid shelter, children, or an enemy plane will attack you." But I shook my head and answered, "No. We won't go to the shelter without Mother " They were at a loss. Finally my mother said. "All right. I'll go with you." I was very happy to hear that. My mother, sister, brother and I went up to the mountain field to the air raid shelter carrying lunch and some other things. The other women stayed below.

As we came near the shelter, the sky was blue and calm. There was a shrine named the Tenmangu Shrine in front of the shelter. Under the shrine, we rested a while. It was not for some time that we heard the roaring of a plane. My sister and I ran into the shelter at full speed. My mother was trying to catch my three year-old brother.

No sooner had I jumped into the shelter thanI heard a violent explosion which shook the shelter very hard. I don't know how I was unconscious, but when I opened my eyes and looked around, there was no change in the shelter. My sister and I weren't wounded at all because we had lain with our faces down on the ground. But I could not find my dear mother and brother. Gradually I became very sad. It was the saddest moment of my life. I led my sister by the hand and left the shelter. My mother wasn't outside, either

I was greatly astonished to see that Termangu Shrine had been destroyed. I looked down the street from there and was surprised again. All the houses had fallen and burst into flames. Not a man was to be seen on the street. Only my sister and I were left alive on this lonely hill! In a daze I ran around and around the area of the shrine. My sister clung to my waist, crying. Then I heard a crackling sound behind me. I looked back and found a part of the fallen shrine had pushed out. What was happening? I watched carefully. Soon hands black with dust emerged shoving the roof tiles, and I saw a woman's head also covered with dust. She looked up at me with startled eyes. Her face was just like a specter's.

To my surprise, she cried, "Setsuko!" She was my mother! "Mommy!" I cried with cried with joy. I looked into her face again and again and burst into laughter because it was very funny. Mother also laughed with joy knowing that her children were safe and sound. It seemed to me that the Tenmangu Shrine was smiling at us. Mother crawled out vigorously. She looked just like she was taking off clothes as she removed the roof tiles she was wearing. She was hugging her child in her arms. The child, my brother, was not wounded at all. Luckily all of my family escaped injury. Crying and laughing with joy, we sat there for a while.

Soon many people came up to the shrine one after another. They were from Urakami and had big blisters on their bodies where they had gotten burnt. Most of them were seriously wounded and bleeding. Here and there I heard children crying for their mothers, and mothers for their children. Some men cried, "Hide yourselves, all of you wearing white. An enemy plane is coming!" All of a sudden we were thrown into an uproar.

Many of our neighbors whom we had seen on the street were killed. My family was the only one in which everyone was left alive. We were so sorry for the others that we were embarrassed when we met them. Several people said to my mother, "You are lucky! I thought you would have been killed in your home when the atomic bomb was dropped because you had small children. It is incredible that you and your children survived!"

My mother didn't know how to answer and, wiping her tears away, said only "Yes.... Yes...."

That night we stayed in the air raid shelter but we could hardly sleep. In the shelter there was a woman who was burnt on her face. She kept crying and said, "I cannot show this ugly face to others. I'd rather have died." There were many such men and women there. Among them only my family had no scratch, so we felt very small and couldn't say anything. Next day the woman’s wounded face began to smell and swarmed with a lot of flies. People kept away from her. Finally she was taken to a hospital. After that, a lot of flies gathered where she had been lying.

Three days later we went down to the town. As far as I could see, nothing was left standing. So I had no idea where my house had been. People were burning the dead on the street and in the yards. I felt sad at the sight of the piteous people who were burning.

Whenever I hear the word "War," I remember the horrible scenes of that time. Thinking that if an atomic bomb is dropped one more time I will get seriously wounded or killed, I shrink with fear. If another bomb falls, I would rather die instantly.

---