The Purple Heart

by Vincent Yee

  Hiroshi moved towards Minami, admired her, and placed a kiss on her lips. She immediately wrapped her arms behind his neck and kissed him back, fervently feeling his warmth suddenly enveloping her. She had felt extreme happiness before but that moment had its own place among the stars.

  * * *

  The next morning, Minami’s parents were shocked by the news of Minami’s engagement. Minami had returned to the barrack the previous night, and no one had noticed the new ring on her finger. No one seemed to also notice the gaiety in her step, either. There was only sleep on their minds.

  It wasn’t so much the idea of the marriage that surprised them, but the time and place and the surrounding circumstances. The concerned parents of the soon-to-be bride skipped the more conventional questions like “How will Hiroshi support you?” and “Where will you live?” Instead, they asked, “Where will you be married on this camp?” and “Can you get a marriage certificate here?”

  Minami’s parents insisted that a proper wedding be conducted despite the circumstances. Mr. Ito liked Hiroshi a whole lot, but felt that he should have reigned in his impetuous proposal and waited until they were all out of the prison camp so that they could begin their lives normally, like other newlyweds. Mr. Ito felt sorry for Hiroshi and Minami because they were going to be denied that opportunity. But Hiroshi and Minami were insistent that this was what they wanted to do, and Mr. Ito reluctantly accepted it.

  Proposing to Minami was the scariest thing Hiroshi had ever done in his life. The thought of her saying “no” terrified him. If she had said “no,” he didn't know where he could hide himself from her on the prison camp. But he felt it was absolutely the right thing to do. By marrying Minami, he would feel closer to her. He had actually vacillated on the actual proposal because he wanted it to be special. His biggest problem was that he didn’t have a ring.

  It wasn’t as if he had anticipated marrying someone while being imprisoned. One evening when Hiroshi had returned to the barrack after walking Minami back to hers, he slid onto his bed and stared upwards into the rafters. He was thinking about his predicament when his mother entered the barrack and asked how he was doing. He replied distractedly, almost ignoring her. She went about preparing for the night when she asked, “How was your night with Minami?”

  “It was good. We strolled along the perimeter again,” he murmured as his voice trailed off.

  “You don’t sound happy, Hiroshi,” stated his mother.

  “It’s just not fair Mom, us being locked up in here in and all.”

  His mother continued with her nightly chores.

  “It’s not fair to any of us,” replied his mother.

  Hiroshi let out a sigh, sat up and swung his legs over the bed. He placed his hands on the edge of the mattress and his shoulders sunk downward. His head slouched forward and he looked entirely dejected. Then without thinking, he blurted out in frustration, “I want to marry her, Mom.”

  There wasn’t a response from his mother when he realized what he had said. He said it without thinking, but perhaps unconsciously, he wanted someone to hear his frustration. He looked up into the direction of his mother who was staring at Hiroshi. She had both of her hands over her mouth with an obvious look of surprise.

  “Mom, what’s wrong?” asked Hiroshi.

  Without further hesitation, Hiroshi’s mother walked over to her son with one hand in front of her while covering her expression of surprise with the other. She gingerly sat down next to him and placed her right hand on his left hand. Hiroshi was surprised–his mother rarely expressed affection physically–but he took her hand and held it. In a stunned tone, she asked, “You want to marry Minami?”

  “Yes, I really do,” said Hiroshi and continued in a tone of regret, “She’s the one.”

  Hiroshi’s mother’s expression then turned to one of doubt. “You don’t look happy about it.”

  “Mom, I want to do it right, but I don’t have a ring. How can I ask her to marry me without a ring?” asked Hiroshi sadly.

  Hiroshi’s problem was out, and his mother understood. She then patted her son’s hand reassuringly as her hands trembled with uncontrollable joy. “Wait right here. I’ll be right back,” she said.

  Hiroshi nodded in response to her strange behavior and replied, “Sure, Mom, I’m not going anywhere.”

  She hopped off the bed and rushed over to her side of the barrack. She moved one suitcase off another and unlocked the metal latch from the lower suitcase. She flipped up the cover, and rummaged through the suitcase until she finally pulled out a small silk pouch. She turned around and walked back toward Hiroshi as she opened the pouch and peered into it. She sat down again next to Hiroshi and shook the contents around.

  Hiroshi was confused and didn’t know what his mother was up to. “Mom, what are you doing?” he asked.

  “Shhh… you’ll thank me for this,” said his mother.

  Hiroshi decided to be patient until his mother abruptly stopped shaking the pouch’s contents and reached inside. Then she smiled at Hiroshi, who was looking at her curiously. She brought up a ring and held it up. It was gold with a tiny diamond set into it. But what it lacked in size, it made up for in sparkle.

  Hiroshi wasn’t sure what to say, he wasn’t sure what was being offered. He asked his mother, “Is it real?”

  His mother pulled the ring back and grudgingly said, “It better be, your father gave it to me.” Then she smiled and gently rubbed the ring along her pants, hoping to enhance its shine.

  “But it’s so small,” said Hiroshi.

  His mother placed the pouch into her lap, held the ring tenderly in both of her hands and turned to Hiroshi.

  “When your father and I came to America, we needed to obtain a marriage license. Your father and I were briefed on the steps and what the short ritual was like down at City Hall. We soon discovered we needed a wedding ring. We were a new couple ourselves, but coming to America, your father was insistent that we were to marry American style. I thought he was so foolish because we were struggling to save money, but somehow, he was able to purchase this ring. He didn’t tell me how he managed it in the beginning until he gave me my current ring.” Hiroshi’s mother then showed her ring finger to Hiroshi that had a similar ring but with a larger diamond. It too glistened for a moment. She continued with her story.

  “Your father took out a loan from a friend and yes, I probably would have killed him if he told me. But I have to admit…” Hiroshi’s mother eyes shone for a moment as she reflected on the memory. “I was speechless when he presented the ring to me. He told me that this was a starter ring and that when he could, he would replace it. But you know, I would have been satisfied with this one for the rest of my life. He was already working two jobs and worked a third job for a year without me knowing to pay off the loan he had gotten. I have to admit, for a quiet farmer, he can be so romantic. And look at you now, you have your father’s ways.”

  Hiroshi’s mother then handed the ring to Hiroshi who gently took it into his own fingers and stared at it.

  “And now, it’s yours to give. I was feeling a little guilty just letting the ring sit in this bag, but now, we can keep it in the family. Minami is a very pretty girl, and she’ll be a wonderful wife, Hiroshi.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Mom,” said Hiroshi appreciatively.

  “It’s easy Hiroshi, just say…‘Will you marry me?’” said his mother in an unusually teasing tone. Hiroshi just looked at her with a smile.

  Then his mother said, “It worked for me and that ring started everything for your father and I and look, it’s been over twenty-five years and we’re still together.” Hiroshi’s mother then glanced down at her ring and smiled. She continued in a sarcastic tone, “Even on this prison.”

  Hiroshi chuckled and he did something that he would never normally do. He hugged his mother gently and she was also surprised, but she simply hugged him back. She loved her son more than anything, and when she saw that he needed help to pursue hi
s own happiness, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She would have even offered her own ring if she didn’t have the starter ring. She patted her son affectionately on the back as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Oh Hiroshi, my little boy has grown up,” she said proudly.

  Hiroshi had proposed to Minami because he wanted to be closer to her but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Instead, Minami was pulled away by both her mother and his. Even her sisters partook in the preparations. It was their new project that would busy themselves over the course of the ensuing months. Also, just when Hiroshi was looking forward to his privacy after his baseball experience, the news of his engagement leaked out and brought back the unwanted attention, as everyone in the prison camp seemed to have congratulated him.

  Hiroshi saw even less of Minami, which he found more frustrating. They had decided that they would not be able to prepare in time for a November wedding. There was much ambivalence about having the wedding in December due to the upcoming anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, so it was decided then to have the wedding in January, in the New Year. It frustrated Hiroshi even more as the entire preparation process was stretched out over the next two months but Minami calmed him down and found his impatience actually flattering.

  On the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Americans paid their respects during a ceremony on the prison camp. There were some strong-willed individuals who were against going, but they were eventually persuaded to go for the good of everyone else in the prison camp. Though the Japanese Americans knew they were being held against their will, they were still Americans and they shared the tragedy with every other Americans in the nation. They also knew that though their fate was undesirable, countless Americans were giving up their lives in the name of freedom. For the fallen soldiers and for those who were fighting on behalf of the United States, the respect the Japanese American internees gave was beyond reproach.

  The fateful day was fast approaching, and excitement among Hiroshi’s and Minami’s families ran high. There was also a great deal of nervousness, as this was the first marriage to be conducted at the relocation center. When the U.S. Army first planned the relocation centers, their primary concern was providing shelter, running water and food. They never thought about the social needs of the Japanese Americans, but soon realized that they were simply ordinary people doing everyday things that any other American would do. That included marriage.

  With some help from Captain Doxers, an army chaplain was driven out to the relocation center to conduct the wedding ceremony. It was decided that the wedding ceremony would be small. Hiroshi’s other problem was that he didn’t have a suit. It was suggested to Hiroshi that for the wedding and considering the circumstances, that all he really needed to wear was a pair of nice slacks, a dress shirt, and a pair of shoes. Hiroshi refused the suggestion. He demanded to be presentable to Minami.

  Like his father, Hiroshi was a farmer and never really needed a suit. The suits that were offered were all too small for Hiroshi. He had even split the backside of one suit that seemed to fit him snugly until he brought both arms forward.

  The suit problem caused Hiroshi great anxiety. But one night, after returning to his barrack with his parents from dinner, he was surprised to find on his bed a bulky, brown-paper-wrapped package held together with twine. Hiroshi didn’t know what to make of it at first. He picked up the package and carefully unwrapped it. To his utter surprise, it was a navy suit. It seemed new. Hiroshi quickly picked up the jacket and held it in front of him from the shoulders. It looked about the right size. He carefully slid into it, making sure not to repeat the last incident of splitting the backside of the suit.

  “Who’s it from?” asked his mother with Hiroshi’s father looking at the pants lying on the bed.

  “I don’t know, but it fits well.”

  “Well is there a note?” asked the mother curiously.

  Hiroshi picked up the brown paper wrap and inspected it, while his father did the same with the pants. There was no note of any sort. Hiroshi and his parents were totally bewildered.

  “It doesn’t smell funny, does it? I want to make sure no one is playing some trick on you,” Hiroshi’s mother said.

  “Mom!” said Hiroshi with a tone of disbelief. However, Hiroshi thought for a moment, and then sniffed the suit.

  As Hiroshi padded down the lapels along his chest, he suddenly felt something in his inner left breast pocket. He reached in and pulled out a small off-white envelope. He flipped open the flap and pulled out a singular piece of paper. On it was three simple words, “From a fan.”

  He showed the note to his mother as his father peered over her left shoulder with his reading glasses. They both read the simple note and the mother turned it over to find no additional clues. Their expressions were one of confusion.

  “It’s from a fan? As in baseball fan?” asked the father.

  “I guess so,” replied Hiroshi.

  The mother then grabbed the pants away from her husband and inspected the inner lining.

  “Mom, I’m sure there aren’t any mouse traps in there,” said Hiroshi as he feared that his mother’s paranoia was taking over.

  However, it wasn’t her paranoia that consumed her but rather a realization. She checked the seams on the pants and then firmly held Hiroshi in place as she inspected the seaming on the jacket. She looked up at Hiroshi and said, “Hiroshi, this suit is freshly sewn. Someone on this base must have sewn this new suit because she must have heard about your problem.”

  “What makes you think it’s a she?” Hiroshi asked.

  His mother looked at him with a look of annoyance. “What man on this camp would go near a sewing machine?”

  Hiroshi realized his momentary lapse in judgment and replied in agreement, “Good point.”

  “Well Hiroshi,” continued his mother, “looks like you’re not only about to have a wife but also a secret admirer.”

  “Or she could just be a big fan,” said Hiroshi as he sought to deflect the allegation. But whoever she was, he was grateful.

  It was a warm Saturday when the day of the wedding arrived. The ceremony was to be conducted at one of the administrative buildings outside of the prison camp. Only immediate family and a small number of close friends were allowed to attend.

  Hiroshi waited nervously, tapping one foot annoyingly on the wooden floor. The room looked like a debriefing room of some sort, but the chairs had been rearranged to allow an aisle down the middle of the room from the door. The chaplain stood at the end of the aisle waiting quietly as he swayed his shoulders back and forth as he held the bible in front of him with both hands. He was a middle-aged gentleman with slightly thinning hair that he combed backwards. He had a slender build with slightly sagging shoulders that were slightly smaller than his hips. His long face also had a long nose to match. But despite a sense of awkwardness to him, his demeanor was calm and benevolent.

  Hiroshi looked uncomfortable in his suit, but it did fit him well. He was wearing one of his father’s dress shirts and a dark tie that he had borrowed. His shoes were also borrowed, and they had been polished to look like new. But Hiroshi found the entire outfit constricting. He could barely breathe, and he felt like the suit itself was literally suffocating him, slowly squeezing the very air out of him. He began to feel hot under the collar as he looked across the aisle to see Minami’s mother and siblings. The women were wearing their best dresses, and a fidgeting Yoshi wore a white short-sleeve shirt and a pair of pants. He was swinging his legs back and forth over his seat as he waited. There were a handful of family friends behind them like the Yasudas and their two sons. Mrs. Yasuda’s husband and oldest son were dropped off on the prison camp a few days after Minami’s father was reunited with his family. Her younger son Kenji was busily flirting and chatting softly with Miho.

  Hiroshi looked to his left to see his beaming mother. His father sat beside her and was able to borrow a suit from someone on the prison camp. Hiroshi was sure his fath
er was equally uncomfortable as well, but he didn’t show it. A few family friends sat behind his parents in quiet anticipation.

  Hiroshi’s mind started to wonder why it was taking so long. He was told that Minami and her father would walk down the aisle at 12 o’clock and it was already two minutes past. He felt like his head was going to explode but then he started to ask himself why he was so nervous. This was what he wanted. He was about to marry the woman he had fallen in love with. He was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her, having her and cherishing her. He closed his eyes to bring forth a soothing mental image of Minami. He exhaled through his nose and he brought his hands together to gather some sense of calmness.

  “Nervous, son?” asked the chaplain.

  Hiroshi was caught off guard as the chaplain had a deeper voice than he expected. Hiroshi opened his eyes and looked at him.

  “Yes, I guess you can say that,” replied Hiroshi.

  “Don’t worry, son, it’ll be all over before you know it,” the chaplain said reassuringly.

  Hiroshi didn’t get a chance to say thank you before his attention was diverted to the door opening. His head turned immediately as he took in a quick breath and found himself tensing up.

  There was a bright light coming directly from the window beyond the door and Hiroshi could only see paired silhouettes in the doorframe. The blinding moment seemed to go on forever until finally Minami stepped out of the light and into the room. She was smiling and her eyes were beaming. Hiroshi simply thought she was like an angel stepping out from the clouds and into the room.

  Hiroshi stared at her. Though it was impossible to find a wedding dress, she was wearing a light floral print white sundress with straps that hung delicately over her soft shoulders. A white sash was wrapped about her waist that accentuated her figure, and she was wearing her white shoes. She had her hair bound tightly up and had used a pair of ornate chopsticks to hold it place. There were even hints of small white flowers interlaced in her hair. In her right hand was a small bouquet of white flowers. She was absolutely the most beautiful sight he had ever seen as she slowly strolled down the aisle.