Deny with Eyes

 

I heard this story from my mother. It was before she had Alzheimer’s disease. One day she went Komaki City, which is located near our hometown. She took a taxi.

Then the taxi driver said to her, “Excuse me, but aren’t you the daughter of Vice Principal Kawai?”

He was right. My grandfather worked as a vice principal at a high school in Komaki. It was a few decades ago. Why could he remember my grandfather?

During World War II, the driver was a high school student in Komaki. He thought about taking part in the kamikaze special attack, which was a Japanese suicide mission. A pilot brought tons of gunpowder in a plane and threw himself toward an enemy. It is ridiculous, but some Japanese pilots believed they were heroes at that time.

The driver talked about his idea to Vice Principal Kawai. My grandfather couldn’t say anything because he had his position. He couldn’t say anything against the government. So he denied the student’s idea with his eyes.

As a result, the student refused to take part in the mission. He became a taxi driver after the war. I believe that taking passengers by taxi and living is better than taking gunpowder and death.

Vice Principal Kawai died during the war because of an illness. So I have never met him.

Still, I am proud of you, Grandpa!

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Picture by Shintako