The first few years in the new country were happy and peaceful the tranquility of the land was matched by the familial love and melodious music that filled the house. She would gently remove the flower petals from the boy's hair and jacket that had collected while he played under the trees. He could see from the distance his mother's shadow as she waited to greet him. In the evenings when the sun was still in sky, the boy spent hours playing with pebbles before returning home from school. In the winter months, the window panes turned into a canvas of glittering fish teeth icicles. The windows of the house permitted ample light and gentle breezes during long summer days. The Endos found a small but suitable residence located in the middle of a row of houses bordering a quiet street. With its well defined four seasons, wide acacia lined streets, and elegant European architecture, the city had earned the title of “Paris of the East”. Although the move may have uprooted the established, comfortable city life for the family, Dailin, nevertheless provided a gracious living. When the child was 3 years old the senior Endo was transferred on a business mission to Dailin (Dairen) in Manchuria, which was then under Japanese control. His father, a successful salary man, worked for a bank. Shushaku Endo was born in the Sugano district of Tokyo in 1923 to a well to do middle class family.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |