VOSHN 231

<body><a href="../index.html">HOME</a><br><table summary="215"><tr><td class="etesti">215</td><td class="edate">August 9<sup>th</sup>, 1945.  In the evening</td><td class="eage">31 years old at that time</td></tr><tr><td class="ei_midasi" colspan=3>I said the prayer of Job.</td></tr></table><div class="largep"><p>When I arrived at the hill where the ruins of my burnt house remained, Mrs.Hirayama,</p><p>a neighbour of mine, was there with her hairs disheveled like a mugwort leaf.  She said,</p><p>"nobody survived today.  Your father was working in the garden, and your wife was likely preparing lunch in the house.  Your sister was working at the university hospital. Everybody must have died."  My sister was working for Dr. Kageura, the department of internal medicine in the university hospital.</p><br><p>Having listened to my neigbour, I sank to the ground.  They were only people I had in my family.</p><br><p>I am a Catholic.  At the time I remembered words from The Book Job in the Old Testament, and crooned.</p><p>"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.  May the name of the LORD be praised."</p><p>I referred to Job's prayer.</p><br><p>Then I one of two times prayed Ave Maria which was the prayer offered to the Blessed Mary.  When I finished, I rose to my feet.  I felt as if once pulled-out backbone was again inserted.</p></div></body>