Living with Hiroshima

An Afghan woman
In 1998, we traveled around five states of northeast America, sent by the World Friendship Center, which has its base in Hiroshima. The members were an A-bomb survivor from Nagasaki, two students and me.
Twenty-three hours had passed when we arrived in Annapolis, Maryland from Hiroshima on Sep. 15. I stayed with an Afghan woman, who was running an Asian restaurant. I was not satisfied, wondering why I had to stay with an Afghan in America. Her husband was American, but he didn’t seem to be pleased to have a Japanese in his home.
During the six days of my stay, I heard the narrative of Mrs. F.’s life night after night. Her first husband was Afghan. He died of alcoholism, caused by repeated wars. A close relative of hers became disabled due to a land mine. She was a chemist back in her country, but she came to the U.S. and began a business in order to save her family from war-torn Afghanistan. Every story was painful. “But I was saved by my present husband,” she said happily. And she also said, “I read in the newspaper that hibakusha were coming, and asked one of them to stay with us. Keiko, you can share my pain, can’t you?”
I heard that her husband had thought that I would blame the U.S. for the A-bombings. After Mrs. F. recommended he read my A-bomb story, it seemed that he was trying to understand our peace pilgrimage. But our distance was not narrowed enough.
Other members stayed at typical American homes, and there seemed to be no end to cheerful talk. After they knew that I was enjoying Asian dishes, they said,” We envy you. Every time, we are served junk food. We might be fed up soon.”
In my farewell, I said to Mrs. F., “Please come to Japan.” She answered，“No. When I have saved enough money, I will go back to Afghanistan to bring my family to the States. Keiko, YOU should come here again.”
After 9/11, the U.S. attacked Afghanistan. I hear that Afghans living in the U.S. feel uncomfortable, but, according to church members, Mrs. F. brought over her sister and her husband to the U.S. and her restaurant is doing well. I wish they are doing well, as I heard.