前のエピソード――Part IV (2-2) Return to Japan and Damage Suit Residence was found (continued)

2-3　Worked as a nurse's aide

　But the job was difficult to find. Hisako had written in a job application that she wanted a job near her house with aa higher wage, however hard, or long workhours it might take. The public employment security officer laughed out of court saying that "Nowadays there is no such a job". At a sewing factory where she thought she could utilize her skill, they said that she was too old. She tried a housemaid or cooking helper in vain. She was finally hired by s nearby general hospital as a nurse's aide. Her past job history might have worked.

　While she worked, she had experienced many meetings and partings (sometimes a death) with various patients. There were patients of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, cerebral disease, dementia, necrosis etc. and feelings of the families. On top of that, staff of the hospital, doctors, nurses, and aides to nurse created various human dramas. She worked sometimes with laughs, tears, or swelling anger.

　Though she had said beforehand she could not read nor write Chinese character it was taken as the word of modesty as she appeared to be an ordinary Japanese. Soon after she was hired, she was assigned to taking lunch orders of fellow workers. But she could not read menu or people's names. Moreover, they had handed her the precise prints of working shifts (day, early and late shifts). Hisako could read hiragana (a cursive letter) but hardly read Chinse letter. When it came to technical medical terms, she could not understand art all. With no one to rely on she sometimes became panicked.

　After I had told the chief nurse of her situation, matters had gradually changed for the better. The chief nurse said, "Ah, you have a trouble using Chinese characters. I will teach you in my free time. "On the first day she started working, she needed to read the names of the rooms on both sides such as carry-in entrance (for emergency out-patients), cerebral surgery, internal medicine, surgery, neuroscience, etc. She had asked to add furigana to the named of the rooms which she put it up on the wall to memorize them. At night she studied Japanese consulting a dictionary.

　When she first encountered the personal needs of the patients the landlord Dr. Kubota said, "Once you are used to it, it will be all right." In time she did become used to it. A patient said, "Hisako-san, thank you very much. When you set a diaper, it will not come off." She was grad to have heard of that. After that she was nominated more often and became busier. Hisako's willingness meant that she was sked to do many jobs. Despite the hard, sad, or frightful happenings, she was happy as there were many who had been kind to her.

　As to the worker's compensation for Kazuo, it was decided after the consultation with the authority that it can be paid regularly into the designated bank account. It had taken a long time and she had had to fortify herself.

　Now the prospect of Kazuo's family became clear. The new house in Brazil was built for two generations living with only a door between them. When she returned, Kazuo's wife would begin to go out to work. She would help to repair Jiro’s shop's rental clothes while looking after the grandchildren. The lock sewing machine, which I had been using for a long time was presented to her and ready to be taken with her. The time to depart from Japan is drawing near.

　Hisako courageously said that a feeling of looking at Japan as another home had not changed, but she asked the same question "Why have I come to Japan?"

(End of 2-3 'Worked as a nurse's aide' )