From a Town on the Hudson by Yuko Koyano Read Free Book Online Page B

learned more than the English language in the United States.
    Our family resumed our lives in Japan after five years and four months of American life. I think of the phrase from the Bible, "In the beginning was the Word" again. Our younger son now is faced with a new problem: the Japanese language.
Footnotes
    * From a table of "Japanese/Korean Enrollment, Five-Year Comparison." Fort Lee School District, Fort Lee, New Jersey, 1990.
    * John 1:1.

"CAN I work at the doll-making class? That's out of the question. I have neither a license nor teaching experience. I haven't driven my car along Route 4 yet. I'm not good at speaking and understanding English, as you well know." That was my immediate response when my friend Kimiko asked me if I would like to teach the doll-making class organized by the Senior Services Center at the Town House near Route 4 in Teaneck, New Jersey. Every Wednesday morning, from 10:15 to 12:00, a doll-making class for senior citizens was held there, and a few Japanese women volunteered to teach the class. Kimiko was a volunteer instructor and needed help because one instructor had quit. My head filled with negative ideas. However, Kimiko's smile and encouragement brought me there on Wednesday, October 7,1987, to observe the class. It was just eight minutes from my house. The Town House was a brick building located on the corner of Forest Avenue and Tea-neck Road, next to a school.
    Certainly, I wanted to become familiar with as many Americans as possible while I lived in the United States. However, I had never imagined that I would spend time with old ladies, of all people. Old women in general looked rather gloomy and were full of complaints about their surroundings. When I entered the classroom, however, I realized I had been wrong. It was still ten minutes before 10 o'clock, but six ladies were already working on their dolls and chatting happily. Though you couldn't say they were young, they looked much more pleasant, charming, and relaxed than I had expected. They seemed to be sociable and independent. I sensed affection in their expressions when they welcomed me. Another instructor, Eriko, was already at work. Since Kimiko and Eriko were taking college courses on Wednesday afternoon, they had to leave the class a little early. I watched how Eriko and Kimiko were instructing the ladies and wondered whether I could do it or not. I helped the instructors with small jobs. I heard from Kimiko that Eriko had been volunteering at the doll-making class for over two years, and Kimiko had joined her last spring. The class seemed to depend on Eri-ko and love Kimiko. Referring to their dolls, they asked, "Eriko, could you put hair on my daughter's head?" or "Kimiko, would you cut the fabric for a new doll body?" The instructors also explained how to stitch the pieces of the fabric together. They looked busy. As I was admiring the skill of the two instructors, Eriko approached me holding a piece of bias tape, a tiny collar, and a bodice of the small dress for some lady's doll, and whispered, but in Japanese so as not to be heard by the class, "Mrs. Koyano, I am confused about how I should put this collar on this dress." This unexpected request for help pleased me. I showed her how to put the collar and the bias tape on the bodice. Eriko whispered, "Thank you. Although I'm sometimes unsure of myself, I love this class. I'm happy I have the time to volunteer." Later, I wondered if Eriko had been discreetly trying to help me relax, because up to that time she was doing everything very well. Then Eriko left to go to her college classes. About thirty minutes later, around 11:00, Kimiko also had classes to attend, so I left with her. Even though I wasn't responsible for them yet, I felt a little sorry for the ladies because they had to continue for one more hour without an instructor.
    I spent the rest of the day thinking about the class. The atmosphere of the class was comfortable, and both Eriko and Kimiko were