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The Family in Kyoto 1. Japanese Girl Got Freedom
Written by Hidemi Woods
Narrated by Hidemi Woods
Made Me Free
A long time ago, when Japan had the feudal system,my family was a landlord of the area.
It has come to a complete downfall over the years,but my family still clings to its past glory.
For them, to succeed the family is critical.
I'm first born and have no brother, which meantthat I was a successor and destined to spend thewhole life in my hometown.
But music changed everything.
To pursue a career in music, my hometown was toorural, and I had to move out.
Back then, I was a college student, and moving toa city meant dropping out of school.
My parents fiercely opposed, but as usual, theyleft the matter to my grandfather, who controlledthe family.
Considering his way to keep a tight rein,everybody including myself thought he might killme.
I could have run away, but I wanted to tell himfor once what I want to do for my life.
He answered right away, you can go.
He added, you earned it by yourself.
I've watched you all your life and I know you.
That's why I let you do what you want.
Although I had always looked for a way to get ridof him,
it was him who made me free and what I am now.
The Family in Kyoto
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One Japanese Girl Got Freedom
Written by Hidemi Woods
Narrated by Hidemi Woods
100 years old
My grandfather used to say that he would liveuntil 100 years old.
When I was a child and lived with him, I hatedhim.
He was a dictator of my family.
My grandmother, my parents, my younger sister andI lived with him, cowering and flattering himbecause we were afraid of him.
He wielded absolute power over us and nobody couldoppose him.
We needed his permission for anything.
For instance, when I wanted a puppy, my plea wasrejected because he said,
This is my house.
As a child, I thought his existence immenselyviolated my freedom and was hoping that he wouldnot live so long.
He liked going out and sometimes took me to adepartment store.
It had never been a pleasant outing.
He was stingy.
He would go to a department store just forbrowsing without buying anything, wearing a raggedjacket and worn-out shoes.
For lunch, he would order the lowest-priced dishand share it with me.
And he would tell me to fill my stomach with teabecause tea was free there.
He couldn't make it to 100 and passed away at theage of 96.
My family agrees that I'm the one who had thecharacter just like him.
The Family in Kyoto
One Japanese girl got freedom.
Written by Hitemi Woods
Narrated by Hitemi Woods
If you don't want to, from kindergarten to thelower grades, I had suffered from insomnia.
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I hated going to kindergarten and then to schooltoo strongly to sleep on school nights.
As the morning to go there approached, I felt moreand more nervous and tense.
I would be wide awake in futon no matter how eagerI was to fall asleep, watching glittering patternson the back of my eyelids for hours.
Tears ran through my cheeks into my ears duringthose long nights.
When it dawned and the room was filled with thegray of the morning, I could finally doze a while.
I slept beside my grandparents as my parents wereoccupied with my little sister in a differentroom.
Before going to sleep, I would try to be near mymother as long as I could because she used to bethe last one that retreated to her bedroom atnight.
But soon, I was to be prodded into going to mygrandparents' room to sleep.
I once found the courage to confide to my motherthat I was having insomnia.
She scoffed at it and said anyone could sleep byjust closing his or her eyes.
Her advice was to close my eyes.
I wondered how dumb she thought I was since I didso to sleep every night.
She didn't take it seriously and so I kept stayingawake on weeknights secretly.
Sunday nights were the worst.
The thought that a long week at school would startnext morning made it undoubtedly impossible for meto sleep.
My grandparents used to watch TV in futon beforegoing to sleep.
Their favorite drama was on Sunday nights and theend of the drama meant my grandmother fell asleep.
I can still hear in my ears the sad tune of thedrama's ending.
My grandfather would read a little after that.
When the light by his pillow was turned off was asignal that he would also go to sleep and I wouldbe left alone awake in futon.
One night, he noticed I wasn't asleep in themiddle of the night.
You're still awake, he was surprised.
I confessed that I couldn't sleep and he simplysaid, don't sleep then.
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While I couldn't believe what I had just heard, heexplained, you don't have to sleep if you don'twant to.
I had never thought that way.
I didn't have to sleep.
Like magic, his words cured my insomnia and I havefallen asleep easily ever since.
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