Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 DECEMBER 9, 1941 9:00 A.M. It was two long days before Ma and Danny left Hickam. The first thing Danny did was change his clothes. The next thing he did was sprint up to the Sudos' house. Aki ran to him.

Danny had brought him a present — one of the airmen had given Danny his wings. Danny clipped the gold pin onto Aki's shirt. "Mama!" Aki shrieked. "Look!" Mrs. Sudo stepped away from her clothesline. She smiled at Danny and hugged him. But Danny noticed her red and swollen eyes. A feeling of dread came over Danny. He saw no sign of Mr. Sudo. Mrs. Sudo had Danny sit down at the little table where they'd had lunch just a few days ago. She sent Aki into the house to get his toy trains.

And she told Danny what had happened. Somehow, Mr. Sudo had made it home from fishing the night after the attack. But the next day, the police had come to the house. They were searching the houses of all Japanese people in Hawaii. Mrs. Sudo looked down. "They are looking for spies." "Spies?" Danny asked. "They said that local Japanese here had helped with the attack. They asked if they could search our home, and of course we said yes. Because there is nothing here we have to hide." Mrs. Sudo pushed her lips together and took a ragged breath. "But they did find something. Something they said proved that Aki's father was helping the Japanese. The sketchbook. With all of his drawings of ships and planes. They took it. And then they took my husband to jail." Danny tried to understand what Mrs. Sudo was saying. "What's wrong with drawing the ships and planes?" Danny said.

"They said he had given information to the Japanese about what ships were in the harbor, and what kind of planes we had. They said he helped them plan the attack." "But didn't you tell them that's not true?" "Of course we did, Danny. My husband has lived in Hawaii his whole life. He loves America. This attack enraged him. That night he came home from fishing, he said he wanted to join the navy — the U.S. Navy — and fight the people who did this to our beautiful Hawaii." "Did you tell them that?" "Of course," Mrs. Sudo said. "But they didn't listen. I heard they have arrested other Japanese people. There is a rumor that they are going to put all Japanese people in America in jail." Danny couldn't believe that was true. Mrs. Mills always said America was the land of the free. Just then, Aki came running out with his toy train. "Danny play!" he said. Mrs. Sudo patted Danny's hand and got up to finish the laundry. Probably the best thing he

could do for Mrs. Sudo was to keep Aki busy. And so he brought Aki back to his house and they spent the afternoon playing. All that afternoon Danny thought about Mr. Sudo. Was there any way he could help? Nothing came to him. Until later that night, when he was lying in bed. Danny realized that there was one person who might be able to do something. And the next morning, he went to the post office and sent a telegram to Earl Gasky. There was no way of knowing whether Earl had anything to do with Mr. Sudo's release from jail a week later. But Danny knew that Mr. Sudo was back, because he heard a shriek from the hill. "Papa!" An hour later, Aki had dragged Mr. Sudo down to meet Danny. Of course Danny didn't mention to Mr. Sudo that he'd asked a gangster to help free him from prison. Who knew if the telegram had ever

reached Earl. And if it had, who knew if Earl had even cared. But right now there wasn't much Danny could believe in. So he decided to believe in Earl.