My parents met 24 years ago. My mother, who had been living in Japan with her family since she was nine years old, had returned to Brazil to attend a relative's wedding. My father, who was a close friend of the groom, attended the ceremony in a suit that he rarely wears.

Neither of them is sure if it was love at first sight. "I had a really good impression of him at first sight," my mother said bashfully, while my father said, "Maybe it was because of the sparkly suit he was wearing."

At that time, my mother was 20 years old. She was working in the cosmetics department of a department store in Yokohama and taking various lessons. My father, who was 26 years old, lived in São Paulo with his parents, grandmother, younger brother and two younger sisters and ran a large auto repair shop.

Six months after they met, they got married in Brazil. My parents' initial plan was to live in Japan within two years. My mother wanted to return to Japan immediately, where her family was, but my father's job was going well, and he was paying for my sisters' tuition fees, and my grandmother's medical expenses, so they started their life in Brazil. A year later, twins, a son and a daughter, were born, and three years later, I was born. Therefore, my parents decided to stay in Brazil until the children graduated from elementary school, and when they turned seven, they sent them to a Japanese language school. My mother encouraged us, saying, "You will eventually live in Japan, so study Japanese well."

However, when I was eight years old, Brazil fell into an economic crisis. My father closed the store he had been running for many years and went to Japan with my grandfather to work. My father planned to bring us to Japan when my older brother and sister graduated from high school and I finished junior high school. We all worked hard, hoping for the day when we could all live together as a family. My mother, who grew up in Japan, fell in love with Brazilian food and even trained at a restaurant she knew, and was planning to start a Brazilian food delivery business in Japan. My grandmother, who was born in Brazil, was worried, saying, "I wonder if people over there will understand my Japanese."

One day, my grades started to drop, and my mother was called to the school's principal. When the principal found out I was attending a Japanese language school, he told me to stop studying Japanese. "This is common among Japanese students. They speak Japanese at home, so their Portuguese doesn't improve."

I was surprised to hear that. "I'm the only one who doesn't use Japanese at home, so why?" My mother also seemed unable to accept what the principal said, but in the end, I quit Japanese language school and focused on studying Japanese and history, which were my weak points.

In 2016, at the end of the first semester of my third year of junior high school, I had a serious accident. On a Saturday evening, I was walking down a main street on my way home from skateboarding with my friends when I was suddenly thrown several meters away. When I came to, I was in the hospital. I remember feeling relieved when I saw the faces of my mother, grandmother, older brother, and older sister.

That day, I was hit by a sports car. I broke my leg and suffered serious injuries to my head and face. Unfortunately, I was caught up in a car that was racing illegally, a "hussha."

After that, I was forced to undergo treatment and recuperate at home for several months, and was unable to complete the second semester. In December 2016, my grandmother, older brother, and older sister went to Japan to visit my father, but after much consideration as a family, I decided to stay behind in Brazil.

After my brothers went to Japan, my mother stayed in Brazil for about two months and prepared me for my new life. I learned from my mother everything from how to cook rice to how to do laundry and clean. My new home was my father's younger brother's apartment. My uncle, who worked in Rio, came back to the apartment every two weeks. I was confused at first, but I think I got used to my new life faster than I thought. My schedule was like this: breakfast at 6am, to the subway station at 6:40am, high school from 7:30am to 3pm, Japanese and English classes from 4pm, club activities and computer classes on Saturdays, homework and cleaning on Sundays. When my uncle was at home, I looked forward to eating ^churrasco1 and pizza at a restaurant.

My family who went to Japan always encouraged me by saying, "Just be patient a little longer." Thanks to them, I was able to get through this safely. I'm very grateful.

In December 2019, right after graduating from high school, I was finally able to come to my long-awaited country, Japan!

My father and grandfather both work in an auto parts factory in Nagoya and are working hard with the goal of one day opening an auto repair shop.

My mother started a Brazilian food Delhi Bali business and it is going well.

My proud older brother is attending the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tohoku University and is scheduled to graduate next year.

My big sister, who I'm really proud of, got qualified as a pastry chef after working part-time at a cake factory. Now she enjoys working at a Western-style confectionery shop in Nagoya.

My 82-year-old grandmother is very happy that she can now use a mobile phone, which she had never touched before. Another thing she is into is listening to Kiyoshi Hikawa's songs.

I'm also working hard at my Japanese studies, helping out with the homework of children at a childcare center that looks after dekasegi children after school. I also help my mother take phone orders for Delhivery. And when my father opens a car repair shop, I'm planning to work there.

Japan is the best! I'll do my best!

Note

1. Meat dishes

© 2020 Laura Honda-Hasegawa