Emil sits in his favorite chair at the kitchen table, the one right across the window so he could stare out it while still appearing to be paying attention to the conversation. He can hear the bacon sizzling as his mother focuses on making breakfast for his family. To be completely honest, he's just glad she's not trying to talk to him since that never goes well, and most likely never will. They just can't seem to see eye-to-eye about anything.
He just come back from delivering the paper, and now he's finally reading it for himself. As much as he tries, he can't ignore how much of it's about the war, and how much more there is about it now that the United States has entered it.
"Japs out on our streets again." his mother mutters underneath her breath, and he wonders if she even means for him to hear. "Trying to move into our neighborhood."
The neighbors had hung signs up, proclaiming that this was a "white man's neighborhood" and they weren't welcome, but they came anyway. As they should, Emil thinks, flipping the page of the flimsy paper.
"Nothing wrong with that." Emil says, not even looking up from his paper.
Though his parents had always brushed it off as not knowing enough or perhaps not understanding, he really doesn't approve of how they're treating their fellow Americans. They're citizens too, so they should be treated like it. There's no reason in his opinion to suspect that they're spying on them. Besides, if they're going to win this war, they'll need the support of all of their citizens, including them.
His mother shakes her head and flips an egg. She hates that he acts like he knows more than her when he obviously doesn't. They're the cause of the problems in their country and he should know that. She sighs again and lays out the plates before fixing them. She watches as they enter a house and frowns. They're not even allowed to be on this block let alone in a house!
"Call the cops." She says turning towards her husband.
"They're allowed to live here. You can't just ban them because they're not white." Emil turns and glares at her, starting to get up. "The cops can't even do anything."
At least, as far as he knows they can't. They can say they won't allow them here as much as they want but they can't force them to leave. He thinks that's how it works, but he's not really sure to tell the truth.
"Will you shut up Emil?" She harshly asks. "You need to stop acting like this is okay! They're awful people and deserve to die!" She puts down the spatula and cleans her hands. "They're doing and causing awful things to this wonderful country!"
"What are they doing?" Emil snaps. He doesn't care if he'll be punished for this outburst, he just wants to know why she hates them when she has no reason to. "They're probably as loyal to this country as you and me."
All she can do is sigh. "Go to your room." She whispers. This is the last thing she wants to argue about this and he's being an ass at the moment. "I'll come and get you when lunch is ready."
Emil shakes his head and stands his ground. "Not until you tell me what they're doing that's so wrong."
He's sure she won't have an answer, and at this point he's determined to win this. She hasn't even talked to the family down the street, so she won't know anything about them. If they have done something wrong, she won't be able to use that in this argument.
"Pearl Harbor Emil." She whispers. "All those peoples lives that were lost. They betrayed us!" She sits down. "They're allied with the nazis!"
"They live in America! The family down the street didn't have anything to do with Pearl Harbor." He looks at her intensely and sighs. "Why do you assume that just because they're from Japan means they had a part in this?"
"Because they're Japanese!" She yells as she stands up. She's cut off by her son though causing her to get even more enraged. "Go to your room now!"
Emil opens his mouth to reply to her and tell her he won't but he's slapped hard across the face, leaving a bright red mark on his cheek.
"Go now!" she yells louder, causing him to reluctantly comply, unless he'd rather have her get his father to punish him instead.
She listens as her son hurries up the steps and collapses into the chair. Emil slams his door as hard as he can and throws the clock of his nightstand causing it to shatter. He hates her so much. He'd rather live with someone else but that's not possible since he's too young and there's really no one that would take him in.
Emil collapses onto his bed, laying back once he calms down some. He can't stand living with her or his father, with these people that don't seem to understand that their neighbors aren't automatically awful people or disloyal for coming from a specific country. He doubts they're even Japanese since they were only assuming that from their appearance. For all they know they could be from someplace completely different.
Emil sighs softly and yawns. He's tired at the moment since he has to always get up so early in the morning. Maybe he'll write some later. As he rolls on his side and stares at the wall, he wonders why people always judge them. They're all completely innocent as far as he's aware. The attack was a few weeks ago and there hasn't been a single sign that it was planned by Japanese people hiding here.
Emil covers up with the blanket, still pondering over this. It honestly makes no sense to him. His mother would say that it's because he has trouble understanding issues like this, but that's not it. The whole thing just makes no sense. Why would they even suspect that when they probably weren't even born there?
As the day wears on Emil paces his room thinking of the situation. Finally he sits down in his desk chair. He yawns and pulls out a sheet of paper. Maybe he could write some before bed.
He runs his fingertips over the smooth piece of paper and sighs. What is there to write about, really? He could write of his day, or write another letter to his brother in college, but there isn't much else he can think of. Once he's finally come up with an idea and decides what he'll write, he presses his pencil against the paper and begins to write the letter. He really wants to talk to this one guy he always delivers the paper to. He always seems so depressed and they only watch each other. Emil thinks of his name for a moment. Kiku? Yeah that's right, he thinks.
As he writes the letter, he's not even aware of the tiny smile appearing on his face. His head is full of thoughts of how this could lead to them becoming friends or at least making Kiku's day a little better. After he signs his name, he folds the paper and finds an envelope.
Emil hears his mother yelling at him to go to bed and quickly turns off the light. He sighs softly and folds the letter before taping it shut. Emil really does hope they can be friends, even if that'll upset his mother. Maybe that's part of the reason he does. Slowly he lays in the bed silently listening to the crickets chirping outside and finally smiles to himself as he falls asleep.