Poston

Chapter seven : Dearly Beloved

Nino still wasn't sure how everything had happened so quickly. One moment, he was living with his mother and sister and having to live with getting yelled at every day (in a normal circumstance, Nino could have endured it, but because it was Satoshi's father doing the yelling and throwing derogatory names every chance he had, there was no way Nino would have lasted long). The next moment, he was gathering up what little belongings he had with him and started moving into the smaller barrack with everyone else. It wasn't that the barrack was small. Their sixth of the barrack was about the size as what he had before with everyone, but there was more people. Before, there was seven people in one place. Now there was nine, with three little kids. Nino knew, for sure, it was going to take some getting used to.

His new roommates, however, seemed more than thrilled to be sharing a barrack with him and Satoshi. Perhaps it was finally being around younger people their age, or maybe it was them being overly-protective about the pair, but it was really nice to finally be in a place where Nino and Satoshi were wanted.

"Now if you need me—" Mama began as the two began to leave their original barrack.

"We know where you are," Nino finished for her.

Mama smiled through her tears before kissing both men on the cheeks. "You'll be okay."

Nino knew that last comment was more for his mother than it was for him, but he was thankful at her last words before he left.

The first night as official roommates was awkward. There were seven beds in all, and unlike before, this barrack had the wire bedsprings so the beds were off the ground. It made the room seem more crowded, but more homey as well. Nino and Satoshi shared a bed, which they weren't sure if that was okay or not.

"Don't worry," Jun told them. "You two can share a bed. Just as long as you don't plan on doing anything that might scare the children in the middle of the night."

It was small enough bed that the two had to cuddle, but none of them complained. Masaki and Yusuke had their own beds, Jun had his own bed, Sho and Mai had separate beds, and the three children shared one bed. Nino really liked this new arrangement better.

"Everyone," Nino said, addressing the barrack before they went to bed. Everyone stopped and turned to look at him, and it was then that Nino really felt loved. "Everyone... thank you so much for taking me and Satoshi in." Bowing lowly, Nino could almost touch his knees with his face. "Please continue to look after us."

"Yeah, yeah," Jun groaned. "Whatever. Now can we please go to sleep?"

Straightening up, Nino smiled before going over to his bed with Satoshi. He took one last look around before the lights went out and felt lighter than air as he snuggled into Satoshi's welcome embrace.

Nino was with the man he loved, and he was surrounded by family and friends who loved him. Nothing could be better.

--

November began the first of really chilly air. The worst part about being in the desert was the fact that there weren't many mountains or anything to protect the camp from weather. It never really rained, but when it did, the roads would get flooded and no one could walk around until the sun or dry earth took the water back. The air and wind got really cold, but thankfully not cold enough to snow. Extra blankets were needed, and coats were pulled out of hiding and used to protect its user of getting too cold.

But chilly weather also brought more excitement than one would think in an internment camp. Come December first, nearly every child in the camp, along with their parents, gathered at the post office and prayed that the new editions of the Sears and Spiegel Christmas catalogues had gotten to Poston. The Matsumoto's and the Sakurai's were no exception to this. As soon as school was released, catalogues in hand, the three children ran back to the barrack as fast as they could and nearly climbed over each other as they jumped and screamed on their beds to start looking at the new toys for Christmas.

Nino, who still wasn't used to such loud noises, nearly jumped out of his skin and out of Satoshi's arms as the three came into the silent barrack. "What the hell is going on?!" he exclaimed.

"Samantha! Charles!" Jun nearly yelled as he walked in. "What did I tell you two about yelling and making a fuss as soon as you got in?"

"Sorry Papa," Charlie answered him. "We were just too excited."

"Papa," Samantha said looking up at her father. "Are we going to have a Christmas tree this year?"

"I have no idea," Jun said as he took off his coat. "You three need to take off your coats. You're going to burn up as soon as the stove is turned on."

"Everyone still at work?" Satoshi asked.

Jun nodded. "Because I'm a teacher, I get off at three, but Mai works until four o'clock in the seamstress shop, Sho works until five at the infirmary, and then Masaki and Yusuke work in the kitchen preparing meals."

"Mr. Nino," Samantha spoke up as she hung up her coat. "What job do you have?"

"I used to work in the kitchen with Masaki until Yusuke got back," he answered her. "Now, I don't really have a job."

Samantha gasped. "But how will you buy Uncle Satoshi a Christmas present if you don't have a job to make money?"

"Sam," Jun said poking her head. "Stop. Go look at your catalogue."

Although the kids were supposed to be quiet, looking at Christmas gifts was a hard time to be quiet. But the new couple found they rather enjoyed listening to the kids getting so excited. "Papa look! A 15 piece Happi-Time Airport set!" Charlie exclaimed.

Yuki, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "Samantha, look at this baby doll!" she said, her voice full of wonder. "She's so beautiful!"

"She is!" Samantha smiled. "She is really pretty!"

"I want this doll for my birthday," Yuki answered. "More than anything! I wonder if I might get her."

"When is your birthday, Yuki-chan?" Nino asked coming over to look at the catalogue with the kids.

Yuki smiled. "December 21st! The first day of winter! Mama named me Yuki which is Japanese for 'snow'."

Nino looked over at the black and white photo of the doll in the catalogue. It was a white baby doll dressed in a white nightgown and cap. She really was pretty, but when Nino saw the price he refrained from wincing outloud. It was a lot of money for a doll. Good thing she's not my daughter, he thought as he went back to Satoshi.

An hour later, Sho walked through the door, slumping and sighing as he muttered his 'I'm home' before he took off his coat. Right away, Yuki was nearly on top of him. "Papa! How was your day at work?" she asked excitedly.

"Tiring, Yuki-chan," he said patting her head before he went and sat down on his bed. "My feet are killing me, my back is killing me, and simply being an impromptu doctor is not paying enough for the amount of pain I'm feeling."

"What do you mean?" Jun asked, stopping his paper grading to give Sho his full attention.

"They only pay doctors minimum wage, which isn't a lot," Sho explained as he took off his shoes. "If we were home, there's no way I could afford anything on this salary."

Everyone's eyes suddenly went straight to Yuki, who had stopped bouncing and her face had dropped tremendously. As quietly as she could, Yuki took one last look at the page she was on and had saved for an hour before she closed the catalogue to the first page again.

Sho looked up and saw the catalogue in his daughter's hand. "Yuki-chan, what's that?"

Before Yuki could say anything, Samantha spoke. "It's the Sears Christmas catalogue!"

At this piece of news, Sho brightened up. "Oh, Christmas! I almost forgot!" He smiled as he gently pinched Yuki's cheek. "Someone's birthday is coming up soon! Have you been looking at that catalogue since you got back?"

Yuki nodded.

"And what did my precious little girl see in the catalogue that caught her eye?" Sho asked. "What does Yuki want for Christmas?"

Everyone but Sho could see the struggle it took for Yuki to shake her head. "Nothing, Papa."

Sho was surprised. "Nothing? You didn't see anything in the catalogue you wanted? Not a dress or a toy or a doll?"

"I don't want anything, Papa," Yuki answered. "I'm okay with getting nothing."

"That's absolutely ridiculous!" Sho exclaimed. "Yuki, you can't honestly sit here and tell me—"

"I don't want anything!" Yuki nearly yelled back.

Sho stopped and studied his daughter for a minute before sighing. "Okay, if that's really alright with you," he said defeated.

Yuki smiled before going back to her bed, and only Nino saw the look of hurt and utter confusion and shock that crossed by her father's face as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

--

"Why didn't Yuki say anything?" Masaki asked when Nino told him the whole story that night as they walked back to the barrack. "If she wants that doll, she should answer her father and get excited about it!"

"And she was excited about it!" Nino answered. "Then Sho came home and started talking about money and 'how they couldn't afford anything on his salary'. But he was talking about if they were back in Los Angeles. Yuki must have took as 'Papa can't afford to get me a doll for Christmas, so I'll make things easier for him by not wanting anything.' She's a very mature little girl."

"That she is," Masaki agreed. "Anything she can do to make things easier on Sho, she's doing. Haruko-san must have really looked after him."

As the two walked into the barrack, Samantha and Charlie were busy looking at the Christmas magazines again while Yuki helped her aunt sew something. The adults were off doing their own thing; Satoshi was drawing, Masaki and Yusuke began to play a game of checkers, Jun continued to grade some schoolwork, and Sho was reading something as Nino went and sat next to Satoshi.

"Hey," Nino said putting his head on Satoshi's shoulder. When the older man hummed his response, Nino continued. "What do you want for Christmas?"

Satoshi stopped before putting down his paint brush and wrapping his arms around Nino's waist. "I already have what I want," he smiled. "Why would I want anything else?"

Nino blushed and hid his face in the crook of Satoshi's neck. "And what is it that you would like for Christmas, Kazu?"