“ Maybe we should just hang out for a few minutes and check out the protests”, I said knowing that I would finally find out what is going on with the protests.
Sajonara nods her head and we walk towards the protesters. First thing we notice is all the signs they were holding up. Some said that they wanted their safety back or that they want change. Sajonara and I looked at eachother confused. Knowing that I wasn’t going to get much information by just watching them. I decided to ask one of them about what they were protesting about.
“ You don’t know already kid? Well, to shorten the story, there is this treaty that was made by the US and Japan, and we aren’t happy about it. This treaty that they think is gonna help us, is just gonna bring us into another war and we just got out of a war, no way are we gonna set ourselves up to be in another one. It has gotten worse due to the fact that during all of these protests, a senior at University of Tokyo was recently killed, a girl named Michiko Kanba. It’s was tragic to hear someone like her who was fighting for the same things as us, unfortunately pass during all of this mess”, said one of the protesters.
“ Did you just hear him!” I yelled with a worried expression on my face.
“ That could have been my sister. What if she got into all of this mess! I haven’t seen her in two months so I don’t even know if she has gotten into all of this. I don’t want her to be in trouble. What d-”
“ Slow down!” Sajonara interrupted me.
“ We know it wasn’t your sister. I know you're freaking out and your worried for your sister, but she is okay and she will be okay. She is strong and smart, she wouldn’t put herself in danger and you know” Sajonara reinsured me.
“ You're right, I guess that I am just overthinking all of this, but I hope that this whole situation won’t get worse”, I say to Sajonara who looks at me in a understanding way. We watch for protesters for another few minutes until I look down at my watch.
“ Oh my gosh! We are gonna be late for school. First period starts at 7:40 and it’s already 7:34 and we still aren’t even that close!” I yelled panicking.
“ Well then let's get going!” Sajonara yells at me and we start running. We make it to school at 8:20 because we missed the bus. When I got home the first thing I come home to is my mom who is clearly angry at the fact that I showed up to school late.
“Where were you this morning!” she yelled.
“I missed the bus so I had to walk to school”, I said quietly.
“ Well there was a reason why you were late to the bus! So, why were you late?” my mom sternly asked.
“ Um. Well I- uh, I may have stopped to watch the protesters. But I promise I was only there for a few minutes” I said trying to not get in more trouble.
“ You what! I told you that I don’t want you to be getting involved with this mess and you went and did anyways. I told you that it wasn’t anything to worry about!” she yelled.
“I’m sorry and I won’t do it again”, I said.
“ Good. Now, just go to your room your grounded”, my mom said while wiping her forehead and walking to the kitchen. I walk to my room and sit by my window. I lean my arm onto my window and just listen to the quiet town. Until I started to hear yelling coming from down the street. I suddenly see Sajonara run to my window from the crowd of people down the street. When she gets to my window, she is trying to catch her breath.
“ Knowing your mom, you're probably grounded for being late to school but look over there”, she whispered pointing to the protesters.
“ There are more people protesting, and I can see people from school protesting too. This must be a really important thing to everybody and I kinda want to join the protest” she tells me. I looked at her shocked and confused.
“ Look, I know that this isn’t something that our parents want us to get involved in but, I feel like we can create a difference in a way. I am not gonna force you to go with me, but I am just wondering if you would want to at least try and see what it is like?” she asks me.
Sajonara nods her head and we walk towards the protesters. First thing we notice is all the signs they were holding up. Some said that they wanted their safety back or that they want change. Sajonara and I looked at eachother confused. Knowing that I wasn’t going to get much information by just watching them. I decided to ask one of them about what they were protesting about.
“ You don’t know already kid? Well, to shorten the story, there is this treaty that was made by the US and Japan, and we aren’t happy about it. This treaty that they think is gonna help us, is just gonna bring us into another war and we just got out of a war, no way are we gonna set ourselves up to be in another one. It has gotten worse due to the fact that during all of these protests, a senior at University of Tokyo was recently killed, a girl named Michiko Kanba. It’s was tragic to hear someone like her who was fighting for the same things as us, unfortunately pass during all of this mess”, said one of the protesters.
“ Did you just hear him!” I yelled with a worried expression on my face.
“ That could have been my sister. What if she got into all of this mess! I haven’t seen her in two months so I don’t even know if she has gotten into all of this. I don’t want her to be in trouble. What d-”
“ Slow down!” Sajonara interrupted me.
“ We know it wasn’t your sister. I know you're freaking out and your worried for your sister, but she is okay and she will be okay. She is strong and smart, she wouldn’t put herself in danger and you know” Sajonara reinsured me.
“ You're right, I guess that I am just overthinking all of this, but I hope that this whole situation won’t get worse”, I say to Sajonara who looks at me in a understanding way. We watch for protesters for another few minutes until I look down at my watch.
“ Oh my gosh! We are gonna be late for school. First period starts at 7:40 and it’s already 7:34 and we still aren’t even that close!” I yelled panicking.
“ Well then let's get going!” Sajonara yells at me and we start running. We make it to school at 8:20 because we missed the bus. When I got home the first thing I come home to is my mom who is clearly angry at the fact that I showed up to school late.
“Where were you this morning!” she yelled.
“I missed the bus so I had to walk to school”, I said quietly.
“ Well there was a reason why you were late to the bus! So, why were you late?” my mom sternly asked.
“ Um. Well I- uh, I may have stopped to watch the protesters. But I promise I was only there for a few minutes” I said trying to not get in more trouble.
“ You what! I told you that I don’t want you to be getting involved with this mess and you went and did anyways. I told you that it wasn’t anything to worry about!” she yelled.
“I’m sorry and I won’t do it again”, I said.
“ Good. Now, just go to your room your grounded”, my mom said while wiping her forehead and walking to the kitchen. I walk to my room and sit by my window. I lean my arm onto my window and just listen to the quiet town. Until I started to hear yelling coming from down the street. I suddenly see Sajonara run to my window from the crowd of people down the street. When she gets to my window, she is trying to catch her breath.
“ Knowing your mom, you're probably grounded for being late to school but look over there”, she whispered pointing to the protesters.
“ There are more people protesting, and I can see people from school protesting too. This must be a really important thing to everybody and I kinda want to join the protest” she tells me. I looked at her shocked and confused.
“ Look, I know that this isn’t something that our parents want us to get involved in but, I feel like we can create a difference in a way. I am not gonna force you to go with me, but I am just wondering if you would want to at least try and see what it is like?” she asks me.