The hedge had been there for years and served as a boundary between the two Victorian houses. The yellow house was occupied by the original owners, but an Oriental family had recently moved into the white house. The VonBiggums had settled in Hokumville back in the early 1800’s and Elias VonBiggums had built the house, the family mansion, the seat of all activities. He had gone to Farville and bought slaves who were master builders, and they had constructed it. They had taken the limestone from their own quarry, cut the trees, sawed the lumber, and erected the house. A minimum of materials was brought in. Then after the war, well when freedom came, all of the slaves were given a large plot of land, and the Black VonBiggums, who became, eh Vons, the Biggums, and the Gums, became artisans. Well, they were artisans and their fame spread so they became famous for building high quality and good sound homes.
The big house as it was known, had, as its master, not a VonBiggum, but a Tattlestein. Josiah Tattlestein was a New Englander who had married the only living heir to the family fortune, and so for the last 42 years Josiah had reined, Josiah, Josey and their thirteen children. Josiah’s father had been killed on Bataan, the famous death march, and three of his uncles had been killed, one on Saipan, one at Iwo Jima, and the third on a ship by a kamikaze at Okinawa. So Josiah hated the Japanese. He hated not only the Japanese, but he hated all Orientals. They were all “Japs” to Josiah. So when a Jap family moved into that lovely white home, a home that had been built for and by his wife’s Uncle Silas, Josiah was set aback.
Joseph Tattlestein the third was a senior at the local high school and when the beautiful Oriental girl entered his math class as a new student that morning, he was smitten. Joe was, as his mother knew, not his father’s son, for Joe was an open-minded, free-thinking young man who did not relish what his great grand pas had done, and what the the family name had meant to the family. Joe’s father had gone so far as to deeply consider changing his name to that of his wife, which was VonBiggums. Only a NorthEastern Uncle had kept him from changing his name.
As she walked into the room, which was Mister Mac’s Calc II, class, Joe and the other six Calc II students just sat there slack-jawed. No girl had ever been in any math class at Hokum High since beginning Algebra.
Aoki Matsunami was sixteen and a Junior, an advanced Junior. She was five feet eight inches tall and weighed about 114 pounds. Her long black hair was pulled back and held by an intricate Damascene clasp. She wore a blue blouse and blue skirt, with brown loafers.
Joe looked at her and was smitten. He went gaga, hoping she would sit next to him. But since there were 37 desks in the room and only six, well now seven students, why would she want to sit next to someone like Joe Tattlestein, the town’s Jew boy?
Aoki’s great, great grandpa had come to California during the Gold rush, had not found Gold, but had instead opened a restaurant, then a hardware store, a bank, and after his two brothers joined him, they had founded Matsunami Shipping. Her father Miji, was a Research Chemist at Dupont. The Matsunami line in American was old and established and Uncle Ito had traced the family line back to the third century. But their family lived by today’s standards, by modern ways, very few old country customs did they follow. He had been transferred to Hokumville as Research Director of the Dupont Advanced Laboratories. Aoki’s mom was Orthopedic Surgeon, a world renowned surgeon whose clientele flocked from around the world to have her magic performed on them.
“Miss, are you sure you belong in this class?” the teacher asked. He had taught few girls, much less Oriental girls. “This is not basic Algebra, this is Calculus II,” he added.
Aoki smiled. “Sir, the equation you have on the board has an error the way you have it written. You are dividing by zero and that would yield an undefined term.”
Mister Mac tossed her a piece of chalk and she caught it. “Correct the equation and then put it into a form, preferably a partial Differential Equation, so we may try and solve it.
She put her books on the nearest vacant desk, walked to the board, and said nothing as she studied the equation. Finally, she picked up an eraser and quickly amended the whole equation. Then she began to write and talk. When she was through, she walked over, handed Mister Mac the chalk, and said, “It is a standard form.” Then she sat down next to Joe.
Mister Mac stood, faced the board, and slowly studied the young girl’s work. Finally he turned. “Very good, very good indeed. Yes, it is a standard form.” Then he dove into the lesson plan and before the bell, piled on triple the normal homework.
“Which class do you have next?” Joe asked after the bell rang. When the day was over, both Joe and Aoki walked out of the building together. “Care to go to the mall?” Joe asked.
“No thank you. I must go home and get supper, and make sure my two brothers do their homework before my parents get home from work.”
“Do you want a ride or do you have your own car?” Joe asked. He wanted so much to get to know this lovely girl better.
Aoki grinned. “No, I walk, or ride my bicycle. If my mother and father say it is okay maybe tomorrow I can ride with you. In a way, we are still embedded in the old system.” She was off walking very fast. It was two miles home for her. Joe forgot his car and walked with her.
As they approached the houses, Aoki looked at the hedge between the two houses. “It is so funny seeing a Barberry bush as a hedge, as the divider between two houses. How long has it been here? Who planted it? Were they always enemies?”
Joe was taken aback. All he knew was the thorny bushes had been there as long as he could remember. He had no idea how long they had been there, much less who had planted them, and for what reason. “I have no idea," he said. "I will have to ask my mother, for the house has been here for way over a hundred years.”
“That is why my father bought this house," he said, going on, "because it was old, well constructed, and a bit feudal.”
About then, there was a racket up the street and both turned to see Aoki’s two younger brothers running and laughing down the street. “Got to go," she said. "I will tell you about the Barberry bush as our people knew and used it.” She turned and quickly went in the house.
Joe went home. Dang! Now he had to go back to get his car. He put his books in the house, got his bicycle out, rode back to school where he got his car and drove back home. After his dad and then his mom arrived home, Maria served dinner. “Dad have you met the new people next door?" he asked. "The girl is in most of my classes, she is really sharp.”
Josiah looked at his son and his eyes narrowed. His jaw protruded and even though his mouth was full he spoke. “Dang Japs! Dang Japs, dang Orientals!”
Young Joe knew what was coming.
“The Japs killed my dad at Bataan. Killed my father, your grandfather. And those slimy yellow little B’s killed three of my uncles. My son," he said, "we will not have anything to do with a Jap, or any Oriental scum, filthy yellow scopplepoppers.”
Joe said no more but quietly finished his dinner. After the meal was over and Maria had cleared the dishes from the table, Joe said he had a lot of homework and went to his room. He opened his cell phone and dialed information, and soon a voice answered. “May I speak to Aoki, please, this is Joe Tattlestein.”
The voice, friendly like replied, “Oh, you are the boy next door.”
Joe thought that by her father’s easy voice he would be speaking with Aoki quickly. “I am sorry Joe, but Aoki has her lessons to do. Plus she must practice her music and then take part in the family hour.”
The phone went dead.
Joe went downstairs and got an encyclopedia. He read up on Japanese Barberry, then he went to Google and read ten references. He did not know that to the Japanese this bush was planted as a sign of disrespect and hatred. Joe wondered why, and why it had been planted there.
Joe had just finished his work, showered, and was reading when his father entered his room.
“Joseph, I forbid you to see or fraternize with that Jap.”
Joe did not acknowledge his father. He turned off the light and fell asleep thinking about Aoki.