The 4 Boys’ Story. What Atomic-bombing is. "HIROSHIMA Diary" DAY49/50 Dr.SOKO
The Four Boys' Story tells What Atomic Bombing is
At that time, Doctor Michihiko Hachiya was the director of Hiroshima Teishin Hospital. On August 6, he was seriously injured. But he was one of the doctors who worked hard for those who suffered injuries or illness from the atomic bomb. After that, he wrote "Hiroshima Diary". In his recording of August 13th, there is a story Dr.Hachiya heard from a man of his acquaintance. The man was searching for his younger brother and was walking around the city of Hiroshima from the day of the atomic bombing. This is the story the man encountered four boys. Dr. Hachiya wrote almost no comment on this story, he wrote just what he heard from the man. I think, if I wrote with my emotion, I could not write over the story. I feel sincerely thankful for Dr.Hachiya to have remained this story. This is one of the stories to be remained for the sake of the future peace.
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The Story of Four Boys
"I met four boys of junior high school students in Tenjin-machi. They all had terrible burns. They made a circle and sat face to face. I asked one of them, "Where is your house?", he said "Tenjin-machi". I said "Here it's Tenjin-machi." He asked me, "Please tell my mother and older sister, they don't have to come to see me here." Then, he turned to and said to his friends, "Four of us, how about dying together here?". The rest of the children replied, "Okay! Let's stick our bodies together and die together."
The man said with tears in his eyes.
”I haven't had so much tears up until now, but only this time I was so sorry and sorrowful and crying. I made a shade with a galvanized iron board and a straw mat because they asked "it's hot, could you make a shade?". When I asked oneof the boys "where is your home?" He said, "I live in Yano." I asked him "what do you want now?". He replied, "I don't need anything because we are dying soon". I said, "Okay, then, I have two tomatoes for lunch. So I will give you." I chopped two tomatoes into 4 pieces, and dripped the squeezed juice of the tomatoes into each mouth of them. "Hey, is it yummy?" The boys replied to me,"Yes, yummy so much." One of the boys wanted to drink a little bit of water, but I had no bottle or cup to scoop water. So I scooped with my hat and gave water to everyone enough. I said, "Be patient, be patient a little more. I saw an first-aid team over there. So I will let them know that the four of you are here. So, wait a little more". Then I gave them Jintan(Japanese breath freshener which grown-ups usually take) and left there. I was not able to find my brother, and unfortunately, I was not able to find a first-aid team, either. So I returned to my house, but I had been worried about the boys for all the time. The next morning, I got up early, hurried to where the children were and brought things that would make the children happy. All four had been dead in the same state in the same place where I saw yesterday. I cried twice. I prayed for them. After that, I wandered around the city all day long looking for my younger brother. But there was no such pity like that. I cry for them even now. ”
The man said so, wiping his eyes, and looked at Dr.Hachiya's face. Dr Hachiya felt that his feelings were shaken by each word that the man talked weakly.
Dr.Michihiko Hachiya (The director of Hiroshima teishin Hospital at that time), translated from Japanese version of "Hiroshima Diary", page 75-77. Heiwa-bunko, Japan Book Ace