1. Teresia Kindergarten

The Miwasaki Elementary School sponsored another Yasukera dance during the school performance this year, following that of last year.
The celebration of the players and PTA finished and Kyozo Wozumi once again enjoyed a calm life. In the local forest autumn leaves began to be seen in patches, and persimmons were ripening.
Daughter Yoriko is in the 1st grade of Koyo Junior High School, Kyota the 5th grade of Miwasaki Elementary School, and Kyoji the 3rd grade. All of them are busy at school, at private preparatory school, or playing, so they are rarely with their father nowadays.
As for the father Kyozo, nearly 20 years have passed since the return from Arafura Sea to his hometown Miwasaki, in the south of Wakayama prefecture. Over in the South Seas he was baptized by Father Baike of Cairns Catholic Church, and earnestly visited the church on Thursday Island in his youth. Now he is 51 years old. It is on a certain day, deep in the autumn of Showa 21 (1951), 6 years after the end of the Pacific War.

For more than a year, the main newspapers in the local pages as well as the local papers of Kinan and Kumano, have reported the prospective opening of a Catholic kindergarten near Shingu Senior High School, a little distance from the city center.
The building of the kindergarten was completed several days ago and celebrated with the attendance of the mayor and other powerful figures. The kindergarten was scheduled to open in April of the next year.

A messenger from the church came to Wozumi grocery store in Miwasaki and said, "The two Catholic fathers staying here from Australia would very much like to see Mr. Kyozo Wozumi. We wish to bring them here at your convenience."
In addition, two weeks previous Kyozo had received the following letter from Cairns Church in Australia, so Kyozo's family was ready to welcome them pleasantly.

"Our two fathers are going to visit Shingu City in order to attend the completion ceremony of the kindergarten building of Shingu Teresia Church. During their stay we would like them to visit you. Would you please meet them?"

- - - - -

These days the Sea of Kumano was often rough and the temperature too cold to dive. However, Kyozo does not care, and rows his small boat offshore with the underwater gun and a bottsuri basket, though also with a wet suit.

His family had a good crop of sweet potatoes in the field this year. The field is on top of the hill, up the steep path near the entrance of the Miwasaki side of Koyazaka Slope. There is a wide view of the Sea of Kumano.

As for sweet potatoes, a considerable numbers of the variety of "Norin 1", three times as large as the average, were produced here, so the Wozumi family again won the first prize this year. The hero is Kyoji, the second son. The prized winner was from his ridge for two straight years.
They then sowed wheat seeds on the field.

Meanwhile, in the rice field, the first crop was finished a long time ago, and now the second crop was ready to harvest.

2. Fathers from Cairns

In the afternoon of the appointed day, Father Rogers and O'Connor entered the Wozumi grocery store, accompanied by Father Ogushi of Shingu Teresia Church and Mrs. Misumi, an interpreter. Father Ogushi is to serve as the director of the kindergarten, too. They wear a gown, except for Mrs. Misumi with a dress.
The two foreign Fathers, probably in their 40s, are tall. Father Ogushi has partly grey hair, with a red face, wearing tortoise shell glasses.

Kyozo waited for them wearing a two-piece suit with a white formal shirt, as in Kuma's suggestion, which looks nice on him. But his feet are in tabi (split-toe socks) and he wears geta (Japanese clogs). This combination is not so as weird as it sounds.
Kuma is also dressed formally in her own way, not in an ordinary style but in a conservative kimono (Japanese clothes) with a pearl wedding ring on her left third finger.
The store is managed by Sanae, a helper, today. The children are away at school.

"Gomen kudasai." “Irasshai mase.”
"Nice to meet you. Welcome to our home."
Then greetings continue in Japanese and in English for a while.

Kuma leads the guests upstairs to the large room, a combination of two 6-mat rooms.
Legless chairs are ready for the two foreign Fathers. Father Ogushi appreciates the host's consideration with a gesture.
"We are very glad all of you have come over. Aren't you tired?"
Saying so in Japanese, Kuma serves Japanese tea.
"This is the first tea of the season," Kuma says to the foreign Fathers, and Mrs. Misumi translates into English.
In spite of her lack of English speaking, Kuma feels no hesitation. With her simple smile and her face tilted downward, the two guests from far away seem to become relaxed.

After confirming that Kyozo knows Teresia Church well, Father Ogushi talks about its prospective kindergarten.

St. Teresia Church holds Catholic schools all over Japan. Now it decided to open a kindergarten in the Shingu area. The staffs will be both church-related and public. The reception of young children is limited in number, and it has already formed a quorum.
Father Rogers begins to talk quietly in Australian English. When Mrs. Misumi begins to interpret for him, Kyozo interrupts her with a smile and says.
"Though I was afraid that I totally forgot English, I can follow him enough. Please help me only when I ask you."
And then putting his hand on his head, he speaks in English:
"I am not confident in speaking, so I may ask you to repeat. But I'll try."
Nothing is better than a direct talk. Mrs. Misumi, nodding with a satisfactory smile, glances at Kuma on her side.
Kuma says.
"Never mind about me. Please let them talk as they like. Kyozo will talk about it to me later."
With this and that, while Mrs. Misumi whispers to Kuma sometimes, the talk among the Australian Fathers and Kyozo proceeds smoothly as follows.

3. Happening at Cairns

The two Fathers had gathered much and various information at the churches in Cairns and Thursday Island. They were stories from nearly 29 years before, but it seemed the stories about the young diver from Japan were not few.
Kyozo recalled what he had forgotten, which contributed to making them more and more friendly, in spite of this being their first meeting.
As for Father Ogushi, now admitting that he has fulfilled his responsibility, he sits on the Japanese cushion relaxing and just listens while drinking the new Japanese tea.

Various topics about Father Baike, the church in Thursday Island, local people, present-day Cairns, ..., these made Kyozo relaxed and peaceful.
"He looks unusually different," Kuma thought as she watched Kyozo with a deep interest. His mind seems to be going back to that time. He must also recollect his boat colleagues from those days.
Now, the story comes around to what happened during that time in Cairns. The two Fathers talk slowly, selecting suitable words, and Kyozo answers their questions in English in a halting way.

"On that Christmas Eve, you visited Cairns. Do you remember you had a fight there?"
"Well, ...? What I remember is I sometimes visited Cairns on Christmas day and celebrated it in Father Baike's church."
Whether pretending or not, he looks hesitant.
"They say it was on a hot afternoon, because it was in the summer over there."
"Well, ..., I'm not sure. Was it a fight? It was not such in my memory. Well, ..., wait, ..., yes, we visited the Father Baike's church in Cairns on the Christmas days."
It did not seem right for him to go on pretending.
"Yes, you did. It’s good you remember it even a little. The fight was between about five of you and a group of young guys in Cairns. Could you explain what kind of trouble happened there?"
"Well, I see, ... While I was listening to Father Baike preach in the church, my colleagues were drinking in a pub. It seems they began a quarrel or something with young guys in Cairns. Then both of them probably started hitting each other. One of my colleagues ran into the church and requested my help. I have only a vague memory..."
"And then?"
"I imagine I went there, talked to the local guys unwillingly, and managed to reach some compromise. That's about all in my memory."
"Was it? Your talk is a little different from what I heard. Wasn't it more dangerous?"
"No, not any more, ..."
It cannot be a pleasant memory in Kyozo's mind. He blinks.
"When you ran into the open space, how many local guys were there in your memory?"
"Maybe four or five?"
Kyozo pauses to make confirm his memory.
"No, it was not. I hear they were about twice the number of your colleagues. A fist fight began in the open space, you see. Some guys on your side were bleeding, when you cried something in a loud voice toward the strongest-looking local guy."
Father Rogers says with a gesture.
"They say you offered a one to one to the guy. You told him like this. If I lose, you can do anything to me. But if I win, I want all of you to be friends again forgetting everything."
Mrs. Misumi is now fully a listener, forgetting her interpretation to Kuma.
"I wonder if it was so. I don't remember it quite well because it was a long time ago, ..."
The two Fathers go on and take turns to talk, paying no attention to Kyozo's embarrassment. The whole talk is only in English, so Kuma must not have understood anything. But she seems to catch some atmosphere of what they are talking about.
"The local young guys accepted your offer saying, 'fine'. Your guys were all exhausted and silent since they mostly did not understand English, right?"
"....."
"Though the local guys accepted, they could have easily guessed the result before the fight. They seemed to be surprised and even had pity on you. That's because you were small and did not look strong. Australians never side with the strong. Australians are never cowards."
Kyozo agrees at this moment looking like a young guy from those days and says.
"I know it well."
"Then you and the strongest-looking guy began to fight. Your only weaons were your hands and feet."
"....."

Kyozo looks speechless, probably thinking with surprise that such a matter is remembered even now.
"The guys concerned at that time told us like this. The two of you glared at each other for a while. Though both were in a boxing form at first, then you immediately took some posture like a karate style or something strange. Am I right?"
Kyozo answers a little as an excuse.
"The guy was so tall and large. No punch from my boxing seemed to be useful, and once the guy's punch would hit me, that would be the end. So I may have made a quick decision, ..."
"Yes, a quick decision. Wasn't it when he was about to stand ready again? You ran into him in a straight line and hit his chest with your clenched fist, right? He lost his balance and raised his big fist in a growl. This guy told us so."
"I don't think I did such a terrible thing to him. I admit I actually did something intending to hit in the pit of his stomach. I did it weakly in my memory, ..."
The then-young guy remembered the sad situation.
"I am sorry about that bad thing even now. I was unfair. It may have been better that I lost, because they wouldn’t have done anything further. I don't forget about what they did after he regained his breath. I am sure we could not have done the same no matter how much we tried."
"Fighting is absolutely a bad thing. But his attitude after the fight was the saving grace. He came to his senses through your call 'katsu' and sat up with your help, then immediately offered you his hand, didn't he? He looked embarrassed, though."
The touch of that handshake seems to have moved Kyozo. He nods again and again.
"It was a pleasant handshake to me. I was really glad."
"Perhaps still painful, he winced. They remember well that you dusted his clothes earnestly. They know your behavior was from your friendly consideration not in a winning manner."
"It was natural to me, but I appreciate their thought. Thanks a lot."
The then-young guy looked relaxed now.
"Father Baike was watching all of this in the open space from a distance. He said he was surprised. Since it was terrible to him, he was about to cry out 'Someone, help. Stop them!'. However, they say he had a strange comment that your way to fight was fast and beautiful. He also praised the rival a lot saying he was a nice guy."
"I am truly sorry for him."
"After the fight, all the guys from both sides got together. The two fighters shook hands with each other. Therefore, the local people praised all of you saying the last scene was marvelous."
"I never expected such an ending, so I was truly glad. Surely they are Christians. Without this peaceful ending, Father Baike would never have allowed us to continue."

Kyozo now has a clear memory that the Japanese guys including him became more friendly with the local guys.
Father Rogers says.
"Yes, they say Father Baike referred to this happening happily until he died, also saying Kyozo was a good boy. Now sometimes we talk about it and say you were a gentleman of Japan."

4. Father Baike

When Kuma was serving another round of Japanese tea, Father Rogers says rather seriously.
"I now like Japanese green tea. I can feel a deep taste different from black tea."
Father O'Connor is also nodding gently. Through Mrs. Misumi's interpretation Kuma answers with a smile.
Thirsty or not, both Fathers drink up and ask for another cup of green tea.
It seems to be the first time for Father Ogushi to see such an attitude from them.
"Would you give it to me, too?" He joyfully holds his cup out to Kuma.
"Like the same way on Thursday Island, you brought a lot of shellfishes and various fishes each time you visited the church in Cairns, right?"
"Yes, you are right. We eat them raw, but Father Baike fried them up. Sometimes he invited me to eat them fried up. They were tasteful."
"They also say you were glad. I see you had not eaten anything fried until then."
"No, I hadn't. So, I was very sorry each time thinking that only I was enjoying this kind of tasty food there. The others did not want to go to church."
"The pearls you offered to God are displayed in the church with the explanation 'From Kyozo, a Japanese gentleman'."
"I am grateful. Father Baike taught me how to live. I thought the pearls I picked up were the only one that I could offer myself. Father took care of me like his son."

"Even so, I hear you sometimes brought your colleagues to church."
Father O'Connor lets him know what he heard from the church members, and Kyozo says.
"When I told them the story of fried food after the service, some were interested in it, and then they also brought some others there."
He adds in a smile, remembering some guys who were baptized.
"I have to say several guys began to go there by themselves."
Father Rogers enters into the talk.
"Yes, right. I hear all of them were obedient, too."
The then-young guy raised his closed eyes up to the ceiling and says.
"It is thanks to Father Baike. They were of all types, so  some of them caused trouble for church, but he mostly forgave them. I also thank every Christian there in the church. They did not hesitate to make friends with us."
"Glad to hear that. I appreciate you talking this way." Father O'Connor responded with Father Rogers.
Kyozo continues.
"It was in the days when there were some stores here and there allowing only white people. Some of my colleagues wanted to stay in a log cabin on Thursday Island, saying 'we could be looked down on if we stay in town'."
Both Fathers nod.
"I have not forgotten about the warm eyes of the Christians and their kindness to give up their seats for us. We felt relaxed and really glad. The church was our heaven. When we returned to our log cabin, no quarrel happened and everything worked out well."
Now his mind has slipped back in time to the days of joys and sorrows with his colleagues on Thursday Island.
"I am pleased to hear that, though there are still some Christians saying they should have taken better care of you. We will let them know what you said to us."
"Thanks a lot. Please do so. I really think that what I am now is thanks to Father Baike and the kindness of the Christians. I thank God."

The talk among the three is going on forever.
Father O'Connor grins, looking at his memo and is about to refer to the story related to Kyozo's faltering speech at the church in Cairns. But the time has passed too much.
Father Ogushi finally decides to say, "Well, it's time for us to say goodbye."
The two Fathers from Cairns, with deep wish to talk more, stood up straight, prayed to God, firmly shook hands with Kyozo, and returned to their home.

The above happened in a remote village with no relationship with foreigners, so the rumors spread all over.
"I hear Kyozo talked in English. Is it true?"
"The foreigners were Fathers, weren't they? Very tall."
"Where are they from?"
"I hear they are from Australia. It may have some relationship with the days Kyozo once worked in Arafura Sea."
"......"

Kyozo has a different idea about religion. Though he has belonged to the Protestant church in Shingu since his return from Arafura Sea, his house is equipped with a family Buddhist alter. Kuma changes water and burns incense sticks every day, and the couple together pray before it. Their family supports the Soto Sect temple of Zen Buddhism. In the alcove, a household Shinto alter is displayed with a hanging scroll of the God Amaterasu-ohmikami, and also a cross.

Kyozo is willing to go to the Konkokyo religious church, the main religion of Miwasaki residents.
He is also friendly with people of other religions like Seicho-no-ie and Tenrikyo.

Each religion had its merits and arguments, but Kyozo did not mind sticking to various religions impartially in his own way until his death.

He did not part with the Bible, but there are a variety of other religious books on his shelf. Among them is a hard cover  "Priest Shinran" written by Eiji Yoshikawa.