Dayi

Born in Sulawesi, Indonesia, Drafted year: 1945, 20y/o estimates, for 6 months

I had to say hello every time I met him.

“ごんにちわ, さよなら(Hallo, Good bye)”

If I did not say hello, he got angry

but didn’t hit me.

My parents were farmers, and I was happy with ten siblings.

The village foreman came and forcibly picked out twelve girls and sent to the Japanese military, saying that he was ordered to do so. I wasn’t even properly dressed when I was forcibly sent away.

The village foreman said that we were going to make cotton yarns. I was 20 years old, and there were some women older than me.

We made cotton yarns during the day, but we were taken away by the soldiers in the evening. Almost every night, the same soldier came and slept with me. I had to say hello every time I met him.

“ごんにちわ, さよなら(Hallo, Good bye)” If I did not say hello, he got angry but didn’t hit me.

Every night, I did it with that Japanese soldier and then went home. I had my period at the time but didn’t get pregnant.

Some of the other women got pregnant. I don’t know where and how they live now.

* Her bed is in one corner of the kitchen because there isn’t a proper room to live in. The 2nd floor is woven with bamboo that it looks dangerous as she may get a cut. She kept pointing at me with her finger while I interviewed her. I only heard later that she said I look exactly like that Japanese soldier but the interpreter couldn’t tell me this in front of her.