Weedflower

At the end of October, a few teachers move into the camp to start a school, and Sachi has all kinds of wild lies to tell about where they’re from. On the first day of school, Sumiko wears her mint green dress, which is now getting too small. Empty barracks are used as classrooms, and the children must carry their own chairs to and from class each day. Sumiko’s teacher is Miss Kelly. The teachers have a difficult job: With little resources available, unruly children to manage, and the inescapable dust, many teachers don’t last long at their post. Tensions run high in the camp, and Ichiro and his friends often talk about the war, laws, the camp, and race. Bull and Ichiro disagree about what they’ll do if asked to join the military; Bull wants to use it as an opportunity to show that Japanese Americans are trustworthy, valuable citizens, but Ichiro is angry at how unfairly they’ve been treated. Amid the tension, Bull snaps at Tak-Tak but later makes amends with him and sweetly tucks him into bed.