My first memories begin in a quiet town called Kurashiki, in southern Japan. We had loving parents, our father was a fisherman, while our mother stayed home and cared for us. We led a quiet life, although often having to scrape by to survive, we knew the simple joys of childhood. Father would often have my brother Warik and I help out in the rice paddies, but being kids, we would often sneak out to swim in the river or catch crabs.  But before I knew it this simple life all came to an end.

While we were 8 or 9 years old, our mother started getting very sick. At the time, none of the doctors could understand what was wrong with her. Her condition got progressively worse. She was constantly having excrutiating pain all through her body, until eventually she passed on. (We later realized there was an illegal landfill nearby, and believe her death was caused from chemicals which were seeping into our rice paddies, although the government did nothing about it). Our father was never the same after her death, and he also met his time shortly after.

After their deaths, Warik and I heard rumors they were going to take us away and put us to work at the factories, at which point we decided to run away. From this point on we were left to fend for ourselves, and grow up and in a short period of time. During this time we were perhaps 12 or 13 years old, and we set out towards the bustling city of Kyoto. Warik seemed to be unusually clever, and was able to swindle his way to finding us food and shelter along the way. In no time it seemed he had become quite a skilled merchant, gaining wealth and popularity with those among him. Warik and I set up a shop and we began to do fairly well for ourselves. We soon forgot about our past and begun living a exciting life in Kyoto.

While visiting a geisha house oneday, Warik met Arionchui, a charming young woman of uncommon beauty. Warik couldn't keep himself away from her, and began visiting her everyday, until they soon realized they had fallen in love. Warik made the necessary arrangements and bought out Arionchui from her mistress of the geisha house, and moved into a beautiful plot of land on the outskirts of Kyoto. Arionchui soon also introduced us to Carlein and Zario, two sisters of hers, who lived peacefully in the town of Nara ourside Kyoto.

Although our family certainly had its hardships, we were able to grow from them, and not let it bring us down. Warik and I have grown close working through everything together, and he has began to start a wonderful family with his wife, Arionchui.