On the morning of August 11, 2007, I dreamt I was hanging out with business and community leaders at my grandpa Maurice Karamatsu's house. He seemed happy and proud of me. He asked them if they wanted ice cream in the refrigerator, which he said he usually had for the kids. When he was alive, we used to stop by at Baskin Robins to get ice cream after a dinner at a restaurant. He loved French Vanilla ice cream. In the dream, I wanted to talk to him because I didn't talk to him much when he was alive (He passed away on May 14, 1992 when I was only seventeen years old). I wasn't able to because I was awakened by a phone call before I could talk to him.
After my grandpa Tadao Sakai passed away in 1999, I had a dream where I was climbing a mountain with him. He climbed to the top of the mountain with super human speed while I was struggling like a normal human. When he reached the top of the mountain, he spoke to me but no sound came out of his mouth. I think he was finally free because in 1995 he suffered a stroke that left him mentally and physically challenged. Grandpa Sakai and I was very close since I was a baby. He is the kindest man I have ever known.
Grandma Ellen Sakai died from cancer in 2001, weeks before I graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law. She wanted to attend my graduation but her cancer was rapid and it took her quickly. The day she was dying, I had a sick feeling in my stomach while I was at a lunch pizza party at the law school. I wanted to go back to my apartment and get some papers that I really did not need, but I was persistent in going back. When I got back to my apartment, my phone was ringing. It was my dad and I knew something was wrong because he rarely called me. He placed the phone by my grandma's ear and told me to say my last words to her as she slipped away. I told her I loved her. Strangely, my entire family in Hawaii and all five cousins living on the mainland because of college were able to say goodbye. I would not have a dream of her until about four years after her death.
Grandma Bessie Karamatsu died on April 1, 2006. In the year preceding her death, I showed more interest in my culture and Jodo Shu. Although she didn't say anything, I could tell she was happy. The following is an entry in my journal on the early morning of the day she died. She died later that day in the afternoon.
“I have been told that it has been raining in Hawaii for forty-three days straight. I thought this only happens in movies or books. It's been raining since the beginning of my grandma's medical challenges. I like to believe this beautiful place we call Hawaii where my grandma lived a full life is crying with us. I will not forget this time period. Yesterday, before my grandma was taken off life support, the head minister for Jodo Shu and another minister came to her bedside to pray for her with the family. The head minister is a friend of my late Grandpa Karamatsu and my grandma because of their strong involvement with the temple. My grandfather was president of the council for Jodo Shu Hawaii and my grandma helps the ministry with everything like fundraising and Obon Festival. She, by the way, is a great Obon dancer. My sisters and I had fun dancing with her. Everyone was very emotional during the service. My dad, mom, aunty, and uncle were the few that stayed in the room when my grandma was taken off life support. As they were taking the tubes off her, I put my hands in gakushyo and prayed for her. I noticed my dad was doing the same. As I closed my eyes and prayed, I couldn't stop the tears. After she was detached from the system, the sun came up. Last night, the time between her breaths were getting longer, a sign of her getting tired. I overslept, but slept well, so I better get back and check on my grandma. Take care.”
After her death, months later, I dreamt of her.
All of these dreams of my grandparents felt so good. I miss them dearly.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 