June 18, 1956 - on the outskirts of Saskatoon

Rural Mural

We’ve had terrible luck of late. Wayne’s mother, who had developed cancer, died late last year. Wayne’s father decided to sell his share of the restaurant to the partner and we headed to Saskatoon. Wayne looked for work at all the Chinese restaurants in town—the Marigold, Wing’s, the Hong Kong—but Wayne’s training as a cook had been so short that no one would hire him, even as a dishwasher. We were desperate.
We decided to go into business with a friend of ours named Hank Lee, growing vegetables at a farm a little outside of Saskatoon. He grows everything, but especially Chinese vegetables to supply the restaurants around town. I cook for all the help, and also take the orders from the restaurants when they come in. Hank’s mother handles all the orders from the wholesalers, because I can’t speak much English.
Jimmy has been billeted with some relatives of ours, Jack and Margaret, in Saskatoon so he can start going to school there. Jack runs a pool hall down on 20th Street, below some rooming houses. They have an adopted son, Eugene, who is older than Jimmy and always bullies him around. I’d give him a dime for a coke or some Juicy Fruit and Eugene would always snatch it from him. They’re the only two Chinese kids at Princess Alexandra Elementary, and Jimmy got teased for not knowing how to ice skate. A few days ago Ben fell from the ladder into the cold cellar where the vegetables are kept—luckily nothing was broken. I can’t keep an eye on the kids all the time.