I would suppose in order to know me well, you would have to know some of my history. Not that I have ever been a good storyteller, but I was a writer at one point in my life, albeit, not the best, but at least a decent one.
I was born Chizuru Yanase at St. Vincent's hospital in Los Angeles, California. It was one of the rainiest winters that my mother had seen since immigrating to the U.S. five years prior in 1955. I even know the date I was conceived; March 9th in San Francisco. I was the 4th generation of women in my maternal family to have been born illegitimately. My mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all illegitimate; having been born from a woman who was involved with a married man (except my mother.) Additionally, we were all either the only child or the only girl. I think my mom was actually engaged to my biological father. All I know of him; is that he was tall, hence the reason I am tall; looks a lot like me (my mother used to say it was hard to love someone who looked ike someone you hated so much). and probably why I have knock knees. He was very smart; having been an orphan and also went to the University of Colorado at Boulder. He worked for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. I know he has seen me at least once. My mother and I were in Little Tokyo crossing 1st Street and he was on the opposite side also crossing the street when he saw me and my mother. He must have known I was his though due to my age.
