Father changed in front of my eyes and punched Nick, and Mother screamed. Nick overturned the table, breaking the leg, and Grandpa jumped up from his bed, thrusting his cane between Father and Nick. Nick raised his arm and Father tried to punch Nick again, and the three of them were suddenly dancing fast and furiously to the sound of a drummer’s beat. From one wall to another, Grandpa’s glasses flew through the air, and landed by my feet, cracking, and Nick yelled, You are a coward, you’re a spineless coward; you think that if you’re like a good Japanese, pretending nothing is wrong, saying shikataganai—shrugging your shoulder, can’t be helped, everything will be all right. It’s men like you, who don’t fight back, that made this mess. Well, I’m sick of it, I’m sick of all this, I’m going to prove to you, and to everyone, that I’m a man, that I’m an American just like those honkies that call me a Jap boy. Father dropped his arm to his side. Grandpa held Nick, taking him outside.
