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Chapter 29 - Moving back to San Jose
The electronics company I was working at had closed due to Recession in 1982. It was a company that made a computer part for a large computer. I couldn’t find a job even if I searched many places. So I decided to move back to San Jose which had many computer companies. This was my original destination to settle before moving to Los Angeles. Even thought Pastor Peter (HeeSang) Kwon was adamant about me moving, I said that if I do not have a job it was going to impact the life of our family. Another reason to move was because I had visited San Jose after I had lost my job and took the Greyhound bus service. I had read a news article while sitting and waiting to be picked up in the bus station. It was stated in the article that children in San Jose had far better score in academics than Los Angeles. Also many of the playgrounds in Los Angeles were mostly asphalt but San Jose had mostly grass and was connected to large parks. Therefore it was more fun and safe for the children to have during break time.
So I thought to myself, ‘why not?’ and decided to move to San Jose. It was also to open a new path for my children likewise when Pastor Kwon asked me “why did you move to United States?” The first car I had was a vehicle I bought for 400 dollars and repaired with a fee of 250 and it was a 1973’s car (Made by Dodge Duster). The car was about to be scrapped, but I bought it and had it repaired. Still it caused a lot of troubles. The biggest problem was when it rained in September in Los Angele it would rain until January, February of the next year. When it rained the front and back window would be frosted with steam but the defogger was broken. So my children would sit in front and back and would clean the steam off. This was possible before seat belt enforcement was really in effect.
In that car I had put my wife and children and some blankets and household goods and started to San Jose which was about 380 miles from Los Angeles. We had left early morning and drove on US-101 and around middle point was going to stop at a gas station and was heading in. That’s when a large steam had arisen from the front of the car! I had the car checked up before coming to San Jose because it was a long trip. I had taken the car barely into the gas station because it was about to stall. When the mechanic opened the hood of the car a lot of hot water was ejected. It was because the car was so old the rubber hose that was connected to the engine had burst and all the water was leaking out. What would’ve happened if this car had stalled in middle of nowhere? Especially with family members and with only few household items, I had no money to pay for towing or even to buy another car. At that time I did not own any credit or debit card. I was thankful that something like this happened when I was close to a gas station. The mechanic looked and said it was not a big problem and waited for the car to cool, after he had it repaired for cheap price. That’s how we arrived in San Jose safe. I think it was God’s help that we all arrived safe and in one piece.
(January 2011)
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Moving back to San Jose
Could you please compose to this poem?