Bombs Away

Story Submitted by Yuko:

I met John online. We exchanged several messages. He intrigued me with his amateur photography work of urban nightscapes, and when he found out that I was Japanese, he said, "That's pretty neat."

Our first date over coffee went great - no sparks exactly, but he was pleasant enough, and made me laugh. When he invited me over to his apartment the next week for dinner and a movie, I accepted.

While I helped him set the table in front of the television, he pulled out a DVD and said, "It's called Atomic Cafe. You'll really like it." I had no idea what it was about, but I trusted his judgment.

The movie was a documentary about nuclear warfare. A fiery, giant mushroom cloud flashed over the screen, followed by footage of American troops whooping and cheering. Nagasaki had been bombed. The film showed various forms of anti-Japanese propaganda, some of which were downright racist but had pervaded the media at the time.

As I sat there awkwardly over my dinner, I said, "Um, I don't really feel like watching this."

"Really?" he replied, "Just wait. It gets better." He reached his arm behind me and pulled me closer just during a part about radiation's effects on the human body. How romantic! I gently shook him off.

Out of politeness, I sat through the rest of the film. It was our last date, sealed with his final question after it was all over: "Wasn't that awesome? Those crazy Japanese."

Ugh. No.