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| ~~Tell Me How~~ |
| Tell me how, tell me why. Tell me how I'm supposed to get the |
| answers when you aren't here to give them to me. |
| Early in the spring of 1975 I had the privalege of meeting a |
| man soon next to my husband became my best friend. Not only |
| was he a friend to me, but my whole family as well. My two |
| year old daughter loved him like a second dad and he felt |
| for her to feel that way. It was a friendship that grew fast |
| and lasted for seventeen years. |
| His name is Tojo Yamamoto and was a professional |
| Japanese wrestler. I met him through a friend of mine |
| that knew him. She lived out of town and had come in for |
| a visit. After picking her up she said she wanted to try and |
| get in touch with him. I knew who he was, but had no idea |
| we lived in the same town. Since he was one of the |
| "bad guys" I wasn't sure I wanted to be around him. |
| Unbelievabely sitting in the parking lane going to my |
| house she said the car in front of us was his. Aware we |
| were following him and not knowing what to expect by |
| the time we stopped he was prepared for the worse and |
| all I could see was anger in his eyes. When he saw her I |
| learned he was much different than he was protrayed to be. |
| He was a kind, loving, and gentle man. I guess from that |
| moment was when our friendship developed. |
| By the time we got ready to leave he asked if he could have |
| my phone number and reluctantly I gave it to him. He |
| told me not to tell my husband because of the way he was |
| brought up a man just didn't talk to another mans wife. I |
| agreed for a while, but I think my main purpose for this |
| was to see if he had any intentions of taking this |
| friendship in another direction and am proud to say he |
| did not. He was true to his word that he would never |
| mess with what he called "Another Mans Treasure." |
| I always loved and respected that part of him. |
| As time passed and we grew closer with him spending |
| most nights traveling from one city to the next and one |
| state to another we went with him as much as we could. |
| He was a quiet man and not a lot of people knew the real |
| him. A lot of time was spent at our house with him |
| cooking and showing me how to cook Japanese. Many hours |
| were spent talking on the phone til wee hours in the |
| morning. He never forgot a birthday and always made |
| sure we had a cake. There was also his small dog he |
| treated as if she were a person. She slept with him and |
| when he could go somewhere she could go she rode on |
| his shoulder. Later he started having death threats and |
| already haing one dog killed he gave her to me so she |
| would be safe, and that's where she stayed until she |
| died. My daughter had a hamster and after seeing it he |
| wanted one too so together we went to the pet store and |
| bought him one. It always amazed me that this hated |
| person was one of the most loving and tender men I |
| have had the privalege to know and call my friend. |
| I remember one time I had to have surgery he was out |
| of state and made a special trip back to be with my |
| husband and make sure I was okay. After it was over and |
| he was allowed to see me he got back in his car and |
| drove the 5 hours back to the state he had just come from. |
| I have often asked myself how many other people would |
| have done that. None I know! |
| In the prime of his life his health failed and could no |
| longer wrestle the way he had for so many years. |
| Wanting to stay in the sport he gave that part up and |
| became a manager. That also took a toll on his health, |
| still having to travel and was forced to give that up as well. |
| I don't know how much you know about Japanese beliefs, |
| but they are very proud people and when things go wrong |
| in their lives they consider it "losing face." It isn't |
| uncommon for them to committ suicide so on |
| February 19, 1992 he took his own life. |
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| Tell Me How? |
| How do I forget these memories? |
| How does my family forget? |
| How do I forget when I see so many wrestlers you trained? |
| How do I answer my grandson when he asks who you are |
| when I mention your name? |
| How do I forget I can't call you at night when I can't sleep? |
| How do I forget I called you the day you died and you |
| didn't answer? |
| The only answer I have is, "I just can't!" |
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