I called them the Akemi Group. Not unlike Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai, there were seven of them: Akemi, Hisae, Mineko, Miyuki, Yukari, Yuko, and my lovely wife, Yumiko. They were the Onna Bugeisha of Orange County. I don’t know if Akemi having the only name beginning with the letter “A” influenced a kind of obligation on her part to act as ringleader. One thing was certain, though: without Akemi, our determined band of female warriors would not exist. From getting everyone together for a seaside barbecue at Huntington Beach, to collecting the kids and husbands out in the open for a group hike, to organizing a rendezvous at a favorite eating spot, to having everybody over for a soirée at Allan and Akemi’s tastefully decorated home in Costa Mesa, Akemi was the coordinating force behind it all. And indeed, the Force was strong with her, as the top contender for the most memorable holiday card we had ever received demonstrated: Akemi, Allan, Yamato, and Takumi impressively dressed in full Star Wars regalia, posing with lightsabres and looks of determination that would put any self-respecting Jedi to shame. That was Akemi: true to her background in music (and what a voice!) and entertainment, she had a flair for the entertaining and for making a splash. She sat behind the wheel of a hot pink Toyota RAV4, and she drove it extremely fast. Having to reconcile Akemi’s surprising driving habits with her courteous, polite, and respectful demeanor was part of the fun of knowing her. The Farfaglia Family owes her a great debt, for without Akemi, Yumiko would not have known Miyuki, who was instrumental in translating for me when I asked Yumiko’s father for her hand in marriage. This means, of course, that Akemi’s influence played a pretty significant role In getting this family off the ground.
Godspeed, Akemi. Thank you for all that you did for all of us. Your memory will continue to bring joy, laughter, togetherness, and, above all, inspiration.
