Bheela’s Blog -019
27 March 2021
Episode 18 Recap
Shunsaku is no more. His memory and his teachings remain with Oshin throughout her life. At the age of eighty-three, she remembers the poem taught by him when she was seven!
Here is a link to the Episode 18:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-018-aab4a8f140e3
(My reader Mr Harish Kumar http://www.awesomeazinglife.com/ suggested that I could provide a link of the previous episode in the recap section, Hence, from this episode onward, you will find a link, instead of a full recap)
Episode 19
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Shunsaku saved Oshin and then took care of her throughout the brutal winter in the mountains. He was shot dead in front of her eyes. Oshin did not understand why Shunsaku had suffered such a cruel fate. She hated the men who had killed him (against the lessons of Shunsaku, not to hate anyone).
Oshin does not get any time to grief, and she was taken to a police station. The men who killed her are the ones who take her there. When Oshin arrives at the police station, she is made to face a stern-looking officer. Oshin meets him with her fists tightly clenched.
The officer asks her where did she live. Instead of replying to his question, Oshin fearlessly asks him why did he kill her brother. Officer asks her name, Oshin continues her question why did he kill him. The officer is now irritated but asks another question about where did Shunsaku live. Oshin raises her voice and asks him again the same, ‘Why did you kill my brother?’ Officer now loses his patients and warns Oshin that she would get hurt if she did not answer his questions. Oshin does not budge; she wants to know why did they kill her brother.
The officer then replies very angrily that they shot him because he went against the Emperor’s orders.
Oshin protests, not agreeing to the police’s answers, and she says, my brother was just a hunter. The police officer then informs Oshin that they investigated Shunsaku’s body. He tells Oshin that she did not know much about him. Oshin says that her brother was a good man and just a hunter; he need not have to get killed.
Officer tries to explain that he will be shot to death when any man deserts from the army as per Emperor’s laws. Oshin is persistent; she tells the officer that this is not true; my brother was a good man; why did the officer kill him. Officer tries again, this time with a softer voice, and asks Oshin if any other man was living with Shunsaku; the officer wants to know who the other man was. He tells Oshin that she could go home by giving this information to the police, luring Oshin. The officer also tells her that to withhold information from, the police is also a crime. He threatens Oshin that he will put her into lock up if she does not tell him the whole truth.
Oshin then tells the police that she and her brother lived together in the mountain and no one else. She understands the risk of talking about Matsuji and does not share this with the police. Police then asks her to take them to the location where Shunsaku lived as they want to examine that place. Oshin is irritated, and she shouts that she does not know the area. Officer wants her to go with him to show him the site, but Oshin tells him the truth that she really did not know where the hut is. At this, the police officer loses his patients and hits Oshin on her cheek. He thinks by applying force, he will get the information.
Oshin gets up and tells the officer that a few months ago, she got lost in the mountain and had nearly died. Her brother saved her life. She stayed with him until the snow melted and he was taking her home. She has no idea how to go back as the whole way was covered with layers of snow without any sight of any roads.
Just then, a senior commander enters the police station. The officer salutes him. The elderly boss asks the officer if he found any accomplice. The office informs the commander that it seems that the man was escaping on his own. Commander then notices Oshin standing in a corner. He wants to know why she hasn’t been sent home yet.
Commander seems to be somewhat a nice person. He bends down to reach Oshin’s level, and he asks Oshin politely about her home where she lived with her parents. He orders his men to take the child to reach her home. Oshin tells him that she can get home by herself. She does not fear the commander even. She now asks him where her brother is; she can’t leave him alone. The commander replies in a low voice that she does not have to worry. Shunsaku has been respectfully cremated, he tells her, that they have offered him incense. He also informs Oshin that Shunsaku was a soldier, so they will not mistreat him. He continues that Shunsaku’s parents have been told. They will come from Tokyo and take Shunsaku’s body’s last remains.
He then urges Oshin to go home in a gentle manner. Oshin understands and starts walking towards her home through the village lanes, all covered with snow. She is exhausted with the day’s events and walks with heavy feet.
Two villagers who are repairing the roof of their hut recognize her. They call her, but Oshin is immersed in thoughts and does not respond. They are surprised that she isn’t dead. The villagers think that she has been taken by an evil spirit.
(In India, in villages, if a person behaves abnormally, then it is concluded that a ghost or a spirit has landed upon the person. In such a condition, the person is in control of the evil ghost. Some village experts seem to have the power to remove the victim from the ghost’s clutches. It appears that in those days, Japanese had similar beliefs)
She somehow drags herself towards her home. As Oshin reaches and looks at her home, speechless, she can hear a baby cry. She can also hear her mother Fuji’s voice, asking Shouji, her brother, to get some firewood.
Shouji comes out and looks at Oshin; he is surprised and scared to see Oshin. He runs back into the house, calling his father. He tells everyone that he has seen Oshin’s ghost standing outside their home.
Father and mother rush towards the door and are stunned to see Oshin standing in front of their eyes. Oshin run to her mother, shouting, Mama! Mama!! Mother takes Oshin to her arms, hugs her tight, and touches her face. She sits on the ground and is unable to believe that Oshin is alive. She is too happy to see Oshin alive.
She starts crying and tells Oshin that she is so glad that Oshin is back home to her. Oshin clings to her mom.
Oshin father, by this time, has recovered from the initial shock. He is back to his rude form. He separates Oshin from her mom and slaps Oshin several times on her cheek. The mother stops the father saying that he will kill her by hitting Oshin. Grandma comes out as well.
Father is full of anger and asks Oshin where she is coming from.
He accuses Oshin, saying that they were so worried for her; she had caused them too much trouble. The father strikes her so hard that Oshin falls down. Fuji shouts at her husband, saying that he should be happy and thankful to God that Oshin came home alive. Mom picks her and says that Grandma is waiting for her, so she should go inside. Oshin’s father declares that he will not allow Oshin into the house. He again accuses Oshin of being selfish. She must be punished for being a useless brat who could not complete her work term. He does not want to call Oshin his daughter. He wants her to get out and go back.
Grandma then shouts at her son. Sakuzo, the father, then, goes inside their hut, full of rage.
Oshin picks herself and starts walking back to the lane from where she came. Mom calls her. Oshin turns and tells her mother that she should not have returned home; it is all her fault. Mother starts crying and calls her back; she says that this is still your home. She asks Oshin not to take her father so seriously. He doesn’t mean it, she says. Mom pulls Oshin and asks her to rest in the shed for a while till her father calms down.
The place which mom refers to as ‘shed’ is a storage place next to their house. It has very little space for any person to sleep. Oshin’s mom soothes her and asks her, crying, where had she been all these days. They, especially mom, were worried sick about her. She hugs Oshin again. Oshin feels comforted. She comes to the shed and sits in a corner on a heap of straw.
When mom and grandma go into the main house, she is alone, and suddenly she remembers the gunshots that killed her brother. Images of her dying brother float in front of her eyes and tears roll out. She is missing her brother.
The mother comes to the shed with food and a futon (mattress). Although there is only one futon, she may feel cold, but she will be alright, the mom says lovingly. Mom tries to explain her husband’s behavior. She tells Oshin that he understands Oshin’s situation but pretends not to. According to him, Oshin must pay the price for her mistake, and if they take her into the house right away, the punishment will not be enough. She consoles Oshin that her father will forgive her soon. She asks Oshin to see her father’s point of view. As Oshin left her job mid-way, the rice was taken back by the lumber mill owners.
Moreover, Fuji says that she got a funeral done for Oshin at the temple where a large rice quantity had to be given as an offering. But it is not just that. Fuji clarifies that her father thought Oshin was dead, and he was sad about it. It was a shock when he saw Oshin, so his sadness converted to anger that he could not control.
She gives food to Oshin; she knows that Oshin would be hungry. Oshin starts eating slowly. Grandma also comes to the shed; she brings her own food and asks Oshin to have from her bowl too.
Oshin knows that both of them would go hungry by giving their share of food to Oshin. She asks them to have some too. Mom says that they have already taken their dinner. Grandma is pleased since she always believed Oshin to be alive. As they did not hear anything about Oshin from any corner, they had to make presumptions.
Grandma is curious, and she asks Oshin where she was and what she was doing all these months. Mom asks Oshin who took care of her during these months; she wants to convey her formal gratitude. As Oshin is quiet, the mother insists on her to answer. Oshin then starts replying that there is no need to express thanks since the person is dead now. She tells her mom that her brother, who took care of her, was an outstanding hunter and a very nice man. Mom asks how did he die? Was he sick?
Oshin is very tired, she replies slowly, that she lived in the mountain and snow was deep. She could not come home until the snow melted. Grandma and Mom are shocked to know that Oshin lived up in the mountains. Oshin then replies that she almost died in the snow blizzard. Her brother then saved her.
Grandma is happy, and she understands why she never received any nasty omen, and now she knows that Oshin was saved. They again ask her why did her brother die? Oshin is unable to reply. Mother is worried; she asks Oshin if she is hurt. Oshin keeps the bowl of food aside. Grandma understands that Oshin is traumatized and tells Fuji to leave Oshin alone to rest. She has been away from her family for a long time and is too young to suffer like this. She tells Oshin to sleep well tonight as she had a continuous hard time for months. Mom wraps Oshin with the futon and lovingly says that it must have been very hard. She goes back to the house to let Oshin sleep and rest.
Oshin’s mom sleeps with kids and grandma in one area of the house. Father and Souji sleep in the other room. As everyone is asleep, she wakes up hearing a sound. She looks up and finds that Oshin’s father is walking towards the shed. The father looks at Oshin with love and covers her adequately with the futon.
Oshin’s mom pretends to sleep and understands. She has a smile on her face to know that the father still loves their Oshin.
The following day, Oshin’s Mom, Dad, and brother Shouji start for the fields. Grandma enters the shed where Oshin is fast asleep. She taps Oshin’s shoulder to wake her up. Oshin gets startled, but she is happy to see her grandma. Grandma is delighted to see Oshin sleeping well. She wants Oshin to sleep in the main house as it is cold in the shed. Also, sheepishly tells Oshin that her father has already left for fieldwork, so they need not worry about him. Oshin is unable to believe that she is back home. She asks her grandma if it is a dream that she is home and speaking to her loving grandma. Grandma is hopeful that Oshin’s father will soon forgive her. She asks Oshin to come inside the main house and eat something. Oshin nods in affirmative and goes with her grandma.
Oshin’s younger brother and sisters are playing with boats made of paper. Oshin joins them. They all watch the paper boats floating on the stream of water flowing through the narrow ditch formed between the mounds of snow.
Suddenly Oshin’s parents come running towards her. Father shouts at Oshin and asks her if it is true that she was with an army deserter. He says that all the villagers are talking about this. Villagers are saying that the man was shot dead, and Oshin was also in police custody. Father cannot believe all of these. He comes forward to hit Oshin as he is furious. Mother Fuji somehow stops him, saying that villagers must be telling lies. Oshin says that her brother was a nice man. He did not deserve to be killed. Father, still very angry, tells Oshin that it is a crime to run away from the army. Oshin tries to argue with her father. She tells her father that her brother did not do anything wrong. The father gets further annoyed by hearing Oshin’s reply. He shouts that what’s so good about being a criminal. He then calls Oshin a stupid girl. With that, in his anger, he slaps Oshin so hard that her face hits against a wooden door, and she falls on the ground unconscious. There is blood coming out from the corners of her lips and nose.
Fuji picks up Oshin and pats her on the cheeks, calling her constantly. Oshin is still unconscious.
So are Oshin’s initial days of life after returning from the loving environment of the mountains.
How will Oshin recover from so many shocks? Will her father continue to stay angry with her?
Episode 20 is coming soon.