Bheela’s Blog -024
01 May 2021
Episode 23 Recap
Fuji has taken up upon herself to change the state of poverty of her family. She gives her youngest daughter Sumi for adoption. She also leaves her home to go to Ginzan city in search of a job.
Oshin gets an offer to work as a live-in maid for two years in exchange for five sacks of rice.
Please click the link to read the full episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-023-9e9bfee57089.
Episode 24
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin, with her brother Shouji and dad, is working with straw after dinner. Grandma is sitting there too. They have decided to send Oshin to work as a live-in maid at Sakata. Grandma says that she is against this deal. Dad tells her not to worry about meals, as he will make them with Shouji’s help. Grandma is not concerned about the meals; she says it is not about the meals. She does not want Oshin to go to work again as she is still far too young. The first time itself was a mistake as per grandma.
She tries to argue that Fuji has already decided to work herself to not have to send Oshin to work. Grandma wants to know if the money she would earn not enough for the family? The father replies that the money she would make is not enough to last them for the whole year. The rice harvest won’t be there till the following fall season. Grandma is upset with this reply from Sakuzo; she challenges him and asks if he was aware of why Fuji gave Sumi for adoption?
Sakuzo then gives a roundabout reply that he works as a laborer all day and does the straw work at night. The prices for everything keep going up. Oshin also joins this discussion. She is keen to join this job. She says that people look at their family with mockery for what she did in the last babysitting job. Oshin had given up on anyone offering her a live-in maid work ever again. She is now ready and willing to work anywhere. She comes close to grandma and lovingly tells her that grandma will begin eating enough meals again once she is gone. Oshin says that the owners are giving five bales of rice. She asks her father to look after grandma when she is gone to Sakata.
Grandma isn’t convinced, and she tells Oshin that it is not about herself; she would miss Oshin if she were to go this far away. She continues that these are not the points she is objecting to. She can still help in the housework with whatever strength is remaining, but she is apprehensive about Oshin. Oshin tries to calm her grandma and tells her not to worry. Oshin explains that she won’t be able to earn any money if she stays at home. It is agreed that they will be paid 5 bales of rice, which is a huge offer. She is proud to earn this with her hard work.
Oshin also tells her father that she will first visit her mom at Ginzan on her way to Sakata. She won’t see her for the next two years; Oshin wants to give the good news herself, that she will earn five bales of rice! ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ her father shouts. He opposes the visit of Oshin to her mom strongly. He says that in Ginzan city, it is hard to find a place. Oshin disagrees, and she says that it cannot be so tough to find an address there. She argues that if her mother could go alone, she too could go by herself. Grandma is alarmed and asks her not to be silly. Oshin enthusiastically replies that her legs are as strong as those of her mother’s. Father is fed up, and he shouts that since he has asked her not to go, she should obey.
The following day, father and Shouji leave to work in the fields. Oshin is cleaning a large utensil near the streamlet. Father asks her to look after the Daikon and green onion patches before she goes to Sakata; he is worried that it might start snowing early this year. Oshin says that she is aware. As soon as his father is away from her sight, she gets up and peeps into the house. Younger siblings play with the baby Sumi’s empty basket as Grandma is praying with her string of beads. Oshin closes the door quietly and goes to the shed.
Oshin picks up some rice from the sack, puts them on a cloth, and makes a small bundle by tying a knot. She then puts this rice bundle into a larger cloth fabric in which she has packed her slate, a change of clothes, and her harmonica. She folds the large cloth to carry on her back. She closes the sliding door of the shed, looks towards the hut, and silently tells her grandma to keep staying and wait for her when she returns home.
She then heads towards the lane which goes to the main village road. She gives a final look to her house and walks ahead.
She meets a villager and asks him about the way to Ginzan city. The man is surprised to see Oshin going to Ginzan by herself. Oshin replies that her mother lives there, so she is going to meet her.
The man points to the road which will take her towards Ginzan. Ginzan city from her village could be around 40–50 km. The current google map shows that the Mogami river banks to Ginzan city information center takes about 12 hours on foot. No wonder the villager is so surprised to see a child set on foot to reach Ginzan all by herself.
At home, grandma is looking for Oshin, but she doesn’t find her. She looks around.
Oshin is on her way, walking non-stop. She wanted to see her mother. To reach Sakata, if she took a boat on the Mogami river from her village, there was no way she could stop off to see her mom. Ginzan city is east of her town, whereas Sakata is along the Mogami river towards the northwest, on the opposite side. She has no choice but to leave home without notice.
It is already dark. At Oshin’s home, grandma is serving dinner. Father and Shouji are back from the field, and the young kids are sitting around the fireplace. Grandma says that it is getting dark and Oshin is not back; she must have gone to see Fuji. Grandma is worried that Oshin has no idea how far Ginzan is. It is cold on the way, and she might freeze to death. Grandma says that Oshin is so naive, there is no money with her either. Father says that he checked the rice sack, she has taken some rice with her. With that amount of rice, she should be able to make it somehow. Father is against Oshin going to see Fuji.
Meanwhile, Oshin kept on walking towards Ginzan, and it started to get dark. On her way, she sees a house and knocks at the door. She shouts if anyone at home. A woman’s voice answers, yes, coming. As the woman opens the door, Oshin tells her that she is on her way to Ginzan, but it has gotten dark. Could she stay the night? The woman is surprised and asks Oshin if she is all alone? Oshin tells her that she is famished, but she has brought rice with her. She opens her cloth bag and gives the rice bundle to the woman. The woman lets her in.
The following day, Oshin continues walking through lanes and by-lanes, asking for directions, eating the rice balls and some fruits on the way. It is getting dark again, but she enters Ginzan city and finally reaches a building, which looks like an inn. Voices of laughter can be heard coming from inside. Oshin shouts if anyone home? A woman answers, comes out and shuts the door behind; she is surprised to find a child. Oshin asks her if OFuji works here? (In Japanese conversation, when speaking formally, ‘O’ is added to a woman’s name. Hence Oshin is asking for OFuji, adding O to her mom’s name). Oshin tells the woman that Fuji is her mother. The woman confirms that Fuji works there. Oshin is very happy, and she tells the woman that she has come to see her mom. She tells the woman her name and asks her to call Fuji. The woman urges Oshin to enter via the backside of the building.
The place seems strange to Oshin. As she is about to go towards the rear side of the building, she sees a man walking in an unstable way and a woman trying to balance him. A girl comes and helps Oshin go inside. The woman who answers the door, she seems to be the inn owner, enters a hall. We can see that this place is like a bar where men are being served alcoholic drinks and being entertained by women. Fuji is also sitting there, wearing fine clothes with a man. The woman asks Fuji to come out. Fuji tells her that she is busy.
Fuji, in a dramatic way, tells the man that she could not leave him. The man is happy with Fuji, and he puts his arms around Fuji’s shoulder.
Fuji thanks him for bringing a nice comb for her. The man offers Fuji a drink and says that he will buy a kimono next. Fuji wants an expensive one, she tells the man in an artificial affectionate way. The owner woman once again taps Fuji’s feet and pesters her to come out. Fuji then excuses herself from the man, saying it is bad timing!
She comes out sipping the drink from a saucer and asks the woman why is she disturbing her? The owner woman questions Fuji if she knew any girl with the name Oshin? Fuji says that yes, she has a daughter with that name. Hearing this, the woman then exclaims, ‘then she is yours!’ Fuji tells her not to talk to her about her family when she is at work. The woman then tells her that Oshin is here. Fuji can’t believe it; she says it is impossible and asks the woman not to make fun. Fuji also asks her not to scare with such odd news.
The owner then asks Fuji to calm down; she is surprised to see the child and asks Fuji to go to the backyard and look at her! She says that the child has walked all the way and has come to see her. Oshin is looking so tired, and the owner says that she feels sorry for the kid. She asks Fuji to see her at least; if it is someone else, that’s fine.
Fuji comes to her senses; she jumps to the door, comes running down the steps, and looks at Oshin. She is shocked. Oshin is also shocked to see her mother in such beautiful clothes and make-up on her face. Oshin says to her mom that she is looking so pretty that she could almost not recognize her mom.
Fuji adjusts her dress to cover appropriately and comes close to Oshin. She asks Oshin if she came all alone. When Oshin replies yes, Fuji slaps her out of grave concern. She is worried and tells Oshin, what if something had happened to her on the way? Oshin bows her head down and says that she wanted to see Fuji. She continues that she made it here all by herself. Mom lovingly tells her with tears in her eyes that Oshin is such a fool. She shouldn’t have come there. Mom hugs Oshin tightly, and Oshin says that mom is smelling so good. Oshin is thrilled to see her mom.
Fuji looks at herself in a mirror, full of guilt. She removes her make-up and cries silently. The owner woman is kind. She enters the room and tells Fuji that she arranged to put Fuji and Oshin together for sleeping in the night. Fuji thanks her. She understands, and she tells Fuji that she too had to leave her own child to come to this place. She asks Fuji to be good to Oshin. Fuji asks her if she could take the night off from work. The owner readily agrees and asks Fuji to have dinner with Oshin and take a rest.
Fuji washes her make-up entirely and changes into a regular dress. She brings dinner in two trays. The owner has arranged for Oshin and her mom in a storeroom. Looking at the sumptuous food, Oshin remarks, ‘What a feast!’ She wishes her grandma could have some of these dishes. Fuji asks Oshin to eat her portions also. Oshin says that she is so glad that she came here to meet her mom. Fuji is still wondering how come Oshin managed to come all the way by herself. Oshin replies that she packed some rice from home, which she gave to a woman on her way the previous night. The woman let her stay at her place. The woman made her big rice balls to carry with her! People were friendly, they gave her directions, and she reached this place. Fuji is worried, and she asks Oshin if she told her father or grandma that she was going to Ginzan. Oshin bows her head down and tells her that they both forbade her to meet Fuji.
Oshin then gives the news to mom that she will be going to work in Sakata for two years, so she thought she won’t be able to see her mom. This is the reason she decided to come. Fuji is alarmed to get this news; she asks why they are sending Oshin to work again. Oshin happily replies that the owners are going to pay five barrels of rice against her work. Mother is sad that poverty has taught her child how vital the rice is for their family, that she is ready to slog again.
Oshin then asks her mom that she looks so pretty; what kind of work did she do that she has to dress up? Fuji thinks for a while and then replies that when Oshin grows up, she will understand, but she is not doing anything that she, her dad or grandma, has to be ashamed of.
Fuji wants Oshin to just remember that Oshin will never have to be ashamed of her mother. Oshin is puzzled.
PRESENT TIME
Oshin is talking to her grandson Kei about her experience of visiting a bar where her mother serves the clients to entertain. She tells Kei that she had no clue at that time, but she did later figure out why her father and grandma prohibited her from going and visiting her mother. Oshin didn’t know why her mother had to go out for work and why not her father! But Oshin still believes in what her mother told her not to be ashamed of her work. Oshin wants to remember her words forever, she tells Kei. Kei asks her if her mom gifted the Kokeshi doll which she kept all her life? Oshin replies that her mom was so worried about her going to work again, thinking of her pains during her first job at the lumber mill. Oshin tells Kei that she didn’t care for herself; she was happy to get five sacks of rice for her family! Oshin’s eyes start to get moist, thinking of her time with her mother at that inn.
FLASHBACK RETURNS
Oshin is in a deep sleep, but her mom, lying next to her, is fully awake. She is looking at Oshin with love, sadness, regrets, pride; the emotions are there, all at the same time! She didn’t want Oshin to have to work; she wanted Oshin to go to school instead.
She strokes her fingers affectionately on Oshin’s forehead.
Oshin has to leave for Sakata the next day; how will she reach?
Episode 25 will be coming soon, with more surprises waiting for Oshin at Sakata, her new workplace.