Bheela’s Blog -029
05 June 2021
Before I start writing today’s below, here is a link to an article on Oshin published recently on BBC, our Oshin is famous even now:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57005333
Episode 28 Recap
Kuni, the senior madam, starts liking Oshin. She praises her in front of Kayo, her granddaughter. Kayo starts changing her behavior.
Oshin takes a book from Kayo’s room. Kayo and her parents complain to Kuni that Oshin stole the book. Kayo’s dad wants to send Oshin back home.
Please click the link to read the full episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-028-fd7aa282212e
Episode 29
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin was about to be sent away from Kaga-ya. She has taken a book to read from Kayo’s room. She is worried no end. Standing in a corner near the well, she thinks of her future and nearly goes blank.
Okiku had to shout to draw her attention. She tells Oshin that senior madam is calling her; she wants to meet Oshin. Oshin turns around and starts walking towards the living room. Okiku is waiting for her. Oshin asks Okiku if she will be sent home.
Kayo’s dad asks his mother to announce her final decision and inform Oshin. He is busy, and he wants to go. He tells his mother that he wants well-mannered girls like Okiku and Oume as house helps. He continues that Oshin’s family sent her to their place just for the rice. Mino is still upset; she says that no one knows for sure what Oshin will do next.
Oshin knocks at the door and says, ‘it’s me, Oshin.’ Kuni asks her to come in. She enters and sits in front of Kuni as Okiku closes the door and stays outside. Mino starts the conversation and urges Oshin why did she do such a thing. She continues that she already asked Oshin to consider her as her mother and ask her if she wanted something. Why didn’t Oshin tell Mino if she wished to have a book?
Oshin says she is sorry, her head still bowed down.
Kuni asks Oshin if she really intended to steal Kayo’s book. Oshin shakes her head sideways in negative and replies that she just wanted to borrow and read. She says that she thought that nobody would know if she returned it right away. Kuni questions her why didn’t she ask someone. Oshin says that if she asked Kayo, Kayo would know that Oshin entered Kayo’s room. That is the actual reason that she did not take permission. She once again bows her head after speaking the truth.
Kayo comes forward close to Oshin and shouts at Oshin to intimidate her, saying, that’s what thieves do!
Kuni asks Kayo to keep quiet. Oshin once again says sorry and accepts that it was her fault. She was not stealing the book; she just wanted to borrow it to read. By this time, Oshin is scared, her throat is dry, and she bows down again after speaking up.
Kuni asks Oshin why did she want the book if she cannot read it! Kayo interrupts and says that her father got the book as a gift from Tokyo. She has the book in her hand, and she shows everyone. She points the book towards Oshin and says that it’s costly, so Oshin wanted it. Kuni once again snubs Kayo and asks her to keep quiet. Kayo sulks and backs a bit.
Oshin, still her head down, says that she can read. She can prove by reading right there. Kuni asks Kayo to hand over the book to Oshin. Kayo complies. Kuni smiles and challenges Oshin to read. Oshin opens the book and starts reading confidently; she reads, ‘One day, a group of boys was being mean to a turtle up on the beach. Taro paid the boys for the turtle and set it free into the sea!’
Kayo’s eyes go wide; she cannot believe that Oshin can read so fluently. Kuni is amazed, and she asks Oshin to stop reading. Kuni declares that Oshin is telling the truth. Kayo gets upset and tries to stop her grandma. Kuni speaks from wisdom that if Oshin took the book without knowing how to read it, it could have been considered stealing. But she can read so well. Kuni is convinced that Oshin just wanted to borrow and read.
Kuni gives valuable advice to Oshin. She says that Oshin shouldn’t do things that will make people suspect her of stealing! She continues that most employers are suspicious of their workers. So, Oshin must be more careful. Kuni asks Oshin if she understood. Oshin’s face lights up, she says ‘yes’ clearly. Kuni further asks her if Oshin likes books. Oshin is taken aback and happily nods in the affirmative. Kuni asks Kayo to let Oshin borrow some of her books; she once again snubs Kayo that she can’t read them well anyway!
Mino gets sad hearing this; she tries to reason with her mother-in-law, saying that it is not fair to Kayo. Kuni does not melt; she says that if Kayo doesn’t like to hear this, she should learn to read fluently like Oshin! Kuni further says that Kayo suspected Oshin of stealing because Kuni is always saying good things about Oshin. She reminds Kayo that she will never take over their family business if she continues to be mean. Kayo feels challenged by the words her grandma spoke. She gets up and goes inside. Mino goes after her.
Kuni laughs mildly and says that Kayo needed that! She turns to Oshin and asks her if she did not go to school, who taught her to read. Kuni is sure that Oshin must have struggled to be able to learn. Oshin is quiet and in a profound dilemma. She bows her head down. Somehow, she knows that the mention of Shunsaku, her dead brother, known to society as a deserter, will not be appreciated by anyone.
Kayo is in her room. She picks up a book and starts reading, ‘The cherry blossoms are blooming beautifully.’ Mino tries to pacify Kayo and says that grandma didn’t have to say those harsh words to Kayo, especially in front of Oshin. Mino tells Kayo that she will ask Kayo’s dad to talk to grandma. Kayo is not interested in the sweet talk. She asks her mother to leave her alone. She wants to study and wants to be better than Oshin! She tells her mom that she will not let Oshin have any of her books! Not until she finishes reading all of them. (A grandma’s bitter pill seems to be working!)
It is the end of the day. Oshin is in the kitchen after cleaning up the well. Oume is happy and thanks Oshin for helping her. Oshin tells Oume that she has also poured water over the coals. Both Okiku and Oume are mending some clothes. Okiku comments that Oshin is a better worker than them. They are both thankful that Oshin is not sent home. Oume says that if Oshin had been sent home, she would have to work much more and harder.
They both seem to be happy with Kuni’s decision to let Oshin continue. Oume is very surprised to learn that Oshin can read so well. She asks the same question, who taught Oshin? Oshin avoids the question tactfully and offers to help in mending the clothes. Okiku asks her to go to bed. Oshin tells them that she feels terrible about going to bed when both of them are still working. Oume lovingly chides Oshin. Oshin tells them that she wants to be a full-fledged maid like Okiku and Oume. She wants to learn sewing too, the way they are doing. She again asks them to teach her. Oume is amazed at the drive Oshin has, and she concludes that this drive must have led to Oshin learning to read without even going to school.
Okiku is somewhat worried. She says that Kayo is jealous of Oshin because the senior madam praises Oshin too much. Oume is happy that Kayo can go to school by herself and has begun to study seriously. Okiku understands that madam Kuni is pitting Oshin against Kayo. They agree that senior madam is very wise in this strategy.
Kayo continues to read with enthusiasm; her reading has improved. She reads, ‘This is a rapeseed blossom, a yellow butterfly is perched on the top of rapeseed blossom.
Two children are playing and singing.’ She is studying hard.
Mino is talking to Kuni. Mino says that she is sorry; Kayo refused to let Oshin read her books. Kuni observes that Kayo is so stubborn and can’t even read properly. Mino informs Kuni that Kayo now has changed, and she reads all day. Mino accuses Kuni that this is just because Kuni shamed Kayo in front of an employee. Kuni is happy to hear this; she tells Mino that this is a good development. Kayo has been an only child up to now. She needed someone to compete against. Mino is apprehensive; she thinks it is not proper to compete against a maidservant since Kayo is in line to take over the family business. Kuni advises Mino to stay out of this and let Kayo handle it on her own. She dismisses Mino by saying that she is busy and does not want to hear any more nonsense. Mino gives up and starts thinking.
Okiku is cutting a fish with a sharp knife. Oshin tells her that she hasn’t touched a fish ever before. She is curious and asks Okiku if this is the way to remove bones and prepare fish-fillet. Okiku explains that she is preparing sashimi raw fish. She takes the skin off first. She shares with Oshin that the owner’s family is fond of fish.
(Sashimi is often the first course in a formal Japanese meal, but it can also be the main course, presented with rice and miso soup in separate bowls. Japanese chefs consider sashimi the most delicate dish in Japanese dining and recommend eating before other intense flavors affect the palate. To know more on sashimi preparation, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi )
Oshin wants to be able to cut the fish the way Okiku is doing expertly. Oume enters with a bunch of green vegetables and tells Oshin that not so soon. When she came first, she was Kayo’s babysitter for the first three years. She was 13 or 14 before she was allowed to enter any of the rooms for cleaning. Okiku makes the meals for the family, and Oume does for the workers. Oume tells Oshin that authentic cooking is tough! Oshin starts thinking that she is on contract for two years. Does that mean she will be a babysitter all along? Oume enthusiastically tells Oshin that if madam likes her, maybe she will stay on. Okiku once again reminds Oshin that her task is babysitting for now.
As they are conversing among themselves, Mino enters. She is upset and tells Oshin that babysitting is her task for now. She should not be in the kitchen. Okiku immediately apologizes to Mino taking the blame on herself, and asks Oshin to go outside. Mino asks Oshin to give the baby to her. Oume helps to untie the baby from Oshin’s back. Mino takes the baby and asks Oshin to take a break.
As soon as Mino leaves the kitchen, Oshin says sorry to Okiku for standing around. Okiku tells Oshin that the owners do not want any contamination in the food and do not let the children be in the kitchen. Oume says that Mino is in a bad mood today! She is sure that there is some trouble in their house among themselves. Oshin gets worried that she will never get to stay at Kaga-ya if she keeps making Mino upset.
Everyone seems to be very busy in the store area. Kuni is busy doing calculations and discussing with the supervisor. Her son enters the room. It seems he returned from somewhere; the supervisor welcomes him back. The son comes close to Kuni and says that he needs to speak to her in private. She is somewhat irritated and tells the supervisor that she guesses that there is no good news.
Kuni enters a side room where her son and Mino are both sitting. Kuni says that she doesn’t want to hear anything about her son’s business failures. He gets upsets but controls himself and starts in an agitated voice. He says that he just talked to someone from Oshin’s village. He was shocked to learn about Oshin’s reputation back in her town. She ran away from her first job, and she lived with an army deserter for six months.
The deserter was shot dead in front of Oshin. Oshin was arrested too!
Mino is shocked; she exclaims, ‘how terrible!’ Mino’s husband is shocked too and says that Oshin kept all this information from them before joining. He continues that he suspected from the beginning that Oshin wasn’t any ordinary girl.
Kuni listens to all of these with a calm face. She comments, ‘so what?’. Kuni’s son and Mino are both surprised at their mother’s neutral reaction. Kuni coolly says that it is silly to talk about something out of the past. Mino wants to interrupt. Kuni advises them to stop talking about the babysitter and get to work!
It is morning hours; Oshin is lighting up fire to the kitchen burner. She puts wooden sticks in the furnace one by one. As the fire lights up slowly, she takes her harmonica out from her dress pocket. She plays the favourite tune her brother Shunsaku played. Suddenly she hears footsteps and stops. Kayo enters the kitchen and asks Oshin about the instrument. Oshin tells her that it is called harmonica. Kayo appears friendly and says that it has a beautiful sound. Oshin agrees. Kayo asks Oshin if she bought this one, to which Oshin replies that it was a gift. Kayo is curious; she wants to know who gave Oshin such an expensive gift. Oshin avoids replying. Kayo wants to buy this for herself and asks Oshin where do they sell this instrument. Oshin doesn’t know, she tells Kayo.
Kayo wants to play, so she asks Oshin to let her blow it. Oshin hands the harmonica to Kayo, and Kayo tries a tune. Kayo asks Oshin to let her keep it; she will ensure that her mother pays for it. Oshin immediately refuses, saying that the harmonica is a precious gift to her. She asks Kayo to return. Kayo holds the harmonica tightly, repeats that she will get her money for it, and she starts walking away. Oshin goes after her, disagreeing and shouting that she wants the harmonica back. Oshin grabs Kayo and tries to snatch the instrument. Kayo frees herself and throws the harmonica on the ground with force with an intent to break it and asks Oshin to take it back! Oshin looks at the harmonica on the floor, flares up, and pushes Kayo asking how dare she broke it. Kayo slips to the ground, gets up, and gives Oshin a push. There is some scuffle between the two of them. Kayo falls again; this time, she gets up and stamps the harmonica with her feet to ensure that it breaks completely.
Oshin is stunned, and she shouts, ‘don’t do it!’
As Kayo is stamping upon the harmonica, her foot slips, and she falls.
The fall is severe, and Kayo is unconscious. Oshin is very scared to see her condition; she shouts her name, shaking her, and calls for help. Okiku and Oume come out running. Okiku pushes Oshin aside and lifts Kayo with Oume’s help.
Oshin turns around and looks closely at her harmonica. It is shattered and broken to pieces.
Another grave event in close succession has occurred with Oshin. She fought with the future owner of the Kaga-ya business, which resulted in Kayo’s injury.
Where will this lead to? It appears that this time no one can save her from losing her job.
We will find it in Episode 30, coming soon.