Bheela’s Blog -032
26 June 2021
Episode 31 Recap
In the present time, the Tanakura family seems to have run into some problems. Hitoshi, the president of the company, Oshin’s second son, asks Nozomi to find their mother’s whereabouts, as he wants his mother to return. Oshin with Kei is in a hotel visiting Sakata. Oshin continues to think of her past.
Oshin is very happy to retain her job with Kaga-ya. Kayo’s friendly way gives Oshin new hope.
Please click the link to read the full episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-031-c3896cab66fe
Episode 32
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Kayo was hurt in a fight with Oshin and Oshin had resigned herself to be sent away. But she was forgiven and was allowed to stay. When Oshin learned that it was Kayo who had asked that she be kept on, it made her very happy.
Oshin while attending to baby Sayo tied to her back, also helps Oume in odd jobs. She fills water from the well to a wooden pale as Oume is washing clothes. Oshin is full of gratitude that her job is intact. She tells Oume that she likes the senior madame and she will do anything for her and Miss Kayo. Oshin regrets that she is just a babysitter, she can’t do much for them. She wants to be a full-fledged maid! Oume advises her to do a good job as a babysitter, which should be sufficient.
Oshin is worried and asks Oume if she will get to stay on after her two-year term is up. She plans to work hard. She is full of hope.
Miss Kayo returns home from her school and the maids, as well as Oshin, welcome her home. Miss Kayo comes close to Oshin and asks her to come to her room once she finishes her chore. Oshin is a bit puzzled but after a while, she goes to Kayo’s room carrying baby Sayo at her back. Kayo lets her in, opening the sliding door of the room.
(Japanese, as a rule, conserve space as much as they can. Although Kaga-ya’s home is spacious, all their doors are sliding type. They utilize corners and walls of their home keeping floor space vacant.)
Oshin closes the door behind her and enters the room. Kayo then offers her a sweet. She tells Oshin that it is tasty and she should try it. Oshin is a bit confused, so she refuses initially. Kayo eats her piece; looking at her, Oshin eats too. Kayo is excited and she asks Oshin if the taste is good. Oshin nods in affirmation and says, yes, it is, indeed! She likes the sweet and also Kayo’s gesture. Kayo tells Oshin that she learned new Kanji (Japanese script) words at school. She takes out a slate and draws the symbols using chalk. She writes some text and asks Oshin to read. Oshin says that she never learned Kanji script, so she cannot read. Kayo enthusiastically tells Oshin that these are river, tree, and mountain symbols. The symbols look actually like these; the first one looks like a flowing river, Oshin exclaims! Similarly, the character for the tree looks like a real tree; so is the character for the mountain, Oshin is amazed to see these characters. Kayo asks Oshin to try to write them; she gives Oshin her chalk. Oshin copies the text quickly. Kayo appreciates Oshin’s quick learning.
Kayo is inquisitive now; she has questions about Oshin’s life. As Oshin says that school must be nice as they teach so much, Kayo asks Oshin why Oshin doesn’t go to school, she is the same age as Kayo. She too should be in school. Oshin is quiet with her head bowed down. Kayo continues that her grandma told her that she will be punished by law if she didn’t go to school.
Oshin in her wisdom replies that she is a babysitter. Kayo asks her why a babysitter can’t go to school!
‘I can’t babysit if I’m in school! Oshin replies.
‘Why do you want to babysit?’ Kayo asks.
‘If I don’t work, my family will suffer; my grandma; my father; my younger siblings will go hungry.’
‘Why is that?’ Kayo cannot understand so she continues to question.
‘We don’t have enough to eat at home, I got five bales of rice to come to work here.’ Oshin tries her best to explain. Oshin is proud to earn those five sacks of rice always, so she further tells Kayo that she was paid to babysit hence she cannot go to school.
Kayo is surprised to find that Oshin’s family has no rice to eat. She wants to know if Oshin’s family has a farm then why there is no rice at their home! Oshin then tells her about them being sharecropper’s family, who have to pay the rice they grow to the landlord.
Oshin is unable to explain further, so she tells Kayo that their family is poor so it can’t be helped. Kayo wants to know why they are poor! She has no clue of life outside of her own world and this conversation has opened up a Pandora's box of her thoughts and questions.
Mino enters the room and she looks at Oshin disapprovingly. She asks Oshin what was she doing in Kayo’s room. Mino is still suspicious. Kayo replies to her mother enthusiastically that she was teaching Oshin some Kanji script. Oshin knows Hiragana (another Japanese script), but not Kanji. Mino is upset. She tells sternly to Oshin that she is a babysitter so she should stay out of Kayo’s room! Kayo gets angry; she shouts and tells her mom that she let Oshin in her room. Mino asks Oshin to go to the Kitchen. Kayo tries to stop but Oshin slips out quickly.
After Oshin leaves, Mino closes the door and explains to Kayo that she is the heiress to Kaga-ya business. Her life is different from Oshin. She has to maintain a proper distance from Oshin. Mino further clarifies that they let her stay with Kaga-ya because Kayo asked them. Kayo should not be friendly with Oshin.
Kayo lets her anger out; she cannot comprehend and asks why is that? Mino remains calm. She replies that Kayo has nothing to gain from befriending Oshin. Kayo might pick up bad habits from Oshin. Now Mino gets angry and tells Kayo if she understood clearly. Kayo clinches her teeth and stays in the room.
***
Oshin is lighting fire to the kitchen burner. As the flames grow, she takes her harmonica out of her dress pocket. She has repaired the broken harmonica and she plays the tune which her brother Shunsaku taught her. Kayo enters the kitchen. Oshin looks at her, stops playing, and offers the harmonica to Kayo, and asks her to play. Kayo refuses, shaking her head sideways, instead, gives books to Oshin. She tells Oshin that she can read these books in her spare time. Kayo quickly goes out of the kitchen before anyone sees her. Oshin is speechless.
***
Kayo comes to Kuni and asks her grandma why Oshin is so different from her! Kuni, with a smile, replies that there is no difference between the two of them; they both are cute little girls! Kayo then asks grandma why can’t Oshin come into my room. Kayo continues that they are both the same age, yet, she can’t go to school. Kuni has seen the world; she is wise; she replies to Kayo that not all the girls in the world are like Kayo. Many children have to help out their families by going to work. But, she explains, it’s not Oshin’s fault that her family is poor.
Kuni gives a very important lesson to Kayo. She tells her never to discriminate against workers or the poor. Kayo is happy to hear this; she says that her mother is wrong to stop her meeting Oshin. She asks grandma if she can be friendly with Oshin.
Grandma understands Mino’s confusion. She tactfully replies to Kayo that Mino is worried about Kayo because Mino loves her too much. She assures Kayo that her grandma is not so worried about Kayo anymore! Grandma observes and she shares with Kayo that since Kayo met Oshin, Kayo has begun to think about many different things. Just the fact that she is concerned about Oshin’s not going to school, itself shows that Kayo is getting smarter! To feel sorry for Oshin shows that Oshin has given you something to think. Kayo tells her grandma to let Oshin go to school. Grandma instantly replies that she can’t do that. Oshin has a job babysitting. Kaga-ya is paying her for that; it is hence a contract that has to be fulfilled. Kuni tells Kayo not to worry; Oshin will be as good as Kayo even if she doesn’t go to school. Grandma has some ideas to help Oshin. Kayo is delighted to have spoken to Grandma to her full satisfaction.
***
Oshin is up early as usual. She lights the kitchen burner and starts reading the books Kayo gave her. Kuni enters the kitchen and Oshin quickly hides the books behind her as she bows down to Kuni. Kuni asks Oshin if she still wakes up early every morning making rice? Oshin replies that she enjoys getting up early. Kuni asks Oshin what does she do after her babysitting work is done for the day. Oshin replies that she cleans up after dinner, and scrubs the bathtub; Oume teaches her sewing. Kuni says that a babysitter doesn’t have to do all that. Oshin says she cannot sit idle as she works at this place. Kuni tells Oshin to come to her room later.
***
Oshin is cleaning the glass of the oil lamp. Oume remarks that this is the last time they are cleaning the lamps; by the onset of the new year, they will have electric lights in the Kaga-ya house which do not need any cleaning.
‘What are electric lights?’ Oshin asks. Okiku replies that Oshin will see them herself. Oshin is worried if she will get to see the electrical light! Okiku looks at Oshin and Oume inquiring the reason. Oshin tells Oume and Okiku that young madam is upset that Oshin went to Kayo’s room. Also, the senior madam has asked Oshin to see her. Oshin is now puzzled what will be the outcome of all these events? She tells the maids that she made too many mistakes, so she might have to leave this house. She is worried again.
Kayo returns from school. All of them welcome her; Okiku asks her why she came home early. Kayo replies that it is Saturday, so they have a half-day at school. Oume comments that they get busy and never know the day of the week. Kayo asks Okiku for her mom; Okiku informs that Mino has a meeting but she will be home shortly. Kayo goes close to Oshin and asks her to come to her room; she tells Oshin not to worry as her mom is out. Oshin hesitates and she tells Kayo that she doesn’t want to be scolded again. Kayo tells her that Oshin need not worry as she isn’t committing any mistake. Okiku tells Kayo that they don’t want young madame to get upset and send Oshin away. Kayo is sad because she wanted to play with Oshin and have fun together.
***
Oshin meets up with Kuni in her room. She tries to explain her conduct saying that she is from a mountain village so she does not know about life in a wealthy family. She apologized bowing down if she made any mistakes. Kuni laughs and tells her not to be silly. Kuni didn’t ask Oshin to meet to scold her.
She asks Oshin to sit in front of a writing desk. Kuni says that she knows that Oshin can read well; but can she write well also? Kuni has kept some papers on the desks and she asks Oshin to write. She tells Oshin that one must be able to both read and write! Kuni has decided to teach Oshin every night from then on. This way, Oshin will be able to learn without going to school. Oshin looks at Kuni totally confused and puzzled. Kuni tells Oshin that she herself never went to any school; she learned at a temple. Kanji characters and numbers are important, Kuni continues that she will teach Oshin things that will be useful in life. Oshin gains some confidence and smiles. Kuni tells Oshin that she will help her to become ‘somebody’ later on in life. Kuni has seen huge potential in Oshin and she wants to help her.
Kuni asks Oshin to learn to prepare the ink as a first step.
Oshin is dumbfounded; she is speechless and unable to move. Kuni stirs her and asks if she wants to learn or not! Oshin immediately collects herself and takes the ink bar and tries to prepare the ink with force. Kuni tells her that this is incorrect. She asks Oshin to sit up straight; Oshin complies. Kuni says that learning starts from making ink properly! As Oshin straightens her back and with uniform strokes of the ink bar starts making the ink, Kuni appreciates her saying, ‘Good job!’
(Traditional Ink preparation — YouTube has a beautiful video explaining the preparation of ink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fweYYmWK2g)
Kayo is playing a game of snake and ladder with her dad. Mino serves tea to her husband and wonders why her mother-in-law has called Oshin and what is she talking about with her! Kayo hearing this gets thrilled, ‘Oshin is with grandma? I will go there too!’ Mino stops her saying that it is bedtime for Kayo; she should sleep or else she gets late in the morning. Mino is curious; she makes a cup of tea for Kuni and tells her husband that she will go and find out what is going on. As she starts, Kayo follows her too.
Kuni teaches Oshin to hold the brush correctly and asks her to write the syllabary (the base characters and symbols. For more, please read https://www.japanistry.com/hiragana-katakana/). She reminds Oshin to keep her back straight.
Kayo knocks and enters the room with her mom. Mino and Kayo are shocked to see Kuni teaching Oshin. Oshin freezes looking at Mino. Kuni quickly tells Mino that she won’t hear any complain since Oshin has finished up all her chores. Mino is uncomfortable and she questions this extra favor. Kayo gets happily excited and says that she too wants to learn with Oshin from grandma! Kuni replies that Kayo is not interested in studies! Kayo says Oshin is studying and she will enjoy learning with her. Kuni then smiles and asks Kayo to bring her own ink and brush. Kayo rushes to get the stationery from her room. Mino is alarmed to see Kayo’s enthusiasm. Mino looks sternly at Oshin and Oshin looks down.
Kuni asks Oshin to get to work. Kuni tells her that she can’t go to bed until she writes out every letter.
Mino leaves the room closing the door behind her; Oshin focuses on writing.
What will all these lead to? Mino is clearly upset; will she create a situation to remove Oshin from her place?
We will know in Episode 33, coming soon.