Bheela’s Blog -036
24 July 2021
Episode 35 Recap
Kayo’s grandma makes her eat daikon gruel and gives her a lesson of a hard life. Kayo withdraws her tantrum of asking for western clothes.
Girls’ day is celebrated at Kaga-ya. Oshin shares pleasant memories of her life with Kei, her grandson.
Oriki, the employment agent, visits Kaga-ya and informs Kuni about grandma’s ill health. Kuni arranges Oshin’s visit to the village. Oshin doesn’t know why she is being sent, and she gets worried.
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Episode 36
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Kuni had suddenly told Oshin to visit home. Oshin is quite confused, but she starts packing her clothes for this visit. She is happy for this trip to meet her mother, grandma, and siblings, but she was still unsure why she was being sent home!
Mino enters the room with some of Kayo’s old clothes; she asks Oshin to pack these. Mino wants Oshin to look nice when she visits her family and she does not wish Oshin’s family to think of Kaga-ya badly. Mino is surprised that Oshin is packing all her clothes, so she asks Oshin why is she packing everything? Oshin replies that she thought that the Kaga-ya family doesn’t want her to return. ‘This visit is your reward for working so hard,’ Mino tells her in a comforting way. She also says that as Oriki, the agent is around, senior madam feels safe to send Oshin with Oriki. Mino continues that Oshin should take what is needed for a short trip; Oshin will soon return after meeting with her mother, grandma, and other family members. She can work harder after this break!
Oshin is still confused, so she asks Mino if she will really come back to Kaga-ya? ‘Absolutely,’ Mino smiles, looking at Oshin’s innocence.
***
Oshin’s grandma is sick; she is lying on the floor with her eyes closed. Fuji, Oshin’s mom, brings a bowl and asks grandma to take her medicine. Fuji blows air from her mouth for the hot syrup to cool down. ‘Never mind,’ grandma says in a feeble voice. She says that she knows what is best for her; medicine is expensive, and it is just a waste; she is still worried about the expenses. Fuji doesn’t give up; she cheers up grandma considering her to be a child and tells her that the weather is getting warmer and she will get better soon.
(It is heartening to see the love and care the two women share between them; they have witnessed the most challenging days of their lives together)
As grandma cries out of pain in her chest, Fuji rubs her hands and neck to give her some relief. Grandma says that she will be relieved of all pain soon. Fuji stops her talking about death. Grandma tells her that she had a dream about Oshin; her employers were mean to her, and Oshin called out, grandma! grandma!! Grandma says that she couldn’t reach to help Oshin in her dream.
Fuji tells grandma that the dream is wrong; the employers are very good to Oshin. In her illness, too, grandma is alert; she asks if Fuji didn’t see her, how does she know if they are treating Oshin well! Fuji replies that Oriki keeps an eye on Oshin from time to time when she visits Sakata. Grandma doesn’t want to believe Oriki’s words.
(In Japan, also in India, the older generation does not believe agents; they are known for cheating innocent villagers in the name of finding employment for better lives in cities)
Grandma says that she misses Oshin. Oshin is always so good to her, she says. Grandma feels that Oshin is intelligent and meant to be sent to school. She keeps regretting that they sent Oshin for hardship at such young age. Grandma wanted to help out in the household. She couldn’t, and she always feels responsible for the poverty the family faces.
Fuji now scolds her not to talk too much as she would tire herself. Fuji knows very well that elderly people need to be treated like children at times! Grandma can’t stop; she has to tell the secret she kept from Fuji; she says that when Oshin went to work for the first time at the lumber mill, grandma gave a 50-cents coin to take with her.
That was all grandma had! That was the only thing she ever did for Oshin. Grandma starts crying and says, ‘And that coin caused her to be accused of stealing!’ Fuji is surprised to know that the 50-cent coin was given to Oshin by grandma! Grandma continues saying that she caused Oshin grief. Fuji starts consoling grandma, saying that she took good care of Oshin while Fuji was always at work; Oshin loves her grandma more than anybody!
Grandma now cannot bear it anymore, and she says, ‘I want to see Oshin! I want to see her before I die!’
‘Two years will pass quickly, and she will be back! If you get well, you will see her,’ Fuji says with full of hope. Grandma now agrees to take medicine.
***
Fuji is washing clothes in the stream; in northern Japan, the snow hasn’t yet fully melted. Sakuzo, her husband, returns from work. He asks Fuji for grandma’s health. Fuji replies to him grimly that grandma needs to use a diaper; her condition is deteriorating by the hour. Fuji shares with her husband that grandma is missing Oshin. There is no way they can send grandma to Sakata to Oshin and fulfill her last wish. Sakuzo asks her to make something good for her to eat. Fuji replies that it is too late now. Grandma can hardly eat anything. Fuji regrets that she should have returned home earlier to take better care of her mother-in-law.
‘Mama! Mama!!’ Oshin shouts as she reaches home. Fuji turns her head and looks at Oshin in disbelief. As usual, father yells at her, asking if they send her back again and what has she done this time? Oriki arrives and pants; she says, Oshin runs too fast!! Oriki asks Oshin to quickly go inside and see her grandma. Oriki then explains to Oshin’s parents that the senior madam has given time off to Oshin to meet her family!
Oshin runs, calling her grandma; seeing the grandma lying down, she sits next to her and shakes her, saying, ‘Grandma, I am Oshin, wake up!’ Fuji unties the bag from Oshin’s back and sits close to grandma. Oshin asks her mother about grandma’s condition. Fuji replies that since Oshin and herself were both away, Grandma did all the household work, and she fell ill as Fuji returned home. Fuji feels bad as grandma overworked herself. As Oshin shakes her grandma, Fuji tells Oshin that medicine does not have any effect on her. Fuji is glad that Oshin got to come home to see her grandma. Oshin asks her mother that if senior madam sent her home to see grandma? Fuji tells Oshin that grandma is constantly missing her, so she will be happy to see Oshin when she wakes up.
Oshin runs to open her bag and takes the white rice out; she prepares a watery soup using the rice and puts an egg into the soup. Oshin calls her grandma, telling her that she prepared a tasty rice gruel for her. Sakuzo also sits next to grandma and tells Oshin to let grandma sleep; it might be too late, he says. Oshin asks her dad to call a doctor. Dad replies that she is beyond a doctor’s help. Oshin gets irritated by her father’s hopeless reply. She calls grandma again, shaking her.
Grandma opens her eyes slowly and looks at Oshin; she cannot believe that she sees her favourite grandchild. Oshin tells her that she came home to see her dear grandma. Kaga-ya senior madam gave her time off. Grandma is now delighted to see Oshin, and she says that Oshin is wearing such a beautiful Kimono.
‘Yes, the young madam gave it to me; they are good to me,’ Oshin replies.
‘You look beautiful!’ Grandma happily exclaims.
Oshin takes the bowl of soup and brings it close to grandma’s mouth. Fuji lifts grandma so that she can eat. Oshin says that she has prepared white rice, which senior madam gave for feeding grandma. Oshin further says that we have enough rice; so, grandma should eat her fill.
(Oshin knows that all her life, her grandma ate less or many times skipped her meals so that Oshin and other kids could fill their hunger)
Grandma is too weak; she is barely able to speak. She is happy that Oshin made the soup for her. Oshin tells her that she added an egg to make it tasty. Oshin then feeds her grandma a spoon full of the soup. Grandma swallows with great difficulty, but she is delighted and says that it is delicious! Oshin tells her to eat more so that she gets better and has energy. Grandma interrupts and tells Oshin, ‘I couldn’t do anything for you, yet you always treated me well.’ She says thanks to Oshin. Oshin is quick to reply and tells her that she was never lonely because of grandma, even when her mother was away. Oshin continues that she could bear all the hardships because of her grandma.
Grandma tells Oshin, ‘You are such a sweet girl! Be good to others as you were to me. Then they will be good to you in return! I am so glad that you came home. I have no more regrets!’ she took a lot of effort to say these words of wisdom to Oshin.
Oshin tells her grandma to get well first.
‘The soup is so tasty, my dear Oshin!’ these were the very last words of grandma.
She breathes her last in the lap of Fuji. Oshin and Fuji start crying; Sakuzo joins and looks at his mother. Fuji tells Oshin that grandma has a smile on her face.
Fuji continues and says that Grandma is happy that she could eat the soup made by Oshin.
***
The whole area is covered with snow; a funeral procession is seen from a distance. Grandma, her name was Naka, died that night, ending a long life of poverty and struggle. She married a poor sharecropper and worked all her life. She never had enough to eat. She died without knowing what happiness was. She never thought of herself and lived only for her family.
Fuji and Oshin are walking up the mountain with the other villagers in a line. The person leading this procession carries a white flag indicating death in the family. A priest walks in the front with burning incense sticks and a bell.
Oshin recalls the words spoken by senior madam, ‘that is how a woman lives for her family.’ Oshin wants more out of her life, more than her mother or her grandmother. She did not wish to have comfort in death. Oshin felt both pity and anger at what had happened to her grandmother.
***
Oshin and her family are back from the funeral rites. Fuji has kept a plaque in grandma’s name and lit a candle for her. She and Oshin are sitting in front of the same and praying. Fuji says that grandma will rest in peace as she could see Oshin before she died. She tells Oshin that she will be lonely in grandma’s absence; also, Oshin will have to leave for Sakata with Oriki the next day.
Fuji takes out a packet and gives it to Oshin, and tells her to keep the item as a memento of her grandma. Oshin opens the paper wrapping and finds the same 50-cents coin her grandma gave when she left for her first job! Fuji informs Oshin that people from the lumber mill returned this; Fuji did not know what it was for, so she kept the coin carefully. ‘Grandma told before dying,’ Fuji tells Oshin, ‘She gave you all she had saved in her lifetime; so, you must treasure it as a lucky charm for your grandma’s sake!’
Oshin takes resolve and tells her mom that she will work hard and make a lot of money. She does not want to be like grandma, who had nothing when she died. She will never be a sharecropper!
The following day, Oriki comes to pick up Oshin to leave for Sakata. Fuji asks Oriki to take good care of Oshin. Oriki comforts Fuji and says not to worry about Oshin. ‘Take care of yourself, mom!’ Oshin tells Fuji, and Fuji reminds Oshin to thank everyone at Kaga-ya. Oriki takes Oshin along and leaves towards the river. Fuji goes inside the house with a heavy heart.
Oriki and Oshin are walking through the snow-covered lanes; Oshin asks Oriki to wait for a minute. She runs towards the backyard and looks at the vast mountains full of layers of snow. She suddenly feels that she has changed, no longer a little girl; she feels grown up!
Episode 37 has many surprises as Oshin returns to Sakata.