Bheela’s Blog -061
15 January 2022
Episode 60 Recap
Ms. Taka decides that it is time that Oshin starts on her own. She asks Oshin to charge for her services. Café girls are happy to know this and offer their help to set up Oshin’s independent life.
Someko gives Oshin an address of a restaurant in Ginza with the prospect of more business. Oshin visits that café and meets where a staff throws her out. Ms. Kayo of Sakata works with the cafe and sees Oshin. Oshin is shocked. Ms. Kayo runs away, looking at Oshin, and Oshin follows her.
Please click the link to read the full Episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-060-a8123bacf90
Episode 61
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Ms. Kayo runs as fast as she can. Oshin is behind her, but she tries to catch up with Kayo. They run through the lanes of the Ginza area, much to the amazement of bystanders. Kayo starts coughing and slows down as she ran faster than she could. Oshin is slow, too, as she was injured by falling on the ground.
At last, Kayo stops, coughing heavily; she catches her stomach. Oshin pants standing next to her, trying to take a deep breath. Kayo leans on a railing next to the lane and throws up.
‘We used to race each other as kids.’ Oshin says, laughing, and reminds Kayo of their past as children!
‘And you always won!’ says Kayo, somehow trying to stand, taking support of the railing, and continues, ‘I should have known that you would catch me.’ She, too, starts laughing.
‘You can’t run with shoes like that!’ says Oshin, still smiling. She looks at Kayo’s shoes and says, ‘You lost your heel!’ heel of one of the shoes is broken.
‘These are new!’ says Kayo, lifting the shoe with a broken heel.
‘I am sorry, they must be expensive,’ says Oshin.
By this time, Kayo collects herself and remembers Oshin’s injured leg, and she asks Oshin with concern, ‘Are you alright?’
‘Sure, I am!’ Oshin announces, standing straight, and then immediately she winces with pain and squats on the road.
‘You must have banged your skin while running; you are so reckless!’ says Kayo, with affection, and then she scrutinizes the injured leg of Oshin. She says, ‘Come, and I will treat it for you. I will help you walk. It is not far; just bear with it.’
Oshin is overwhelmed. She holds Kayo keeping her head on Kayo’s shoulder, and starts crying. Kayo embraces Oshin, and she starts crying too.
‘You haven’t changed!’ cries Oshin with joy.
RETURN TO PRESENT TIME
Oshin shares her past with her grandson Kei, sitting in a restaurant and sipping tea. She remembers her meeting with Kayo after a gap of over three years. She sighs and says, ‘Walking in a crowd wears me out!’
‘This trip is wearing you out,’ says Kei; he understands that some of the memories his grandma is sharing bring out all the pain and sorrow deep from her heart.
‘It is only just begun!’ says Oshin laughing.
‘Where to? after Tokyo?’ Kei is always curious to know about his grandma’s journey.
‘I have several other places to visit.’ Says Oshin.
‘Tokyo is where you spent your golden youth,’ Kei says, sipping his tea.
‘My youth? I guess so! I was trying my best just to live. Thinking back, I have a lot of regrets, too. Things I should have done and shouldn’t have done.’ Oshin says, taking a deep breath.
‘That is not like you!’ Kei comments; he believes that his grandma can do no wrong ever.
‘Too bad, we can’t know things until they happen. Like with Ms. Kayo, our meeting like that changed her life. Other people’s lives, too.’ She starts thinking profoundly, and there is sadness in her eyes. She is sharing her painful experiences with Kei.
‘What is it, Grandma? Ms. Kayo has nothing to do with my life.’ Kei is concerned; he gets affected by his grandma’s emotions.
‘It would have been best if I hadn’t met Ms. Kayo,’ says Oshin with severe regret in her voice. Her mind goes to the past again.
FLASHBACK RETURNS
Kayo helps Oshin reach her apartment. She cleans the wound on Oshin’s leg and takes out an iodine bottle and a piece of cotton.
‘This might sting a bit.’ Kayo says lovingly, and applies the liquid to the injured part.
Oshin looks around the room, it is pretty untidy, and clothes are lying around unfolded.
‘Is Kota well?’ She inquires; she is under the impression that Kayo and Kota are together.
Kayo doesn’t answer; she blows air from her mouth to Oshin’s leg injury to give some relief.
‘Is he out today?’ Oshin asks again, ‘when will he be back? I wouldn’t want to be in the way.’ Oshin is somewhat embarrassed to ask these questions, but she cannot hold back.
‘There, it is done!’ says Kayo avoiding Oshin’s question; she is happy with the dressing she did for Oshin.
‘Thank you, it feels much better.’ Oshin says, smiling ear to ear. She looks at the house and says, ‘I will clean up for you before Kota returns.’ She starts to work folding and tying her kimono.
‘No, he is not coming.’ Says Kayo with her head down. She looks down, sits on the ground, and bows to Oshin; she says, ‘Oshin, I am sorry!’
Oshin is puzzled, and she is unable to speak.
‘I knew about you and Kota,’ continues Kayo, ashamed of herself and with deep regret in her voice, ‘but I went ahead and did a shameful thing. I agonized over how to apologize to you. What I have done is unforgivable.’ Kayo starts sobbing as she speaks. She turns her face away from Oshin.
‘Don’t be silly,’ Oshin wants to make it light.
‘I read that letter Kota sent you. And I went to see him in your place. I wanted to go with him. I left my family and everything behind. I betrayed you, too.’ Kayo continues to cry and speak at the same time.
‘No use talking about it now,’ Oshin comes close to Kayo and whispers, ‘it is all over. I don’t mind, as long as you two are happy together.’
‘Kota left me. He only visited me a few times in Tokyo. And he hardly told me about what he was doing. He would be gone for months at a time.’ Says Kayo.
‘He is busy with all his work! He is involved with various farm and labor movements all over the country. He leads the strikes, too. Isn’t that what he does?’ Oshin tries to pacify Kayo.
‘I know that much,’ says Kayo nodding, she wipes her tears and says, ‘he never promised to marry me. I haven’t seen him in six months now.’ Kayo is sad as she looks at the sky. She continues, ‘he has forgotten me. He never did love me.’
‘Does he write to you? You don’t know where he is?’ Oshin gets sad too, but she is curious.
‘I have given up,’ says Kayo and starts crying again. She says sobbing, ‘I am being punished for having betrayed my grandma, my family. And I have betrayed you, Oshin.’ Kayo covers her face with her hands as she cries.
‘That is not true,’ says Oshin calmly.
‘But I am glad we found each other again,’ Kayo turns towards Oshin and says, ‘I ran from you because I was scared and embarrassed. Now I feel relieved. Having apologized has made me feel better.’
Kayo calms down and looks at Oshin with admiration. She says, ‘I had no idea you became a hairdresser in Tokyo! I had heard of Oshin, the hairdresser, but I couldn’t in my wildest imagination guess it was you! I thought you had gotten married in Sakata. Did you turn down the marriage and come out to Tokyo because of Kota?’ Kayo had learned about Oshin’s marriage proposal at Sakata, and she remembers that she had told Kota about this. Kayo sits on a chair, but Oshin continues to stand next to the window her back towards Kayo; she wants to hide her emotions too.
‘No, I didn’t want to marry that man in Sakata,’ Oshin turns and sits next to Kayo on the floor. She says, ‘I wanted to be able to make a living on my own. Kota had nothing to do with my decision.’
‘You sure are great!’ says Kayo taking a deep breath, ‘I am just a waitress at a café. It is just fun and laughs, that is all. I have no idea what is in store for me tomorrow.’
Oshin comes close to Kayo and says, ‘Please go home to Sakata. This life isn’t proper for you!’
‘I abandoned everything. I have no home to return to,’ says Kayo, somewhat regretfully.
‘Your mother and grandmother are waiting for you!’ says Oshin.
‘I would only be in the way if I went back. Sayo will be taking over the family business. Sayo is all they need!’ says Kayo. She is feeling better, so she starts folding her clothes.
Oshin realizes that Kayo doesn’t know about the situation at Sakata. She breaks the news slowly, ‘So you didn’t know. Miss Sayo died last year.’
Kayo freezes hearing this. She cannot believe, she can barely speak, and says, ‘Sayo is dead?’
‘Kaga-ya has only you to count on!’ Oshin cries, ‘Think of how your family feels. Only you can take over Kaga-ya now.’
Kayo starts crying profusely; the loss of her sister has started sinking in. She cannot control herself.
‘I wouldn’t have said anything if you and Kota were happy with each other. But since you mentioned that you have given up on him, you don’t have to suffer here in Tokyo anymore! Going home would be best for everyone! You can have everything back home. Why suffer here in Tokyo working as a café waitress?’ Oshin persists with force. She thinks of Ms. Kuni’s words she told her when Oshin visited them after hearing the news of Sayo’s death.
‘If I go back, I will never get to see Kota again. If I wait here, he might still come back. No matter how much he hates me, he is the first and only man I love. I threw everything away to be with him.’ Kayo cries out loudly; she catches her breath and says, ‘If I go back to Sakata, my three years of hardship would have been for nothing! I will not go home to Sakata.’ Kayo kneels down next to Oshin on the floor and continues, ‘Please forget all this. Don’t tell anyone that you saw me. Please!’ Kayo puts her head on Oshin’s shoulder and cries. She then bows, holding Oshin’s hands firmly.
***
Oshin now realizes how much Kayo loves Kota. And strangely, she wasn’t disturbed by the revelation.
What will happen now? Will Kayo agree to return to Sakata? Will Oshin meet Kota?
We will know in the next Episode, no. 62, coming soon.