Bheela’s Blog -067
26 February 2022
Episode 66 Recap
Kota prohibits Oshin from informing Kayo about his visit to Tokyo. Oshin hesitates but then agrees. Oshin visits Sakata to attend Kayo’s wedding; she does the hair-styling of Kayo. But she does not tell Kayo anything about her meeting with Kota.
Oshin regrets her decision. She shares with Kei that Kayo’s life wouldn’t have been ruined if she had decided to inform Kayo about Kota.
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Episode 67
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
On the wedding day, Oshin did her best in styling Kayo’s hair in the traditional way. Kayo and Oshin are with Ms. Kuni just before leaving for the wedding function.
‘Your hair is beautiful,’ Ms. Kuni can sit on the bed, and she is delighted to see Kayo. Kayo has dressed up in a white Kimono tailored using shiny silk material. Ms. Kuni continues, ‘Oshin sure is good.’
Mino and Kayo’s dad is also sitting close to Ms. Kuni. They, too, have dressed in fine clothes.
‘Oshin did a good job,’ says Mino.
‘I am glad the Kaga-ya business will be in good hands now,’ says Ms. Kuni.
Kayo moves forward, close to her grandma, and she says, bowing, ‘I am sorry to have caused you all concern. From this day on, I will do my best for Kaga-ya.’
‘Kayo, my baby,’ says Ms. Kuni, full of emotions; she holds Kayo’s hands.
‘Please live a long healthy life. I want you to be watching over me,’ says Kayo; she too starts sobbing. Ms. Kuni cannot hold back her tears; she covers her face with a handkerchief and starts crying.
‘Congratulations,’ says Oshin to make the situation light.
‘Thanks, we owe it all to you,’ Ms. Kuni tells Oshin, full of gratitude.
Oshin hasn’t told Kayo that Kota had come back to Tokyo and stayed in her apartment. Oshin feels terrible for having betrayed Kayo. But seeing Kayo in her wedding kimono and how everyone is so happy makes her feel better, and she convinces herself that it is for the best.
Kayo leaves for the wedding rituals with her parents. Oshin helps Ms. Kuni lie down.
***
As Kayo walks in her wedding Kimono, spread a long way behind her on the floor, Oshin gathers the cloth and helps Kayo walk to the stage.
‘Thank you, Oshin,’ Kayo says, her head covered in a bridal veil. She is still sad but somehow controls her feelings. She says, ‘My old self is no longer alive.’
‘Don’t say that Ms. Kayo,’ Oshin tries her best to comfort.
‘I will be starting a new life now. Throw all my things in Tokyo away. I don’t want anything that would make me think of Tokyo again. I won’t need my canvases and brushes anymore. No more oil painting for me. Live your life as you see fit. Be happy for my sake, too.’ Kayo puts up a brave smile, and Oshin smiles too.
***
The kitchen at Sakata is busy preparing dishes for the wedding. Oshin brings a tray with meals for Ms. Kuni. After Ms. Kuni finishes her lunch, Oshin puts Ms. Kuni to bed.
‘As a guest, you shouldn’t be working,’ says Ms. Kuni to Oshin. Oshin straightens the quilt and covers Ms. Kuni.
‘I am happy to be helping you,’ Oshin replies.
‘You are quite a woman now. That Kimono suits you so nice!’ Ms. Kuni has seen Oshin grow up in front of her eyes from being a child to now a young woman.
Oshin laughs and says, ‘I wasn’t planning to stay all the way up to the wedding day, so I didn’t bring any formal clothes. Young Madame let me wear one of Kayo’s,’ Oshin is happy, and she spreads her arms to show the dress to Ms. Kuni. She still refers to Mino as ‘Young Madame!’ Her display makes Ms. Kuni laugh out loud.
‘You are the same age as Kayo; it is time you got married, too,’ Ms. Kuni feels responsible towards Oshin. She continues to worry for both Kayo and Oshin. She asks Oshin after a pause, ‘You don’t know who Kayo was seeing in Tokyo? I feel bad for her. It is a pity that she had to be the one to continue the Kaga-ya name. I just hope her husband is good to her.’ Ms. Kuni understands how Kayo feels.
‘He is very dignified,’ says Oshin.
‘He is from a good family, and he is educated. But he wouldn’t have come as an adoptive husband if we weren’t as rich as we are. I wanted Kayo to marry someone who would love her no matter what. As the one to continue the Kaga-ya name, it is her fate.’ Somehow Ms. Kuni, being so wise, gets a feeling of doubt of Kayo’s husband’s intentions, even though she chose him herself.
***
The wedding ceremony has started. The priest reads the hymns from the holy book. Kayo sits next to the groom and takes part in the rituals mechanically. There is no happiness on her face.
{Japanese wedding ceremonies have undergone several changes over the period. The following links give us some idea of the customs and rituals of Japanese weddings.
***
Women in the kitchen get busy giving a finishing touch to the ceremonial lunch. Oshin enters the kitchen carrying the plates after Ms. Kuni finishes her lunch, and she keeps the tray in a corner.
‘Oshin,’ someone calls her name, and Oshin turns her face, startled.
‘Oriki!!,’ Oshin spots Oriki, the employment agent who had got her the Sakata job when she was 9. Oriki has helped Oshin exchange letters to her mother all this time. Oshin is excited to see her.
Both of them come to the backyard and start catching up. Oriki looks older now with her graying hair.
‘Fuji was so happy when I read your letter. You sent your first earnings as a hairdresser. And it was big money, 20 yens!’ says Oriki.
‘She has been so good to me; she helped me go to Tokyo,’ says Oshin, remembering her mom. She continues, ‘If it weren’t for her, I would have been sold off.’
‘Your father almost killed her. He found out about the money order you had sent, and he demanded to know where it came from. He took the money away from her,’ Oriki sighs with a deep breath and sits down on a slab; she says, ‘the economy got good because of the Great war. Still, the life of a sharecropper hasn’t improved at all. The rice prices keep going up, but only the landlords and the rice dealers get rich. No wonder your father gets greedy when it comes to money.’
Oshin listens to her attentively, but her anger starts building up. She says, ‘I had been worrying since I hadn’t heard from her.’
‘Ah, I am sorry, she asked me to write to you, but I have been too busy,’ Oriki laughs to make it light, but she couldn’t hide anything from Oshin. ‘Besides, the news wasn’t any good. Your mom didn’t want me to tell you about what happened. That father and brother of yours, they are so hard on her,’ Oriki’s voice is full of contempt.
‘When will you be going back to the village?’ Oshin asks; she thinks of a plan.
‘I just came for the wedding to help in the kitchen,’ replies Oriki.
‘I will go back with you to see for myself. I am worried about my mom,’ says Oshin.
‘Don’t be silly,’ Oriki is alarmed; she warns, ‘You can’t go home! Who knows what might happen to you! Fuji won’t be happy. Just stay away. Live your own life. Don’t deal with your father and brother again.’
‘I want to take my mother with me to Tokyo. I don’t want her to suffer anymore. She can have a better life in Tokyo. I can do that much for her.’ Oshin says with hope.
Oriki tries to interrupt, but Oshin continues, ‘Miss Kayo is married now. A big load has been lifted off my shoulders.’ Oriki is still doubtful and looks on.
***
Fuji is washing some green vegetables in the streamlet next to their hut. She gets up with the tray of veggies still looking to the ground, and she sees the kimono Oshin is wearing; she looks up and freezes.
‘Mamma,’ Oshin smiles, looking at her mom; she is thrilled to see her after all these years. She keenly observes her mom and says, ‘Your hair is so grey!’
‘Why did you come? Leave before your father and brother get home,’ mother is agitated to see Oshin. Oriki was right in saying that both men have terrorized Oshin’s mom. She continues, ‘I want you out of my life now. You don’t exist to me anymore!’
‘Why do you say that?’ Oshin is puzzled.
‘You are capable of living your own life now. Forget about us! What good will it do for you to come back now? Leave while you still can! Hurry, and go!’ Fuji pleads; there is fear in her eyes.
Before Oshin can react, brother and father arrive!
***
‘So, you are a hairdresser in Tokyo?’ father charges her as if it is a crime.
‘You do as you please while we suffer here,’ taunts the brother! He says further, ‘not just you, my other siblings don’t come by either. Just because I am the eldest son of a sharecropper! I toil day and night for nothing. I can’t even get married; I am tired of this!’ Shoji takes out all his pent-up anger on Oshin.
‘Oh, come on! Don’t you worry now! Oshin will be helping us from now on with money.’ Sakuzo says shamelessly.
‘What are you saying?’ Fuji objects, ‘she has been out working since age seven! And you still want to squeeze money out of her? She is 19 now, and she has to think of marriage. I won’t let you use her anymore!’
‘It is only natural that a sister helps her older brother. We still have big loans to pay off. If we don’t clear our debts, Shoji can’t marry.’ Father is simply an opportunist; he thinks only of money and his eldest son.
‘He spends all our hard-earned money on sake,’ Fuji complains.
‘I don’t drink because I like it!’ Retorts Shoji, ‘I labor day in and day out and look at us! We are not human beings. If I go to a munition’s factory, I can wear nice clothes and earn good wages!’
‘Go, I won’t stop you,’ says Fuji fed up with his constant grumbles.
‘Not again! If Shoji leaves, who will tend the fields?’ Sakuzo wants the status quo; he doesn’t want any change in his life.
‘I would prefer him to leave than carry on complaining every day!’ says Fuji
‘Yes, I will leave,’ shouts Shoji, and he throws the plate to one side and gets ups, saying, ‘I have had enough of this life!’ He starts going to the door.
‘Shoji, wait,’ Sakuzo gets up too and goes after his son. Shoji shuts the door behind him as he goes.
Sakuzo is furious; he takes out his anger on Fuji. He hits on her head. Oshin is startled; she holds Fuji and tells her father, ‘What are you doing?’
‘You should be the one to leave!’ says Sakuzo looking at Fuji with contempt, ‘you can’t even put in a good day’s work!’
‘Father,’ screams Oshin to protest.
‘All the other kids have left us; only Shoji is here. He keeps us going, and if you don’t like him, you should be the one to leave.’ Sakuzo hits Fuji again and goes inside the house.
Oshin is watching all of this. Her resolve to take Fuji with her to Tokyo gets stronger.
‘Don’t worry, it is nothing new,’ Fuji collects herself and sits straight, she looks at Oshin, and her suffering clearly shows on her face.
Oshin now makes up her mind to take her mother away from all this. She picks up the plate and bowl, which Shoji threw.
What will happen now? Will Oshin be successful in her plan?
We will know more in the next episode, no. 68, coming soon.