Bheela’s Blog -069
12 March 2022
Episode 68 Recap
Oshin’s mom disagrees with the proposal of moving to Tokyo. Oshin returns alone and meets Kota in Kayo’s room. He isn’t there when she carries breakfast for Kota the following day. He leaves a note and a pen for Oshin. The detective policemen come looking for Kota, and Oshin faces them.
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https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-068-7b3ab803bb2f
Episode 69
RETURN TO PRESENT TIME
Oshin is staying in Tokyo with her grandson Kei at a posh hotel. A room service staff spreads fresh linen on the table, serving breakfast as Kei reads a newspaper sitting on his bed.
‘Your Bill,’ says the waiter.
Oshin takes out a pen from her bag and signs the bill. Kei observes that the fountain pen is the same that Kota gifted her decades ago. He smiles and sits on a chair at the table next to Oshin. Oshin signs the bill and keeps a generous tip in cash.
‘Thank you,’ She tells the waiter and begins to eat.
‘Room service is a luxury!’ Kei comments, ‘they charge you much more for the same food.’
‘It is better than dressing up for the dining hall,’ says Oshin; it is clear that she doesn’t care about extra charges anymore. She continues, ‘I bought this dressing gown, so I want to relax and enjoy breakfast in my room.’
‘That is why we should have stayed at an inn. Then you can eat even in your yukata bathrobe.’ says Kei.
(Yukata is a dress worn near bathhouses. More on Yukata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata#:~:text=A%20yukata%20(%E6%B5%B4%E8%A1%A3%2C%20lit.,sight%20in%20Japan%20during%20summer. )
‘You can get coffee only in hotels!’ Oshin doesn’t give up; she likes to argue with her grandson.
‘You were so drunk last night, I can’t keep up with you!’ Kei tells her, smiling! He can say anything to his grandma.
‘People in my generation are tougher,’ says Oshin with mock pride.
‘Don’t say that, grandma! That is why your son’s wife hates you!’ Kei refers to Michiko, Hitoshi’s wife.
‘I don’t say such things to her!’ Oshin at home doesn’t converse much with her son and the other family members; Kei knows this well. Oshin says, ‘Times have changed. I don’t expect people to understand what I went through. People today have lots of money, and they pamper their children. Electronics have made housework easier, and people are free to do as they please.’
Oshin picks up the pen and looks at it admiringly.
‘That pen,’ Kei comments, ‘you should now get a newer one. But you use only this one!’ Kei takes the pen from Oshin and observes the nib keenly. He says, ‘These fountain pens are so old-fashioned. I thought it was strange, but now I know; this is a souvenir from Kota.’
‘Not exactly memento; he is still alive!’ says Oshin, and she smiles.
Kei is taken aback, ‘Hey! Do you know where he is? Have you been seeing him?’ Kei gets curious.
‘You would better eat while the food is still hot!’ Oshin changes the topic; she doesn’t divulge more.
‘I thought you never saw Kota again,’ Kei won’t give up easily; he wants to know all about grandma’s life.
‘Fountain pens back then were so expensive! Look, it is made in Germany. It was costly. Unlike the newer ones, these never break,’ Oshin replies. She avoids Kei’s question.
‘You have hung on to it for so long!’ says Kei.
‘That harmonica Shunsaku gave me as a child, and this pen! These are both so precious to me.’
‘Both these men were radicals, and they left a strong impression on you.’ says Kei; he is thoughtful.
‘It is so hard to imagine today, there is no military service, so there is no need to dessert! Opposition to war is considered normal. Strikes are recognized by law now,’ says Oshin.
‘I don’t get it; why did the police come after Kota?’ Kei wants to know more about the events.
‘Back then, strikes were illegal. Workers couldn’t even have labor unions. People like Kota were considered enemies of the nation. Especially in 1918 and 1919, when there were many labor troubles. Police wanted to rein them all in,’ Oshin explains in detail.
‘You sure do have a good memory,’ Kei is impressed again; his grandma remembers those years precisely.
‘Of course! Such things affected my life directly,’ Oshin says, ‘how could I ever forget?’ Oshin looks away, and her mind goes to the past again.
FLASHBACK RETURNS
Oshin sits on a chair; although tired, she keeps her back straight and holds her head high!
One of the officers pulls the curtain open. The other one sits in front of Oshin and says, ‘We know he was here. This is his, isn’t it?’ he asks, showing the fountain pen to Oshin.
‘I only come here from time to time to clean; I don’t know anything.’ says Oshin politely.
‘Where is the woman who rented this room?’ the other officer who stands close to Oshin asks her, shouting.
‘I don’t know,’ says Oshin.
‘If you don’t know her, why are you here?’ the police mocks Oshin and says, ‘why do you have a key to this room?’
‘You two are both trying to protect the man!’ the other officer provokes Oshin to get information.
‘Whom are you both talking about?’ Oshin says with a straight face.
‘Come to the police station with us!’ the officer says sternly.
‘What have I done?’ Oshin remains firm and asks them, looking fearlessly into the officer’s eyes, ‘I have done nothing wrong,’ she says.
‘Kota Takakura is a radical, an agent! To know him is to be his cohort!’ says the officer.
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Oshin says.
‘We need a statement from you,’ orders the police officer, and he gets up.
‘I have nothing to tell!’ says Oshin.
‘Tell us about this other woman and how you and Kota are all connected!’ says the officer.
***
‘Where is Oshin? She doesn’t usually miss any appointment.’ says Oyae. Someko and her friends are waiting for Oshin at the cafe; they get worried as Oshin doesn’t arrive.
‘Maybe something happened to her,’ Someko is anxious.
‘Then she would have sent a word to us,’ Oyae also gets worried.
Oshigeko enters the room. She, too, is surprised not seeing Oshin. She asks, ‘You haven’t gotten your hair done yet? I thought you would be done by this time!’
‘Oshin isn’t here,’ informs Oyae.
‘She is usually so prompt,’ says Oshigeko.
‘I will go check her house; something might have happened’ Someko gets up to go.
***
‘I have no idea either!’ the house owner lady says when Someko asks her. She says, ‘Oshin left early in the morning, and she hasn’t come back. The two police detectives came here.’
‘Detectives?’ Someko asks, surprised.
‘Policemen in civilian clothes,’ the lady replies.
‘What did they want?’
‘They wanted to check her room.’
‘Oshin committed any crime?’ Someko asks, puzzled.
‘They wouldn’t say; they just came and tore her room apart,’ the lady says with distress.
‘Where could Oshin be?’ Someko is now scared for Oshin.
‘Maybe she is being held at the police station.’ says the woman.
‘Oh, come on!’ says Someko.
‘I have faith in Oshin, too. But this is so much trouble for us. We can’t have her living here anymore.’ The owner says, sharing her worry with Someko.
***
Oshin is at the police station. They make us sit in a closed interrogation room with a bulb hanging on top of a table.
‘I am a hairdresser; I have clients waiting. Let me go!’ says Oshin.
‘Then tell us about Kota Takakura and this woman,’ the officer demands.
‘She has nothing to do with this man you all are talking about,’ says Oshin.
‘Then tell us who she is, what is there to hide?’
‘She has gone home and gotten married. I don’t want her mixed up in this nonsense,’ says Oshin; she is protective of Kayo.
‘What nonsense?’ the officer gets angry and continues, ‘Kota Takakura is a dangerous man, and she was living with him!’
‘I have known her since she was little, and nobody I know is out to disrupt society,’ says Oshin; her anger also picks up.
‘She must have been in the movement with Kota Takakura! You, too! You must have known what he was up to! As long as you cover up for him, you are guilty too!’ accuses the officer. After a pause, he calms down and asks politely, ‘we can track him down if you help us. Then you can go home.’
I don’t know where he is!’ Oshin replies, keeping calm.
‘Don’t take me for a fool!’ the office now thumps his fist on the table.
A man enters the room and says something in the ears of the officer.
***
The cafe girls are all worried after Someko gives them an account of her visit to Oshin’s place.
‘I can’t believe she would steal anything,’ says Oshigeko.’
‘Maybe she got involved in someone else’s crime,’ Young Oyae shares her wisdom as usual.
‘What is the use of worrying about it?’ says another friend who joins them.
‘We don’t know what is going on with her.’ says Oshigeko.
‘She has only us to count on,’ says Someko.
‘Doesn’t anyone have pull with the police?’ asks Oyae.
‘Maybe we can find something out,’ says the friend.
‘Let us ask Ryuzo,’ says Someko.
‘That fabric merchant?’
‘Does he know someone on the police force?’ Oyae tries to solve the problem.
‘He knows many people,’ Someko gets hopeful, ‘and now he knows Oshin too!’
‘I can’t think of a better man to help us,’ says Oshigeko.
‘Let us try and call him, ‘ says Someko.
‘The old man always answers the phone,’ Oshigeko worries, ‘he won’t let us talk to Ryuzo.’
‘Maybe it is better to go to his office,’ says the friend.
‘Then he would chase us away,’ Someko says.
‘Have you been there?’ Oshigeko is suspicious of Someko meeting with Ryuzo without their knowledge!
‘A few times,’ Someko confesses shyly.
‘Then, hurry up and go!’ the friend says. All of them are there to help Oshin.
***
Someko reaches Ryuzo’s office. The old man removes his specs to observe Someko through the front glass wall.
Someko doesn’t enter the office. There is a worker who is sweeping the area. Someko asks him, ‘If Mr. Tanokura is in, will you call him for me?’
As the worker looks at her, thoroughly puzzled, Someko shouts, ‘It is an emergency!’
The old man says, looking at Someko, ‘He is out right now!’
Someko makes faces at the old man. She is irritated by him, and the feeling is mutual!
‘Genzi,’ Ryuzo comes out and talks to the old man.
As soon as Someko sees Ryuzo through the glass door, she shouts, ‘Mr. Ryuzo!’ she waves at him also and signals him to come out.
‘I told her you were out!’ Genzi tells Ryuzo, ‘your mother would disapprove if she knows of this.’
Ryuzo nods at Someko and tries to balance the situation.
***
‘Don’t you want to go home?’ The officer who sits across the table where Oshin is seated asks Oshin. They are still in the interrogation room. He tells Oshin, ‘You sure are stubborn!’
The man who enters the room talks to the officer. The officer nods and tells Oshin, ‘You can go now.’
‘We checked your room but found nothing,’ says the other policeman, standing next to his boss. The junior one continues, ‘We figure that you are not involved in the movement with Kota Takakura. Thanks for your help.’
‘What about all the business I lost today,’ Oshin is furious. She says, ‘thanking me won’t make it better!’
‘Don’t you get smart with us,’ the officer retorts, ‘you were a suspect being held. It could have been much worse.’
‘Hurry and go,’ says the boss, ‘a guarantor is waiting for you.’
Oshin is puzzled; who could have come to release her? She comes out of the room, closing the door behind her. She is stunned to see Ryuzo waiting for her.
‘How are you?’ asks Ryuzo pleasantly, ‘let us go out for dinner.’
***
Ryuzo takes Oshin to a fine dining restaurant.
‘I am sorry to cause you so much trouble.’ Oshin apologizes to Ryuzo.
‘I knew some of the men at the station. You were not really being held as a suspect. They would have let you go sooner or later,’ says Ryuzo; he doesn’t want to show off his connection in front of Oshin. He continues, ‘the girls at the cafe were so worried for you. I got worried too. I thought you might have been tortured. Were you all right?’ Ryuzo laughs as he speaks; he wants to lighten the situation to help Oshin come out of trauma.
‘Yes, I am okay,’ says Oshin; she feels better.
‘Poor thing, you must have been scared.’ says Ryuzo
‘This is the second time I was arrested here in Tokyo,’ says Oshin recalling her first arrest at the Ueno station. She shares the incident with Ryuzo, saying, ‘I had to stay overnight after the rice riots.’
‘That is some story!’ Ryuzo is visibly impressed by Oshin’s personality.
‘People called me a Red after that,’ Oshin says.
Ryuzo has a hearty laugh. He says, ‘Oshin, you are a Red? That is so funny! Lenin sure would be surprised to hear that!’
‘Who is Lenin?’ asks Oshin innocently.
Ryuzo laughs out loud again; he says, ‘A Red who doesn’t know Lenin?’
He has another hearty laugh.
Oshin couldn’t figure Ryuzo Tanokura out. Ryuzo’s laughter made her feel much better. Ryuzo serves her a plate full of a tasty meal. All the problematic situations that happened today seem to melt away. Oshin enjoys this dinner. She eats the dish using chopsticks savoring its taste.
What will happen now? Is Oshin getting close to Ryuzo? Does Ryuzo have any genuine interest in Oshin?
We will know more in the next Episode, no 70, coming soon.