Bheela’s Blog -071
26 March 2022
Episode 70 Recap
Oshin’s house owner is upset with the police trouble, and she asks Oshin to vacate the room. Oshin is lost in the thoughts of Kota as she receives a fountain pen from him. Her feelings for Kota return.
Genzi, Ryuzo’s assistant from his village, shows a photo of a possible match sent by Ryuzo’s mother. Ryuzo refuses, saying he wants to choose his wife himself.
Ryuzo offers to help Oshin set up a shop for the hairdressing business, but Oshin wants to continue house calls. Ryuzo is getting deeply interested in Oshin. Oshin feels bothered by Ryuzo’s attention.
Please click the link to read the full Episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-070-4cb0474353d2
Episode 71
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin was asked to vacate her room because she was questioned by the police about Kota. Fortunately, her hairdressing business doesn’t suffer. The café waitresses don’t care; they help Oshin get more clients.
Oshin quickly completes the girls’ hairstyle during her regular visit and is ready to leave.
‘I have other clients to visit,’ says Oshin cheerfully.
‘How many clients do you have?’ asks Oshigeko.
‘I must have 20 clients in all. Some people want me to come early.’
‘And you still do your sewing! What will you do with all your money,’ Oshigeko asks as she is always curious!
‘Maybe open a big shop of your own?’ says another friend.
‘No, I send it all to my parents in the village, so I have nothing left,’ says Oshin.
All of them sigh in unison.
‘I didn’t know that,’ says Someko. She is most concerned for Oshin and warns her, ‘You are so good; relatives can be greedy sometimes.’
‘It can’t be helped. We are sharecroppers, so we have big debts. If we don’t pay that off, my brother can’t find a bride,’ Oshin shares the situation with the girls.
‘You are so good,’ says young Oyae; she joins the conversation.
‘I want to help, and I don’t mind working hard. It is better to be depended on than being dependent.’
The girls look at Oshin in disbelief! How can one work and send her entire wages for her family, leaving nothing for herself!
‘Then, how will you ever get married?’ asks Someko, worried.
‘I don’t plan on getting married. As a hairdresser, I make enough to eat, and I can be carefree. I don’t want to suffer in marriage like my mother,’ Oshin says, thinking of her mother’s life.
‘Then you might end up like us!’ says Oshigeko.
‘No, you can still do hairdressing when you are old, but nobody wants a wrinkled waitress,’ Oyae quips her wisdom quotes, and the girls laugh together.
‘I would better be going now; thank you all!’ Oshin gets up to leave.
‘Make lots of money!’ says one of the girls.
It was already 1920, and Oshin had turned twenty. Oshin has found another room, and she returns late in the evening. As she slides open the door of her room, she finds an envelope with the sender’s name as ‘Kayo!’ Oshin reads on.
‘Sorry for not writing sooner. I heard that you have moved to a new room. But as you know, I am not good at writing letters. I have settled down somewhat. But it is very lonely here in Sakata, and I miss Tokyo very much.’
Oshin reads and almost can visualize Kayo’s situation.
***
Kayo Is sitting at a study table with a table lamp, and Mino enters the room. Kayo looks up.
‘Reading again? Come and have some tea,’ says Mino; she looks worried.
‘I don’t want any right now.’ Kayo replies.
‘I want to talk to you; grandma is up, too. She wants to see you,’ says Mino.
Kayo gets up, and both of them go to the living room. Ms. Kuni and Kayo’s dad are having their post-dinner tea.
‘Is Masao (Kayo’s husband) out with clients again?’ says Ms. Kuni, she has recovered from her illness, can sit up, but she looks weak.
‘Yes, he is entertaining clients,’ says Kayo’s dad.
‘Oh, sure, he is out with geisha girls again!’ Mino says sarcastically. She is upset with Masao’s behavior. She looks at Kayo’s dad and says, ‘You should be stricter with him. He will just take advantage if you hold back because he is Kayo’s adoptive husband. I feel sorry for Kayo; he is neglecting her!’
‘I don’t mind,’ says Kayo; she looks down to the ground and wants to avoid this discussion.
‘No! You are not forceful enough with him. You should complain to him once in a while!’ says Mino with all her wisdom.
‘He does his job for the Kaga-ya business. That should be enough.’ Kayo remains polite and cheerful, but her pain is visible through her eyes.
‘Does he really do any work? He is out with geishas every night!’ Mino says, her voice full of disgust.
Kayo’s dad tries to protest, but Mino stops him, saying, ‘Don’t stick up for him. I heard rumors about him and Kosuzu, a geisha.’
‘Don’t say such things in front of Kayo!’ says dad.
‘Masao is Kayo’s husband; she needs to know.’ Says Mino. This conversation makes Kayo uncomfortable; she fidgets but doesn’t speak.
‘Stop it!’ says Kuni; she understands Kayo’s pain. She softly tells Kayo, ‘Kayo, hurry and have a baby, then things will be fine.’ Kuni is always hopeful. Kayo remains quiet.
***
There is a commotion outside the Kaga-ya home. Masao returns home with two women and a man; they say good night and leave. Masao, dressed in a fine suit, looks at the door, unsteady under the influence of excessive drinking.
Mino wakes up because of the noise. She gets up and puts on a coat to go out. Her husband stops her, but she fumes and says, ‘he is back; what time does he think it is!’
‘Stay out of it, Kayo doesn’t mind,’ says the dad.
‘I would better go and speak to him!’ Mino is agitated.
‘You will just cause trouble for the couple,’ dad is apprehensive that this would cause interference in Kayo’s life.
‘Poor Kayo, she doesn’t even complain! We can’t just let this continue,’ Mino is now sad, and she wants to do something to change the situation.
‘It is not our business; let them work it out,’ dad gives a final decision.
***
Masao changes into Kimono and goes to the bedroom. Kayo gets up.
‘I will make the bath if you like,’ says Kayo.
‘Never mind,’ replies Masao, his back towards Kayo; they don’t look at each other, and Kayo puts his suit in a cupboard. Masao looks at her, turns, and grabs Kayo’s shoulders. Kayo releases herself and sits on the ground.
She creeps out at his touch. Masao lies down on the mattress. She says, ‘Do you want some tea and rice?’
‘You know that I was with the geisha, and you don’t care? I am not worth getting jealous over?’ Masao turns around; he has his insecurities, and he shouts at Kayo by saying these words to shadow his weaknesses.
‘Everyone can hear you,’ says Kayo calmly.
***
RETURN TO PRESENT TIME
‘Kayo’s letter never let on that she was unhappy. I found out much later,’ says Oshin. She shares all the events in detail with her grandson Kei. Oshin continues, with her eyes moist, ‘Kayo was suffering so much!’
‘Because of her love for Kota?’ asks Kei.
‘Probably, and her husband was unhappy about being just an adoptive husband. He played around a lot. Like he was getting back at Kayo,’ says Oshin.
‘Marriage is a complicated thing,’ Young Kei openly shares his thought with grandma.
‘When I realized that I should have let her be with Kota, it was too late. To suffer from the one you love isn’t really suffering. I came in between her and Kota, for Kaga-ya’s sake. But it turned out to be the wrong decision.’ Oshin remembers and regrets.
‘Kayo never saw Kota again?’ asks Kei.
Oshin doesn’t want to answer and changes the topic; she says, ‘We would better be going.’
‘You never saw Kota again, either?’ Kei doesn’t give up and insists on knowing.
‘I saw him on May Day of that year. On May 2nd of that year, Japan had its first May Day. I went to Ueno Park to see what was going on. There were so many people! And the police were there in force, too. People made speeches and sang labor songs.’
{More on Japanese first-ever Mayday: May Day (May 1) (hawaii.edu)}
Her eyes look far as if she is watching that day in front of her eyes. As she narrates the day to Kei, she gets emotional. She continues, ‘Then I spotted Kota. I remember exactly how he looked. I had never seen him like that before. It was the face of a man with a belief to fight for. He looked so fine and bright.’ Oshin’s eyes sparkle as she thinks of Kota, the first man she ever loved.
‘I would like to meet him,’ says Kei. He now is too curious, ‘Is he still alive? Where does he live? What is he doing?’ Kei’s questions have no end.
***
Hitoshi, Oshin’s second son, who runs the Tanokura chain of stores, decides to meet Mr. Namiki, the senior who owns the food chain. Hitoshi knows that his mother has known the old man for a long time. He tries to persuade Mr. Namiki to save his own business.
Although in a fine suit, Hitoshi sits on the floor in a traditional Japanese way with folded knees.
(In India, we call this Vajrasan, one of the yoga poses which helps the digestion system!!)
He is somewhat uneasy to meet Mr. Namiki, but he has run out of options.
The senior, Mr. Namiki, offers him a cup of tea. Mr. Namiki has all white hair, brushed backward. Although he is old and very slow in his movement, he sits straight, and his mind seems to be alert.
‘Thank you for the tea,’ says Hitoshi, and he bows down in respect. Mr. Namiki bows too and accepts his greetings.
‘Are you Oshin’s son?’ says Mr. Namiki, very slowly, but his speech has clarity.
‘Yes, I had been meaning to visit you.’
‘Your new supermarket in our town has become a problem for our business,’ Mr. Namiki doesn’t mince any words and comes to the point. He continues, ‘Ironically, you need to visit me. I am sure it wasn’t easy for you to come.’
‘I am sorry, I know I am imposing,’ says Hitoshi, he remains courteous.
‘Is Oshin well?’ asks Mr. Namiki.
‘She is gotten older, but she is very spirited. I should have come with her, but she is away now. That is why I have come alone. As you know, we opened our 17th store here in town. But we learned that a large supermarket chain is trying to buy up land near the train station. If they succeed, we small businesses stand to lose. We will be driven to bankruptcy. That is why I am here to ask for your help. Please help us!’ Hitoshi clarifies his purpose of visit in detail.
‘What would you like me to do?’
‘Your Namiki Food Store is the oldest and the best in that block. And your footage is large, too. Even if the other shop owners sell their land to the big business, we are safe as long as you don’t.’ Hitoshi hesitates but finally says it all.
‘You don’t want me to sell my land?’
‘Please, for my mother’s sake.’ Hitoshi bows again, possibly not out of respect, but more due to his need.
‘I am sorry, I have already retired. I can’t help you,’ says Mr. Namiki.
‘Mr. Namiki,’ Hitoshi interrupts.
‘I know Oshin will understand,’ Mr. Namiki seems to know Oshin very well. He continues, ‘And maybe that is why she is taking a trip now. That is how Oshin is,’
Mr. Namiki closes his eyes and smiles, thinking of Oshin.
***
Kei is back in the room. ‘I am back,’ he announces. Oshin is looking out of the window. ‘Grandma!’ Kei calls out to attract her attention.
‘Perhaps Hitoshi is Kota’s house now,’ says Oshin, thoughtful.
(Yes, we guessed it right! Mr. Namiki is Kota indeed! Kei doesn’t know yet!)
‘He is such a fool,’ fumes Oshin.
‘Uncle Hitoshi knows Kota?’ Kei is stunned, ‘My father never mentioned it.’ Kei feels disappointed that his family members didn’t discuss the past.
There was a secret between Oshin and Kota that nobody knew about. And it wasn’t over yet.
What will happen now? Will Kota agree not to sell his land for saving the business of Oshin and her family?
We will find more in the next episode, no. 71, coming soon.