Bheela’s Blog -074
16 April 2022
Episode 73 Recap
The girls at the café realize that all of them are getting letters written by Oshin to Ryuzo; they decide to give up on him.
Ryuzo’s mom disapproves of Oshin. Genzi meets Oshin and asks her to break off with Ryuzo. She is thoroughly confused and upset.
Ryuzo is upset, too, as he hasn’t proposed to Oshin yet. He vows never to forget Oshin!
Please click the link to read the full Episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-073-41f6560c6e8
Episode 74
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin is still upset with the turn of events. She reaches the café in a foul mood. As she is about to enter, Ryuzo calls her. She turns to look at him, getting angry!
‘I went to your house, but you were out. But I knew you would be coming here. I want to talk to you,’ says Ryuzo; he is wearing a fine suit as if to attend some function.
‘I meant to visit you, too,’ says Oshin; she is visibly upset.
‘I am glad! I was worried you wouldn’t see me anymore,’ Ryuzo is relieved. He smiles.
‘I have a thing or two to say to you, too!’ Oshin remains angry.
‘I am sorry, but I can explain. Let us go and talk where we can be alone.’
‘I have work to do,’ says Oshin curtly.
‘Couldn’t you take the day off? It is important.’
‘I am not rich like you; I need to work to live! If I break an appointment, I will lose the trust of my customers and won’t be able to work!’ she says with deliberate rudeness, against her nature.
‘I understand; I will wait until you are done,’ Ryuzo is calm.
‘I will be free at 7 o’clock.’
‘Then please come to that restaurant we went to. We will talk over dinner,’ says Ryuzo.
Oshin turns and enters the café girl’s room, and she shuts the door at Ryuzo’s face with a thud.
***
Ms. Kiyo, Ryuzo’s mom, enters the house in a hurry. Genzi welcomes her, but she ignores him and walks past him.
‘I have been put to shame,’ she says and sits in her room. Genzi follows her and enquires, ‘where is young Master?’
‘He didn’t show up for the marriage meeting!’ she fumes and takes her coat off.
‘I looked for him everywhere. I was hoping he would go directly there,’ says Genzi; he is puzzled.
‘Ryuzo said he was going to the barber. This was a big day for us all! I told Ryuzo how important it was. I shouldn’t have let him go to the barber alone,’ Mother is disappointed by Ryuzo’s behavior.
‘I had no idea that he would do this. He is no child; I couldn’t go to the barber with him,’ Genzi tries to explain.
‘Never mind! Ms. Kiyo interrupts, ‘It is too late!’
‘I am so sorry!’ says Genzi.
‘He is beyond my reach now. He loves this Oshin more than he loves me.’
‘Don’t worry,’ says Genzi assuring her, ‘don’t worry about her; she doesn’t care for him.’
‘Oh sure, it is pitiful how he is in love with her!’ mother gets emotional.
‘It is not as we feared; she is not with child!’ Genzi remains hopeful that Ryuzo will break off with Oshin.
Mother is frustrated; she uses a rag to clean the table and says, ‘I am sure she is up to no good. She is playing him for a fool!’ she pours herself a cup of tea.
‘He will wake up soon; Ryuzo is a good boy!’ says Genzi, ‘it is too bad this happened, but he will find someone.’
Mom looks unsure.
***
‘Your guest is here,’ announces the waitress. Ryuzo is waiting for Oshin at the restaurant in a private cabin. He looks up and sits in a formal position to welcome Oshin.
‘May I start dinner?’ the waitress asks.
‘No, I am not here to have dinner,’ Oshin enters, and she tells the waitress. As Ryuzo tries to stop, she continues, ‘you have no cause to buy me dinner.’ She sits next to the dinner table but doesn’t face Ryuzo directly.
‘Just bring dinner for two,’ Ryuzo directs the waitress.
‘Certainly,’ says the waitress. She places a pot on the fire at the center of the table and keeps two cups and a teapot.
Once she leaves, Oshin says politely, ‘Thank you for waiting.’ She comes closer to the table and sits directly in front of Ryuzo.
‘I am sorry that Genzi went to see you,’ Ryuzo bows in apology without wasting time.
‘I am sure you were just using me as an excuse. But what you did isn’t right!’ says Oshin, flushed with rage. She continues, ‘You can’t joke about wanting to marry me. Genzi was very serious about it. That is why I wanted to come over to your store today to clear up this matter!’ As she speaks, Ryuzo keeps his head down, bowing to her.
He slowly raises his head and says, ‘I am sorry, you must have been surprised. But I am serious. I want you to be my wife. We had met through Kayo. I liked you right away.’
Oshin is taken aback and tries to stop him. He interrupts her saying, ‘Please listen to me. I wasn’t thinking of marriage then. But it has been more than a year since I started thinking of marrying you. It was after you were taken in by the police for knowing Kota. I offered to open a beauty parlor for you, didn’t I? You refused, and I tried to forget you. But when I thought that I couldn’t see you anymore, all I did was think about you. I didn’t know why, and I was confused. I stopped going to the cafes and seeing other women. I lost interest in all that. I thought about it, and I realized that I loved you!’
Oshin is totally taken aback by Ryuzo’s confessions. She doesn’t know what to say! (She heard similar expressions from Kota, and she felt for Kota, too! But now she is in a fix)
‘Here is your dinner,’ their conversation is broken by the waitress. She brings a tray with meals.
‘Let me do that,’ says Ryuzo.
‘All right, I will leave it to you,’ the waitress bows and returns.
‘Let us eat; you must be hungry,’ Ryuzo says, and he places a plate in front of Oshin.
‘I have heard what you have to say,’ Oshin speaks up.
‘No, we have just begun to talk!’
‘But,’ Oshin doesn’t want to stay for dinner.
‘Please join me for dinner,’ Ryuzo insists, and he starts heating the meal on the woke awkwardly. He laughs and says, ‘I am not too good at it; I will call the waitress.’ He gets up, but Oshin stops him. She picks the dish and puts the pieces on the woke using the chopstick expertly. Ryuzo watches Oshin handling the meal and is impressed.
‘This is the Oshin that I fell in love with! You would look great in the kitchen.’
Oshin isn’t flattered; she says, ‘I have been cooking since age seven; I am used to it.’
‘That is ideal for a woman! I don’t like a woman who is only suited to business.’ He continues to praise her in his own way.
‘This dish shouldn’t be overcooked,’ Oshin ignores Ryuzo’s constant praises and serves him the dish.
‘Thanks for serving me my food. Thank you!’ Ryuzo says, very pleased, and then he fills his mouth with the food, Oshin just served. He says, still eating, ‘This is so good! You are a great cook! Won’t you join me?’
Oshin feels better by his kindness and care but is unsure of herself. She lowers her head. Ryuzo continues, ‘You are a warm, kind person, but that is not enough to make it in this world. You are strong, too. You are all on your own here in Tokyo. You have the strength to make it! No ordinary woman would be so calm about being taken in by the police twice!’
‘I am not proud of it,’ says Oshin slowly.
‘One can’t make it without the kind of spirit. I want a woman like that by my side. I didn’t fall for your looks. I fell for the person you are! Please understand!’
‘I am not what you think I am!’ says Oshin.
‘You don’t understand your own worth! You are the most wonderful woman to me. Please be my wife!’ he bows again and continues, ‘I can’t promise to make you happy, but I promise that I will take good care of you! I will never make you cry. Please believe in me; just follow me!’
Oshin cannot feel for Ryuzo, but she is moved by his sincere ways. She says, ‘I appreciate what you say, but please stop dreaming.’
‘I am not dreaming; I am very serious! I am willing to wed you right now!’
‘I refuse!’ Oshin shouts; she cannot take it anymore. Truthfully, she says, ‘I have never thought of you as a marriage partner.’
‘Start thinking about it now!’ Ryuzo laughs as he says.
‘I don’t intend to!’
‘Do you dislike me?’ Ryuzo is puzzled to see the rigidness in Oshin.
‘That is not the point. We live in different worlds!’
‘Don’t you start talking like that!’
‘Society won’t consider us as being equal. Your parents too or Genzi.’ Oshin remains realistic.
‘I left home to become a merchant. I am on my own!’
‘I have to support my family back home. I am not free to do as I please,’ says Oshin.
‘I can take care of your family for you!’ Ryuzo is ready to help.
‘I can’t ask you to do that. I am happy with my life as it is. I can support myself and my family, too. I don’t intend to give up my freedom. You have helped me a lot, and I am thankful.’
‘I understand,’ Ryuzo lowers his head, disappointed and sad.
‘I would better leave now,’ says Oshin; she now feels bad for Ryuzo. She quickly gets up and starts to go.
‘Oshin, I won’t give up. I am in no hurry. Just get to know me,’ says Ryuzo; being a positive person, he remains hopeful.
***
It is pretty late. With eyes drooping, Genzi waits for his young Master to return home. Ryuzo opens the door, and Genzi spring up to a standing position. Ryuzo ignores him and goes inside. After closing the door, Genzi follows Ryuzo to his mother’s room.
‘I am sorry about today,’ says Ryuzo to his mother as he sits in front of her.
‘How dare you embarrass your mother!’ Ms. Kiyo is extremely upset.
‘I didn’t come because I had no intention of marrying that girl. I will never have a marriage meeting,’
Ryuzo comes straight to the point. He knows that it will hurt his mother, but he wants to remain truthful.
***
Oshin returns home and opens the sliding door of her room. It is dark inside, but she can spot a letter next to the door. She picks it up and switches on the lamp hanging from the roof by slightly turning it. She rips open the letter; it is from her father. He writes, ‘I am happy that you are doing well. I appreciate the money you send. Your brother Shoji is finally getting married. Please send a larger amount for his wedding.’
Oshin is thoughtful. The letter from her father, obviously written by someone else, leaves Oshin feeling empty. She doesn’t mind working. But she cannot appreciate her father writing so blatantly, taking her for granted. How long will she have to continue this? She has just refused Ryuzo’s proposal. She doesn’t love him, but she feels terrible that she is not in a position to marry anyone. Why should she send money for her brother’s wedding? The brother, all he does is insults Oshin and their mother. Oshin doesn’t feel good about it at all.
She goes to the backyard and burns the letter her father wrote. She then cleans a vessel. Something has snapped inside her.
This letter impacts her profoundly. Will she take some drastic action?
We will know more in the next episode, no. 75, coming soon.