Bheela’s Blog -076
30 April 2022
Episode 75 Recap
Oshin’s mother sends a letter to Oshin. She informs her that the extra money her father asked for was for the house’s renovation. Oshin feels better after she receives her mom’s letter. She works hard, cuts down her meals, and becomes weak.
Ryuzo confesses his love for Oshin to the café girls, and they pursue Oshin to change her decision. Oshin faints due to overwork.
Ms. Kiyo gives an ultimatum to Ryuzo that he must leave Oshin or he will be disowned. Ryuzo is about to apologize to his mom, but Someko comes to his house and informs him about Oshin’s sickness.
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Episode 76
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oyae walks alongside the stretcher on which the nurses carry Oshin to the emergency examination room. The doctor’s examination resulted in her being admitted to the hospital. Someko rushes to inform Ryuzo; she knows he seriously cares for Oshin.
***
‘It is Oshin; she needs you!!’ Someko shouts as she thumps her fists with full force on the door of the Tanokura store.
Ryuzo springs to his feet, and his mother stops him. Genzi reaches the door, switches on the lights, and opens it.
‘Young Master is not at home,’ he lies to Someko.
‘Where did he go?’ Someko enquires and tries to enter the house, but Genzi stops her.
‘He didn’t tell me!’ says Genzi.
‘You are lying; he wouldn’t be out at a time like this!’ Someko releases herself from Genzi’s grip and shouts, ‘Oshin has fainted; she collapsed! Mr. Tanokura!!’ she forces her way in.
‘Please leave!’ Genzi uses all his strength to push Someko out of the door. Ryuzo comes out at this instance.
‘I thought so; he is here,’ says Someko.
‘You can’t go; You just promised your mother!’ says Genzi as he watches Ryuzo picks up his wallet and coat. Ms. Kiyo comes out, too, and she tries to stop Ryuzo.
‘She has no family here in Tokyo; she needs help,’ says Ryuzo firmly to his mother and rushes behind Someko.
‘Let him go!’ says Ms. Kiyo; her face is grim.
‘I am sorry! I will talk to him when he gets back. Please forgive!’ Genzi bows in apology.
Ms. Kiyo sighs as she resigns to the situation.
***
‘Is it Beriberi?’ asks Ryuzo to the physician. He and Someko are in the chambers of the hospital doctor.
‘There are various types of beriberi, and this patient has the variety that affects the heart. Her blood pressure has dropped, and her heart has enlarged. This caused the blood vessels to constrict. That is why she collapsed. She could die from it; she just had a close call,’ the doctor explains at length.
‘Is she safe now?’ Ryuzo asks; he is worried.
‘We have stabilized her, but there are no guarantees. She is weak. I am amazed that she lasted this long. She must have been suffering, but she is solid,’ says the doctor.
‘Oshin had to send more money home to her family; she took on more customers than she could handle. She was also sewing at night. She had to keep going,’ Someko shares the situation with the doctor.
‘How reckless! She could have died,’ the doctor comments.
‘Is beriberi contagious?’ asks Someko.
‘People used to think so, but it is caused by a Vitamin B deficiency. As the Japanese began eating more white rice, the problem got worse. Nobody had this disease when we ate brown rice or rice-barley mixes,’ says the doctor as he writes a prescription for Oshin.
‘Is there a cure?’ Ryuzo asks; for most people in Japan, Beriberi is a new disease.
(This article provides more information on the disease and how it infected Japan and other countries at the beginning of the last century and later https://www.alphaomegaalpha.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/p9-14_Nakayama_beriberi_AUT21.pdf )
‘We will give her a lot of Vitamin B. But she has worn out, and she needs rest. She will make it if she can last three days,’ says the doctor.
‘Please do all you can for her. I will stay with her,’ Ryuzo says, and he bows in respect.
***
Oshin is lying on a mattress motionless in the hospital room, covered in a quilt. Ryuzo and Someko enter her room. Both sit next to her.
‘How foolish to work so hard,’ says Ryuzo.
‘The money is not worth it. Oshin never spent anything on herself. She has been cutting back on her meals, too. Poor thing!’ Someko is concerned for Oshin, and she says with regrets in her voice. All the café girls feel for Oshin.
‘Thank you for your help,’ Ryuzo says, looking at Someko, ‘you need to get back to work. This is your busy time of the night.’
‘I don’t have to worry if you are here! I will come back again. She is lucky to have you!’ says Someko.
***
It is almost dawn; Genzi hasn’t slept all night. He waits for Ryuzo, sitting on a chair, his head occasionally dropping due to lack of sleep. Ms. Kiyo enters the room.
‘He didn’t come home all night,’ Ms. Kiyo comments, looking at Genzi. He nods. She continues, ‘you stayed up waiting all night?’
‘I feel bad for you,’ Genzi says.
‘I didn’t think he would stay the night with her,’ says Ms. Kiyo, and she takes a deep sigh. She sits on a chair next to Genzi.
‘I am ashamed, but that woman said Oshin had collapsed. So, maybe he is at the hospital with her,’ says Genzi.
‘He doesn’t owe her anything!’ Ms. Kiyo ignores the fact that Ryuzo loves Oshin.
‘But he is good-natured and in love with her,’ Genzi reminds Ms. Kiyo.
‘How weak can he be? Please check to see where he spent the night. Depending on what we find out, I have it in mind to take action, and you can’t protect him!’ Ms. Kiyo gets up anxiously and leaves, announcing her decision.
***
Ryuzo doesn’t sleep, too, the whole night. He sits on the floor next to Oshin’s mattress. His head is bent forward, and his eyes are shut due to tiredness. Oshin is in a deep sleep under the influence of medicines.
Oshin stirs a bit, looks around, and her gaze stops at Ryuzo. She is startled and tries to get up. Ryuzo wakes up too.
‘What are you doing? You have to stay in bed!’ Ryuzo is alarmed; he holds Oshin by her shoulder and carefully puts her back in a sleeping position. He places his fingers on his lips and says, ‘And you can’t talk!’ He explains to her further, ‘That will weaken your heart, and your heart might stop. It is just beriberi; you need to just get some rest,’ he smiles as he says; he is concerned and doesn’t want to scare Oshin.
He takes the stool, sits next to the mattress, and says, ‘Once you get over the hump, you will get better. So don’t worry.’
‘Why are you here?’ Oshin asks; she is shocked to see him next to her.
‘I said no talking! Someko came to tell me when you collapsed. She had to work, so I stayed with you. Don’t take beriberi lightly. When it affects your heart, it is a dangerous illness. I didn’t want something to happen, so I stayed,’ he tries his best to repeat what the doctor said but uses caution!
‘Thank you!’ says Oshin.
‘Just keep quiet and rest! I will get the nurse for you if you need anything.’ Ryuzo smiles as he mildly scolds Oshin.
‘Thank you again!’ Oshin is grateful.
‘No talking!’ Ryuzo reminds her; she smiles, and he smiles too. He is relieved to see Oshin awake and responsive.
‘Thank goodness! I sure was worried last night,’ says Ryuzo taking a deep breath of relief.
‘I will be all right by myself,’ says Oshin; she feels awkward taking help from Ryuzo.
‘No, don’t worry about it. I have Genzi taking care of the business. So don’t worry about me. Even if you don’t like me, it is better than having no one,’ Ryuzo laughs at his own joke!
The nurse enters the room, and Ryuzo stands up, wishing her good morning.
‘Please leave the room when I come,’ says the nurse, ‘a lady patient needs her privacy.’
‘I am sorry, no wonder women dislike me!’ Ryuzo makes fun of himself again and leaves the room.
***
‘When will Oshin be back? We need her to do our hair!’ says Oshigeko. Café girls are getting dressed for their evening duty; everyone is missing Oshin.
‘It is pricey elsewhere!’ says young Oyae.
‘She should have charged us more, then she wouldn’t have had to take on so many clients,’ Someko says; she is the closest to Oshin and worries.
‘But I am glad that she passed the crisis! I stopped by the hospital earlier today, and she is better,’ says Oyae smiling.
‘I was there at noon, too. Ryuzo is there watching over her like a guard dog! Oshin sure is lucky,’ says Someko.
‘I thought she refused his proposal? I bet she doesn’t like him hanging around. I would have none of that myself!’ says the other friend.
‘Don’t talk like that! He takes such good care of her!’ Someko protests. They are hopeful that Oshin will finally come around and accept Ryuzo as her life partner.
‘That is not good enough for a woman! He should know his place and leave her alone!’ the friend opines.
Suddenly the friend screams out of fear; she sees a man peeping through the door.
‘You pervert!’ she shouts.
The man is Genzi; he is looking for Someko. Hearing the scream, he moves out, closing the door.
‘You work for Tanokura?’ Someko comes out, sliding the door open slightly, and asks Genzi; she is taken aback also.
‘I have finally found you! I checked every café and club our master frequents! Where is Oshin? I am here to ask for your help finding her,’ Genzi says half-lie, but it is so evident that it is comical! He asks, ‘How is Oshin? Is she better?’
Someko gives an all-knowing smile!
***
‘I am glad you got your appetite back!’ says Ryuzo; he sits on a stool next to Oshin’s mattress; Oshin sits up and drinks soup from a bowl. Ryuzo hasn’t gone home; he is wearing the same suit.
‘I heard of beriberi, but I didn’t expect to get it,’ Oshin says and laughs.
‘The Japanese overeat white rice now,’ says Ryuzo.
‘Then you would never get this disease back home in Yamagata. We eat daikon gruel or a rice-barley mix. I guess white rice was too much for me!’ Oshin says, smiling; she feels better, and some color is back on her face.
‘One needs to eat more fish and vegetables, too.’ Ryuzo talks in a friendly way to make Oshin comfortable.
‘I have been busy, so I usually have just rice and pickles.’
‘I figured this as much; you have to be more careful.’
‘Yes, I will never do that again! I have caused you so much trouble already! Please go home now.’ Oshin urges.
‘I am staying until you are well enough to leave!’ Ryuzo is firm.
‘Yes, but.’ she protests mildly.
‘Just do as I say!’ says Ryuzo.
***
The door opens, and Ms. Kiyo enters with Genzi.
‘I order you to return home now! You told me you would forget about this woman,’ says Ms. Kiyo rudely to Ryuzo.
‘She is ill; she needs care,’ says Ryuzo.
‘You are determined to defy me? I will tell you straight, and you would better listen, too.’ She looks at Oshin and says, ‘I can’t allow you two to marry!’
‘Mother! Don’t talk like this while she is still sick,’ protests Ryuzo.
‘I need you both to hear this! If you two insist on getting married, I will disown him. He will no longer be a Tanokura. And he will have to give up his business, too. You understand, don’t you?’ she turns towards Ryuzo and announces the injunction again, ‘it is all up to you what you decide to do.’
‘She is not saying any of this out of spite. She is thinking of you,’ says Genzi; he defends Ms. Kiyo as a loyal family servant.
‘Wake up! What is so good about this woman?’ repeats the mother; spitefully!
‘You don’t know anything about Oshin. I am determined to marry her no matter what! I don’t care about the Tanokura family. I would rather cut my ties with the family than have to always do what you tell me! Yes, I will cut my ties myself! And, I will gladly leave that business, too. Is that enough?’ Ryuzo stands up to his belief; he is angry, too.
Oshin listens to this conversation with her head bowed down. She is in a fix to have caused this trouble.
‘I see,’ says the mother, full of emotions, ‘I have nothing more to say. I am going home to Saga tomorrow. There is nothing here for me in Tokyo,’ she sobs as she speaks and leaves the room.
Genzi starts sobbing too and follows Ms. Kiyo.
‘Mr. Tanokura,’ says Oshin; she feels uneasy.
‘I am sorry, you must have felt bad,’ Ryuzo calms down. He is tired, sits on the stool again, and says, ‘I know I am being childish, but I can’t lie. You refused me, but I still have to stand up for myself. Don’t worry about anything. Things are taking their natural course,’
He pauses for a while; Oshin is stunned and speechless by the turn of events before her eyes. Ryuzo says, coming close to Oshin, ‘you would better get some sleep.’ He picks up the bowl and goes out of the room.
Oshin looks at him with wonder! The man she considered frivolous has turned out to be strong and unique!
What will unfold further? Will Oshin agree?
We will find out more in the next episode, number 77, soon!