Bheela’s Blog -083
18 June 2022
Episode 82 Recap
Ryuzo’s father shares the contents of a letter written by Genzi to him. Genzi praises Oshin and asks for Daigoro’s approval. Daigoro, in his exceptional wisdom, approves of their marriage and accepts Oshin wholeheartedly. Oshin and Ryuzo are overwhelmed.
Genzi wishes to return to Saga, but Oshin asks him to stay.
A telegram arrives informing Oshin about Sakuzo’s illness.
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Episode 83
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
On the night Ryuzo’s father visits Tokyo, Oshin receives news that her father in Yamagata village is on his deathbed. They need her at home. But she cannot just leave Ryuzo and his father and go to Yamagata.
She clutches the telegram in her hands. Genzi comes close to her and reads the news. Oshin doesn’t know what to do and is in a great dilemma.
‘Hmm, that is bad. Since Oshin’s mother took the trouble of sending a telegram, he must be in a bad state,’ says Daigoro. He reads the telegram too. He understands the difficulties of communication facilities in remote villages and easily comprehends the gravity of the situation. He takes the matter under his control and says, looking at Oshin, ‘You should better go on home right away.’
‘Yes, but,’ Oshin hesitates.
‘Don’t worry about me. I just came to meet you. Now that has been done, I am going home tomorrow,’ says Daigoro.
‘But you have just arrived!’ Oshin is in two minds.
‘Even if Oshin goes to Yamagata, Genzi can keep you company,’ Ryuzo comes forward, he says in support of Oshin’s trip to her village. He also wants his father to stay in Tokyo for some more time.
‘Kiyo may be there, but some things only I can handle. So, Oshin, don’t worry about me. Go on home!’ says Daigoro; he is a down-to-earth, practical man. He continues, ‘what if he dies? You would regret it your whole life.’
‘Thank you, but,’ Oshin is still hesitant.
‘I will take good care of our young Master,’ says Genzi.
‘Then you will stay here? You won’t go back to Saga?’ Oshin exclaims in delight by the prospect of Genzi staying in Tokyo.
‘I guess I can still be useful here,’ Genzi lowers his head. He is always pleased to be at the service of the Tanokura family.
‘Genzi,’ Oshin cries out; she comes closer to Genzi at his feet, bowing, and says, ‘please stay for my sake. If Ryuzo and I should ever fight, I need you to be with me!’
‘Ha, ha! If they fight, be on Oshin’s side. It would probably be Ryuzo’s fault anyway!’ father looks at Genzi and says, laughing out loudly.
‘You are too easy on women!’ Ryuzo scratches his head and participates in the joke.
‘Ryuzo, shouldn’t you go to Yamagata, too?’ asks the father, this time on a serious note.
‘I have my business to tend to,’ Ryuzo hesitates. Oshin looks at him, and she understands.
‘This is no time to be saying that!’ the father insists, ‘You are Oshin’s husband; he is your father-in-law. It is best if you both went,’ he also wants to be fair.
‘Her father is against us getting married,’ Ryuzo clarifies.
‘I am sorry!’ Oshin bows in apology to the father and says, ‘I don’t want Ryuzo to have an unpleasant time.’
‘Oshin sacrificed a lot in marrying you,’ says Daigoro; he is thinking.
‘You can call me from there. If it is okay for me to come. I will come right away,’ Ryuzo consoles Oshin. He warns her, saying, ‘But don’t tell him about our marriage, or else he will be upset. We don’t want his condition to get worse.’
***
Oshin starts packing her clothes in a suitcase. Ryuzo helps her.
‘My father is so happy; I wish your father could have blessed us, too. If he pulls through, maybe he will’ says Ryuzo; he is always so hopeful.
‘I will talk to him as best as possible,’ says Oshin.
‘Use your judgment in telling him.’
‘I am so happy, and yet,’ Oshin is hesitant still.
‘I know it is hard for you, but think of your father,’ Ryuzo remains considerate. He remembers something and takes out the envelope with cash from his kimono.
‘This is for your trip,’ he hands the packet to Oshin.
‘I have money,’ says Oshin, her head down with gratitude.
‘This isn’t the money for your house back home. I am sending you back as my wife! So, it is only expected that I pay for it. Genzi told me to give you the money. Take your time in caring for him. Call me if you need more money,’ says Ryuzo with a laugh; he wants to make the situation light for Oshin.
***
Oshin takes the train to reach Yamagata station and then, from there, walks up to her village. She almost runs, with her suitcase in her hand. Tripping here and there, she finally reaches her home. She wipes her sweat with the back of her hand. She stops to look at her home with anxiety and longing.
Fuji comes out of the main door with a doctor.
‘Thank you very much,’ Fuji tells the doctor.
‘Call me if you need. I will come right away,’ says the doctor. As the doctor leaves, Fuji spots Oshin. She is delighted.
‘Oshin! You are here!’ The mother is too happy. She says, ‘we were wondering if you would be able to come home.’
‘Is father that bad off?’ says Oshin, full of worry, ‘he seemed so well when I saw him in Tokyo.’
‘He took ill after that. He drank too much, so his liver is bad. The house is finished, too,’ mother shows the newly built house. Oshin turns, looks excited, and says, ‘It is built?’
‘I guess he wanted it done before he died,’ says Fuji with a deep sigh.
Oshin looks at the lane approaching her house as she hears footsteps. Shoji, her brother, is back from the field, and a woman follows him.
‘Brother!’ Oshin greets him cheerfully.
‘Why did you ask Oshin to be here, too?’ As usual, Shoji is upset to see Oshin; he charges his mother for calling Oshin. He says, ‘we hardly have enough rice for ourselves! My wife won’t like you loafing here while we work!’ he is rude as ever.
‘She is Tora, your brother’s wife,’ Fuji introduces the woman standing next to Shoji. Tora has a grim face, full of irritation. Then the mother introduces Oshin to Tora, saying, ‘Oshin is a hairdresser in Tokyo, and she sends money home every month. You owe your new house to Oshin!’ the mother doesn’t mince any words to let the ungrateful son know.
Oshin stops her mom and says, ‘Congratulations on your wedding! I am Oshin. Please take good care of my parents,’ Oshin is happy for her brother; she says, looking at Tora.
Both Tora and Shoji don’t return the greetings of Oshin and march into their new home. Tora has contempt on her face. Oshin and her mom look on.
‘She is so unfriendly,’ comments Oshin.
‘She has no manners; what a bride!’ Fuji says without any expression; she has accepted this as a fate.
(A mother longs for her son’s wedding, the arrival of his bride, and later grandchildren. So did Fuji, but she is also a practical woman!)
‘Come and see your father,’ Fuji holds Oshin’s hands and pulls her to the hut.
Oshin enters through the door and is delighted to see her other siblings. Mitsue, her elder sister, and the two younger siblings, now in their teens, are all there.
‘Mitsue!’ Oshin cries out.
All of them say together, ‘Sister! Welcome home!!’ They come close to Oshin. The younger boy takes the suitcase from Oshin’s hands.
‘They all took time off from work to be here,’ says Fuji.
‘Father was glad to see us all, but this might be the last time,’ says Mitsue, sobbing.
***
Sakuzo is lying on a mattress, too sick to even move. Oshin sits next to him and looks at her father; he has difficulty in breathing.
‘He has just gone to sleep,’ says Mitsue, she whispers, ‘the doctor has given up on him.’
Oshin looks at her sister and gets up. She goes to Fuji and asks, ‘why is he sleeping here? Put him in the new house!’
‘Your father wants in this way. He doesn’t want to die in the new house. He doesn’t want to trouble Shoji and his wife,’ Fuji remains calm as she replies.
‘That is ridiculous! That new house was our father’s dream! And that dream finally came true,’ Oshin flares up.
‘We would all feel uncomfortable in that new house. I don’t have any restrictions here in this hut!’ mother replies.
‘Why have any restrictions? He is the one who built that new house!’ shouts Oshin angrily.
‘Oshin! You are an outsider, don’t talk about what goes on here. Even if you did pay for the new house,’ Fuji replies sternly. She doesn’t want any changes in the current condition of her husband.
‘Mother!’ Oshin is shocked to see how the mother meekly accepts the unfair situation.
‘You have Tokyo to go back to. But I still have to be here. So, don’t make waves,’ says Fuji. She prefers freedom over the comforts of the new house!
Fuji changes the topic and says, ‘let us all have some tea and talk.’
‘When did you get here?’ Oshin asks her sister.
‘Yesterday,’ replies Mitsue.
‘Where did you all sleep?’ Oshin probes further; she knows that the old hut gets too cold during winters, and the condition of the mattresses is no good anymore.
‘We all slept here,’ replies the younger one.
‘Why can’t they sleep in the new house?’ Oshin asks her mom. She feels the suffering of her siblings. She continues, ‘It has been years since they all have come home.’
‘Father is here in this hut; we wanted to be with him,’ says Mitsue. Oshin’s siblings do not care about the physical comforts; they don’t want to face the rude brother Shoji and his arrogant wife, Tora!
Oshin feels disappointed; she says, looking at her mother, with a deep sigh, ‘what did I send all that money for?’ she gets irritated by Fuji’s silence. Oshin gets up in rage and rushes to the new house. Fuji tries to stop, but Oshin doesn’t listen. She marches and makes a forced entry into the living room.
***
‘What do you want?’ asks Tora.
‘Why are you just barging in here?’ Shoji retorts, looking at Oshin.
‘It is my house, so why not?’ Oshin replies. She is in a fighting mood. She says, ‘I want father here in this new house, get up, give me a hand,’ she commands.
‘Why all of a sudden?’ says Shoji indignantly.
‘Father was looking forward to this new house! I want him to be resting here! We can all be here, caring for him. Mother can’t do it all by herself. Mitsue and others have a right to be here, too.’ Oshin calms down a bit.
‘You have no right to talk to me like that,’ says Shoji pouring himself a drink. This makes Oshin angry again. She sits in front of Shoji to face him. Tora also joins them.
‘Maybe you did a lot for our family. But I have worked hard, too. I stayed for us all. Just like you, I didn’t want to be a sharecropper! I deserve this house and more!’ Shoji says. From his childhood, he had this false sense of entitlement.
He continues to play a victim, saying, ‘And it still wouldn’t be enough with all the sacrifices I have made up until now! Just because I am the eldest son, I don’t want to have to take care of my siblings, too. I can’t send you all away, and I have to feed you! Who makes that rice? You just take me for granted. Tora and I have to put up with you all! Just be grateful for that! I tell you this!’ Shoji takes a deep sigh to gather sympathy in front of Tora. She pours him a drink and takes a glassful herself, too.
Oshin fumes seeing this behavior. Shoji doesn’t stop; he says, ‘That money you sent went to father. He paid off the debts he had and built this house. You sent ‘him’ money; I got none! And he gave me this house. I don’t owe you anything! So, don’t act big here!’ Shoji remains rude; the blind love of his father has made him a man full of self-pity and false pride. ‘You got that? Don’t count on me for anything. Even if our father should die, I will get nothing. All I inherit is poverty!’
Oshin isn’t surprised; she has seen Shoji behaving this way for a long time. She remains calm.
‘I see, but I want father here in this new house,’ after a pause, Oshin speaks up, ‘you are his son!’ Oshin then looks at Tora and says, ‘Tora, you, too! You must take care of your in-laws.’
‘I didn’t know you had a sister like this,’ Tora says with disgust, ‘your mother is bad enough; now it is her! I don’t want to be here; I want to go home to my parents.’ She sobs animatedly.
‘Once father dies, we won’t have to deal with them anymore,’ says Shoji to Tora to appease her. Oshin is shocked to see them.
‘Oshin! Your father wants to see you,’ Fuji comes in and calls Oshin.
‘Is he awake?’ Oshin gets up, leaves the discussion, and returns to the old hut, closing the door behind her.
***
Oshin sits close to her father and looks at him with care. Sakuzo opens his eyes, and a faint smile appears when he sees Oshin by his side.
‘Father!’ says Oshin, smiling.
‘Oshin, thanks for coming home,’ says the father with incredible difficulty. He then does something which he has never done.
He takes his right hand and touches Oshin’s face with deep affection.
Seeing her father’s weak smile, Oshin feels all her anguish against her father disappear. ‘What was his purpose in life?’ Oshin thinks. She feels sorry for him. She rests her head against her father’s palm and soaks in joy.
Will the father survive this severe illness?
We will know more in the next episode, number 84, soon.