Bheela’s Blog -084
25 June 2022
Episode 83 Recap
Oshin visits her village to see her ailing father. She finds many changes in the household.
Oshin’s father shows affection toward her, and Oshin forgets all the anguish she held for her father.
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Episode 84
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin visited Yamagata to be with her dying father, but things were different. The new house was built, and her brother Shoji was now married. Although Shoji’s wife, Tora, was young, Fuji, Oshin’s mom, continues to do the household work, taking care of her ailing husband. Oshin felt uneasy in Tora’s presence.
Her father was near death. Oshin stays close to him.
‘Father, Go and rest in the new house,’ Oshin tells her father when he opens his eyes, ‘we will carry you there.’
‘No, that house belongs to Shoji. He is the heir, and I am just glad that he is married now,’ Sakuzo speaks with difficulty.
‘That is ridiculous!’ exclaims Oshin.
‘I like it here in this old hut. I was born and raised here. Both your grandfather and grandmother died here. This is home to me. Oshin, I know you have suffered the most hardship. This new house is yours, too. Your mother will be all right now. Oshin, I am grateful to you. I have no regrets; I have done all I can. I just want to thank you and apologize, too. You are here now, so I have no more regrets,’ Sakuzo uses up all the energy left with him to express his feelings.
‘Don’t say that,’ Oshin consoles him, ‘I want you to get well and have an easy life,’
‘I know how bad my condition is. All my children are here. Fuji got you all here because of what the doctor said. Mitsue is already 23 but can’t marry because she has worked so hard. We are worried about you, too. I wish I could have seen you both get married. If you become a spinster, it is my fault. That is one regret I will take with me,’ says the father; he wants to spell out all the thoughts that were pent up in his mind.
‘Don’t talk so much; you will tire yourself,’ says Fuji.
‘It is all right; I would better say it now. Oshin, I am sorry for burdening you so much all your young life,’ says the father.
Oshin decides to share her secret with her father; she doesn’t want him to go with a false regret.
‘Don’t worry about me,’ says Oshin, ‘I am happy. I am married now, and you have already met the man I married. He is Mr. Ryuzo Tanokura. I know you were against it, so I didn’t tell you. But his father has given his approval. I have moved into his house, too. Maybe you don’t like him, but I am happy. That Genzi you had a fight with, he is so good to me!’
As Oshin breaks this good news, Mitsue and Fuji both are happily surprised; they all come close to Oshin and listen with awe!
‘Really?’ the father is surprised, too. He says, ‘I have dreams about when I went to Tokyo and yelled at them both. I was concerned that I made you unhappy,’ having learned the news of Oshin’s marriage, Sakuzo feels his strength returning. He looks at his wife and says, ‘get some sake!’
‘Don’t be silly!’ says Fuji.
‘I want to celebrate Oshin’s marriage. It only happens once in a lifetime. I haven’t been able to do anything for her. I want us to drink and celebrate,’ he commands with enthusiasm.
Fuji starts sobbing, inserting a cloth into her mouth. She doesn’t want her emotions to be seen in front of her children and husband.
‘Don’t do this,’ pleads Oshin.
Sakuzo doesn’t listen; he gathers all his strength to lift himself up. Oshin and Fuji support him. Mitsue starts crying, sitting close to Fuji. Fuji calms down and prepares the drink.
‘It is what he wants; I will respect his wishes,’ Fuji tells Mitsue and takes the tray with snacks and drink to the living area. Mitsue lays the mattress close to the fire, and Oshin supports Sakuzo to get him seated.
‘Give some to Oshin,’ says Sakuzo, ‘Fuji, you have some, too.’ His body is weak, but his mind is happy. Oshin’s younger brother and sister join, too.
‘Pour some for everyone!’ says Sakuzo. They all cry joyfully for Oshin and are sorry for the father’s condition. Sakuzo takes the cup from Fuji and declares, ‘Let us all celebrate Oshin’s wedding. Best wishes, Oshin!’ he raises his cup and drinks. Oshin starts crying.
‘Don’t cry at a time like this! This sake is good. This is the best sake I have ever had! I am so happy; it is too good!’ exclaims Sakuzo; he tries his best to be cheerful.
Oshin drinks the sake from her cup forcibly, tears flowing from her eyes continuously.
***
Sakuzo passes away in the night. He dies of cirrhosis, a server disease of the liver. He looks peaceful in death, and Oshin feels good about this. Shoji refuses to spend much on the funeral, so it is a small ceremony.
***
‘He was a fool to drink in his condition! Why did you let him do it?’ as expected, Shoji shouts at his mother with a tone full of insult. Fuji remains silent. She and Oshin pray in front of the plaque kept in Sakuzo’s name with some incense burning. Shoji continues, ‘But I guess he would have died anyway. At least he was happy. He helped us all out by dying. We are meeting at my place, so I will be leaving. I sure don’t want to be like him.’ He gets up and starts towards the door.
‘Shoji! Don’t you dare talk like that about him! He didn’t ask you to live the way he did. He inherited this poor sharecropper’s farm! He felt it was his duty to pass it on to you! He repaid all his debts, and he built you a house! He wanted you to have it a little easier. Be grateful to him!’ Fuji defends her departed husband as best as she can. She asks Shoji to stop and complete the prayer, but Shoji marches ahead. Fuji shouts, ‘The Gods will punish you!’ Fuji gets tired and drops to her knees in front of the plaque.
‘Your father lived for this house. He always said farmers are the strongest people. Your father beat me a lot. He had only me to take his anger out on! He had it tough, never had any money,’ says Fuji; although Sakuzo didn’t treat her well, she still wants to be fair.
‘Mother, let us go to Tokyo together. I can’t just leave you here with father gone. Ryuzo is a very kind man. He will be glad to have you,’ says Oshin lovingly to her mother.
‘Oh, sure!’ finally, Fuji has a hint of a smile on her face.
‘Life here will be miserable with Shoji and Ms. Tora,’ Oshin says.
‘This is my house! Nobody can dislodge me,’ Fuji remains firm on her stand.
She says, ‘you would better be returning now to Tokyo. A new bride shouldn’t be away too long,’ Fuji shares some life’s lessons with Oshin. She then turns her gaze to the main door of the new house. Some young men are entering the house in a hush-hush way. Fuji says, ‘look at them; they are no good.’
‘What are they meeting about?’ Oshin looks at the young people entering her brother’s house and asks.
‘They want to petition the landlord to lower the land rent fees. The landlord will never agree! He is no fool. Moreover, the police are about to shut such meetings down. There is an outside agitator. They call him a Red,’ says Fuji.
Oshin gets up instantly to her feet as she thinks of Kota. She asks eagerly, ‘does the outsider comes here, too?’
‘Shoji is impressed by him,’ Fuji is disappointed; she doesn’t want any unrest in life. She has accepted the suffering as her fate.
Oshin runs to the door. Mom calls her, but she doesn’t listen. She peeps through the door of the new house by opening it slightly and looks around the room. The men are talking in a low voice, but there is no sign of Kota.
Oshin smiles at her silly eagerness at the prospect of seeing Kota; she reminds herself that she is now married to Ryuzo. She sits next to the streamlet and puts her hands in the running water. A man enters through the lane. Oshin turns to look; she jumps up and comes face to face with the man. He is indeed Kota.
Kota is stunned to see Oshin there suddenly.
‘So, it is you!’ Oshin cannot hide her happiness at seeing Kota after all these years.
‘What a surprise,’ says Kota; he is stunned, but his face remains grim.
‘It has been so long!’ Oshin bows in greeting. Kota looks around and takes Oshin behind the bushes to hide from the lane view. He asks with alarm, ‘why are you here?’
‘This is my home. My father just died.’ Oshin replies with her head down.
‘You are Shoji’s sister?’ Kota is now able to connect. He says, ‘so that is it.’
‘You are still with the movement?’ asks Oshin.
‘Yes, it is my life’s work! So, you are from this village. We used to talk a lot when we first met. You understood my work. That made me so happy,’ says Kota; he smiles now.
Oshin squats near the streamlet, her delight visible so clearly. Kota’s soft feelings towards Oshin also seem to surface with this chance meeting.
‘This is the worst sharecropper area in all of Japan. You told me about how hard life was back home. I now understand, too,’ says Kota; he squats next to Oshin. He continues, ‘growing up here, you knew what it was all about. Maybe that is why you never give up on things. What are you doing now?’
Oshin pauses for a moment and decides to speak the truth. ‘I have got married.’ She feels shy and lowers her eyes.
Kota is shocked but quickly regains his composure and asks, ‘Really? Where?’
‘In Tokyo. I married a fabric merchant in Nihonbashi in Tokyo. My name is Oshin Tanokura now.’
(Nihonbashi is a locality in Tokyo, 5 km south of Ueno station)
‘Congratulations!’ says Kota, with a fake smile. ‘I am sure he is a fine man.’ He tells Oshin. He then comes out truthfully, saying, ‘I feel a little lonely, but I am glad. Being a merchant’s wife suits you.’
‘What about you?’
‘I am not the family type. I only make women unhappy. Please remain happy always! Oshin, you must be happy! And always be happy.’ Kota regrets not being able to be the cause of Oshin’s happy life, but he genuinely wishes her well. He gets up and says, ‘I am glad to see you again. And I am glad to see you are happy.’ Kota walks off to attend the meeting at Shoji’s place. Oshin gets up and stands still, watching Kota leave.
***
It is an unexpected meeting with Kota. By telling Kota of her marriage, Oshin feels a burden lifted from her shoulders. It is a farewell to her first love.
She decides that she will live only for Ryuzo now. She feels that she will probably never come home again. It is also a farewell to her old home, giving her the resolve to devote herself to her new life with Ryuzo.
What will happen now? Will Oshin earn some happy times in her life?
We will know more in the next episode, number 85, soon.