Bheela’s Blog -097
24 September 2022
Episode 96 Recap
Finally, a day comes when there is no food at the Tanokura house. Stores have stopped giving them credit. Ms. Taka arrives to enquire about Oshin’s health and offers some money, but Oshin refuses.
Ryuzo, at last, can fight his fear. He borrows money for the first time in his life. He assumes responsibility for Oshin and Genzi and comes out of his depression. Oshin and Ryuzo overcome the first crisis of their marriage.
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https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-096-442525e18dc8
Episode 97
BACK TO THE PRESENT TIME, AFTER LONG
Oshin and Kei stay at an expensive hotel in Tokyo. Oshin remembers the events of her early married life in Tokyo distinctly as she continues to share her past with Kei.
‘It is spring here in Tokyo. When we left home, it was still so cold,’ Oshin comments as she looks out of the window of a restaurant where she has come with Kei to enjoy the meal and talk about her past. She finds Kei staring at her intently.
‘What are you staring at? You are making me uncomfortable,’ says Oshin, and she sits at a table next to a large window. Kei keeps the newspaper aside, which he is reading. One hand on his cheek, Kei contemplates his grandma’s life and tries to analyze it.
‘I was just remembering what you told me. You never cease to amaze me,’ says Kei.
‘Why do you think I am so unusual? I don’t remember telling you anything strange,’ Oshin recalls whatever she has told Kei so far and thinks.
‘You could have had a good life being a hairdresser. But you quit to live a life of poverty,’ says Kei; he believes that his grandma always took unconventional steps, and this makes her so unique.
‘I wouldn’t call that real poverty. But it was still a shock to Ryuzo. He rushed out to borrow money which he hadn’t done ever before. He had to beg an old acquaintance, a son of a sharecropper from Saga. That seems to change his personality. He used to be very proud and selective. He used to sell only the best-imported fabrics. And he dealt only with the best tailors. And now, he was willing to do anything for money!’ says Oshin
‘That’s what I mean. You changed grandpa’s whole outlook! If you had kept working, he would have just kept depending on you.’
‘I wonder! I don’t know if what I did was good for him. But I had to quit to get him back onto his feet.’
‘Were you really prepared to starve?’ Kei is curious.
‘I would have left him before that!’ Oshin laughs mischievously and continues, ‘it was a big gamble that I took.’
‘Nobody else could have done it but you!’
‘I loved him, and he was the father of my baby. I wanted him to start over!’
‘And the business picked up and went well?’
‘Yes, but I was so happy that he straightened himself out. The 100 yen he borrowed went to pay off all our various bills, and we were poor again! But I didn’t help him at all; I had faith. It is not easy being idle,’ Oshin laughs and says, ‘I think that was the only time in my life that I took it easy like that. I didn’t care what people thought; I just loafed!’ Oshin again looks far and goes to her past.
FLASHBACK RETURNS
Oshin stops going to the salon and kills her time by watering the plant around the house. She sings as she merrily pours water into the roots.
‘Mistress!’ Genzi calls her.
‘Yes, what is it?’ Oshin wipes her hands and goes inside the house.
‘Wife of the shop owner at the corner wants you to come and do her hair. She heard that you are excellent,’ Genzi folds his hands and stands in front of Oshin like a schoolboy as he speaks. He is aware that Oshin stopped working, but he also worries about the lack of income to sustain a household. He continues shily, ‘I told her that you no longer do it, but she is asking you as your neighbor,’
Oshin turns her face away from Genzi; she starts thinking if she should take the offer, but she remains firm.
‘I guess I will go and tell her no,’ says Genzi and starts to go, but Oshin stops him. She says, ‘If I do one, I will have to do others, too!’
‘I know!’ says Genzi.
Oshin holds Genzi’s hands and says, ‘I know I am putting you on the spot. Please let me have my way for a bit longer. It will damper my husband’s will to work if I begin to work now.’
‘I should have just refused her from the start! It was my mistake,’ says Genzi, embarrassed.
‘Please apologize to her for me,’ Oshin lets him go.
As Genzi starts to go, Ryuzo enters.
‘Welcome home; you are early today!’ Both Genzi and Oshin greet Ryuzo.
‘The stationery store’s wife is waiting,’ says Ryuzo looking towards the main door. Oshin takes the coat and bag from Ryuzo and ushers him in. Genzi goes out to talk to the woman.
‘What does she want?’ asks Ryuzo.
‘She wanted me to do her hair. I refused; I told her I quit,’ says Oshin proudly.
‘You sure are so stubborn,’ comments Ryuzo, ‘who knows! I might go right back to being broke again. I can’t borrow any more money.’
‘We will cross the bridge when we come on it!’ says Oshin, always full of hope, ‘You are doing your best! If you fail, that is no fault of your own.’
‘I am quitting the fabric business. There is just too much competition. But I will need money to start something new. I am learning how hard business can be,’ says Ryuzo as he unbuttons his shirt to change into home clothes.
‘That is why it is fun!’ says Oshin cheerfully to Ryuzo.
‘You say that because you don’t understand!’ Ryuzo says, not knowing that Oshin has better business sense as the future will prove. Oshin helps him change and fills his glass of water from the tap. Ryuzo sits at the dining table, and once Oshin serves him meals, he starts, ‘someone told me that I should get into making child’s clothes. Nowadays, kids go to school wearing western-style clothes.’
(more about the history of school uniforms in Japan: https://learnjapanese123.com/japanese-school-uniforms/)
‘Children’s clothes? That is true; they all wear western clothes,’ Oshin gets excited with this idea. She starts thinking about this new business. She says, ‘I think it is better than dealing in expensive imported fabrics. Just sell cheap material for school uniforms and such!’ Oshin’s natural business instinct awakes, and she already has some business plans working in her head.
‘I know that much; we can’t just sell fabrics. We have to turn out finished products. It is a whole different kind of work!’ Ryuzo is apprehensive and doubtful about this new business line.
‘We will buy material and sew children’s clothes!’ Oshin chirps; she encourages Ryuzo to move forward. Ryuzo laughs, looking at Oshin’s childlike enthusiasm.
‘You will need sewing machines and people to sew! How much money do you think that will cost? Where will we find that much money?’ Ryuzo taps his hand on the table to emphasize the roadblocks. But Oshin’s energy doesn’t damp!
‘We can get the money by selling our stock!’ she says.
‘There is nobody out there that wants our fabrics!’ says Ryuzo sadly; he has been trying hard to find customers to buy his piled-up stock.
‘The time has come to sell!!’ says Oshin clasping her hands.
‘You think all I do is go out every day and do nothing? Nobody is willing to give me a good price.’ Ryuzo is sad; he has tried hard to sell the fabric but failed to find buyers. It is indeed the sourest point of his life.
‘But I think selling children’s clothes is a good idea. Maybe I can learn to sew children’s clothes!’
‘One needs money to start, no matter how good the idea is! Maybe I will go out and get a job. I have an offer to start work as a retail clerk,’ Ryuzo is now open to all options to bring money home. At this moment, Genzi enters the dining area and sits next to Ryuzo.
‘You can’t work for somebody else!’ Genzi protests.
‘I must! To survive,’ Ryuzo tries to calm Genzi.
‘I won’t allow it,’ Genzi sits and grumbles.
‘You are not suited to be a mere employee. You are too accustomed to doing things your way,’ Oshin joins Genzi protesting this idea of Ryuzo doing a job.
‘I can do it!’ Ryuzo sits straight and says firmly.
‘But it is not right for you. It is better to get some money together fast!’ Oshin won’t give up.
‘But,’ Ryuzo stops her.
‘I will make dinner. Just sell off the fabrics we have in stock! Let us figure out a way!’ Oshin has already decided that she will go ahead with this new business line. She gets up to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Suddenly she gets an idea.
She turns and says, ‘Let us sell the fabrics on the street!’
‘On the street?’ Ryuzo is taken aback.
‘You know? Like the street vendors of Asakusa!’ Oshin says; she is pretty sure that unless the fabrics get sold, no new business can start, so her mind gets activated in searching for ways to sell the stock.
‘That is nonsense! We only sell the best! We can’t be out selling on the streets. I couldn’t peddle things on the streets.’ Ryuzo cannot believe that there are many different ways to sell. His mind remains rigid to be open to any alternatives.
‘What is the difference if you sell in-store or got out on the streets?’ Oshin sits down again; she wants to move ahead and make Ryuzo agree. She says, ‘There is no use feeling embarrassed about it. People will come for bargain prices. And they can make anything they want with the fabric!’ Oshin continues, full blast beaming with energy.
‘This is no time for jokes,’ says Ryuzo.
‘I am not joking,’ Oshin is sincere.
‘A woman shouldn’t butt in like this,’ Ryuzo uses his last weapon to show Oshin her place.
Oshin sighs, hearing these words. Ryuzo understands that Oshin didn’t like it, so he tries to smile and says, ‘I will just go out to work and earn a salary. There is nothing to worry about.’ He laughs to make things light.
Oshin quietly goes to the kitchen, but the idea has entered her head, and she will not give up.
***
The following day, Oshin visits the Asakusa street market. It is buzzing with people of all kinds. There are vendors and buyers, from lampshades to toys to clothes. Oshin is in high spirits. She watches keenly how the sellers lure their customers, stock their material on the streets, and what the customers look for!! She is a fast learner. With her proficient skills, she gathers enough knowledge with this single market visit.
She finds a vendor selling fabrics. So, she decides to sit and watch how the business is going. Next, she passes a toy shop selling a paper whirl (we call this toy ‘firki’ in India). Four leaves of paper are connected to a wooden stick with a nail, and the paper leaf goes around when it comes in contact with air. Kids like to hold the toy high and run around for the paper to circle. Oshin blows air from her mouth to let the toy start spinning.
***
‘What are you doing?’ Genzi asks Oshin when he sees her sitting on a chair with an account book.
‘I am checking how much we paid for the fabric,’ Oshin replies; she bends over the ledger and takes notes.
‘What is the use of doing that?’ Genzi gets curious.
‘I want you to quit making envelopes,’ says Oshin theatrically. Genzi laughs out loud.
‘It keeps me busy and in cash!’ says Genzi. He puts on his specs and goes to his table to continue making envelopes. He says, ‘In Saga, I could be working in the fields. But I can’t leave my young master here in Tokyo,’
***
It is late that night. But Oshin is awake; she thinks about the new business lying on her mattress. Ryuzo is awake too.
‘You can’t sleep?’ says Ryuzo, ‘are you worried about something? You have been daydreaming all day today, too.’
‘That is how I spend my days now,’ Oshin replies, still dreaming!
‘Are you regretting having married me?’ Ryuzo talks about the fears he always feels.
Oshin gives a beautiful smile as she turns to Ryuzo’s side.
‘No, you are my baby’s precious father.’ Her words bring a smile to Ryuzo’s face, too. He turns to Oshin and says, ‘Please have a good strong baby. I am sure my mother will come around once we present her with a grandchild. Then we can all go back to Saga. It will be good for the baby, too. Back home, we have the mountains, rivers and the sea. I am sick of this busy city!’ Ryuzo can’t take his mind off the idea of returning to Saga. Oshin doesn’t respond, and he knows why.
He pulls his head to look at Oshin. Oshin looks blankly at the roof. Ryuzo then turns around with his back to Oshin and dozes off.
***
Oshin wants to sell the fabrics on the street. She is trying to figure out how to do that herself without Ryuzo and Genzi finding out. Then comes a day Ryuzo and Genzi both had to go out. She stands at the door to see them off. She happily waves to Genzi, who puts on a hat for his outing with his master. Genzi, too, looks happy.
As soon as they are out of sight, Oshin comes inside and starts packing the fabric reams into a long cloth bag; if things go well today, she wants to convince Ryuzo of her idea.
But Oshin doesn’t realize what is in store for her.
Oshin packs a large stack of fabrics in the cloth bag and sets off.
What will happen now? Will Oshin sell the material herself on the street?
We will find more in the coming episode, number 98, soon!