Bheela’s Blog -099
08 October 2022
Episode 98 Recap
Oshin takes a chance to go to the street market when Ryuzo and Genzi are out. She starts selling her goods well, understanding the pulse of the customers. But the local goons hurt her as she did not take their prior permission. She fights back too.
However, the local gang Boss is polite to Oshin and asks her to return home. Oshin is back home and is in pain.
Oshin realizes that she left her money bag on the street, and she cries for being so careless. Her body pains due to the injury when she wakes up the next day.
Please click the link to read the full Episode:
https://bheela-wadehra.medium.com/bheelas-blog-098-90939705dadc
Episode 99
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin still has back pain from the fall she suffers at the street market in a fight with the local goons. She lies down, covering herself with a quilt. Ryuzo enters with a bowl of hot soup.
‘Genzi made you some gruel. You should eat something. Does it still hurt? Maybe we should have a doctor look at you. Shall I call a doctor?’ Ryuzo asks Oshin, full of concern.
‘I am not ill,’ replies Oshin lifting her head slightly.
‘But,’ Ryuzo interrupts her.
‘I am just angry!’ confesses Oshin and continues, ‘Selling on the street is such a good idea. People come to you, and they are happy to buy. It is a real service to the people,’ Oshin has lofty, noble business sense. She considers selling as a ‘service’ to the people.
‘What is the use of talking about it. The street vendor life isn’t for us,’ says Ryuzo, serving Oshin a bowl full of soup with a spoon.
‘Why not? Selling is selling,’ says Oshin, and she gets up to drink the soup. She has a lot of pain, and she winces her face as she sits on the mattress taking support from a side pillow. She takes the bowl from Ryuzo and begins enjoying the soup.
She is in a talkative mood and says, ‘we are not trying to cheat people. We are selling goods at a good price. Quality at a bargain! What is wrong with that?’
‘No matter what you say, it is no good!’ says Ryuzo. He looks at Oshin eating her soup with full attention and smiles. He says, ‘Just be a good patient and eat.’
***
‘Young master,’ says Genzi in a hushed tone, as he enters. He pulls Ryuzo out of the room. Oshin is puzzled.
‘We have trouble! The Tekiya thug from last night is here. He wants to see her!’ says Genzi. Genzi is scared as any other Japanese to have an encounter with the infamous gang leader.
‘Is he here to make trouble?’ asks Ryuzo
‘He insists on talking directly to her!’ says Genzi.
‘He knows she is here?’ Ryuzo is scared, too, but he wants to be cautious.
‘He says he knows she is from Tanokura company, but he doesn’t realize she is your wife,’ whispers Genzi.
‘Just tell him she is not here and send him away! It is better not to have anything to do with him,’ Ryuzo says; fear grips him too.
‘What is going on?’ says Oshin; she is on her feet and comes to the backyard to find out.
‘It is nothing,’ Ryuzo grabs Oshin and turns her.
‘Is someone here?’ Oshin asks.
‘You would better get back to bed,’ Ryuzo holds Oshin so that she cannot go to the front door.
‘Sleeping won’t get me over my anger,’ says Oshin; she wobbles and takes Ryuzo’s support.
‘I saw the name of your shop on the wrapping paper on the fabric. I thought I could find her here,’ the Boss of the Tekiya gang talks to Genzi. He is the same person who saved Oshin from being hit by the goons of his gang.
Hearing his voice, Both Ryuzo and Oshin peep, standing behind the door.
‘You really don’t know who she is? She is a slim girl, about 20 years old. She has guts, too!’ The man raises his voice as he speaks to Genzi.
Oshin hears the voice, and she recognizes him.
‘That’s him!’ says Oshin and runs towards the front door
Ryuzo tries to stop her. She says, ‘That’s the man from last night!’ Oshin tries hard to release herself from Ryuzo’s grip.
‘Don’t go out there; you might get hurt!’ says Ryuzo, full of concern for Oshin’s safety.
‘I have things to say to him! I will give him a piece of my mind!’ Oshin runs towards the door, leaving Ryuzo panting with fear.
Oshin reaches the front door and faces the gang leader. Genzi has made him sit on the chair next to the table near the front door. Genzi gets scared, looks at Oshin, and cries, ‘Young Mistress! Go in,’ but the man has heard Genzi calling her Mistress.
‘You are the owner’s wife?’ asks the Boss.
‘How dare you stop me last night doing my business!’ Oshin challenges him, clenching her teeth in anger. She continues, ‘Your men hit me, and I am covered with bruises! I didn’t know the Tekiya were highwaymen!’
Genzi tries to stop her, but she says, ‘I am telling the truth!’
Ryuzo, too, comes to the front door; he pushes Oshin behind and faces the gang Boss. The man coolly lights a cigarette and looks at Ryuzo.
‘I am the owner; I am sorry that my wife caused you so much trouble last night. She doesn’t know much, so please forgive her,’ Ryuzo says apologetically, and he continues to push Oshin behind.
‘There is no need to apologize. The gang even took my money! He is wrong!’ says Oshin releasing her hands which Ryuzo holds tightly to keep her behind.
‘Ha ha ha ha!!’ The man laughs, looking at the young couple fighting. He says, ‘she impressed me with her spirit last night.’ He looks at Oshin and asks her, ‘What sign are you? Maybe an ox?’
(Japanese have signs similar to zodiac signs, each year associated with an animal, and people born in those years carry a typical personality.)
‘What if I was born in the Year of the Ox?’ says Oshin fearlessly, although Ryuzo guards her.
‘So, you are an ox! My sister was an ox, too. You remind me of her. She died from typhoid two years ago,’ says the gangster in a sad voice.
(Japan was in the grip of typhoid until late 1920. The article in this link provides more details https://www.jstor.org/stable/26250897 )
Oshin calms down a bit, and she listens to him.
‘Never mind that,’ he continues, ‘you dropped this yesterday! All your hard work would be for nothing if you leave this behind,’ he takes out a money bag and extends his hands to give the same to Oshin. He says, ‘I haven’t touched the money; check it.’ He keeps the bag on the table.
‘My bag!’ Oshin exclaims, grinning from ear to ear! She clutches the bag to her heart.
‘There must be a good reason for a woman to sell goods on the street. I figured you must need the money badly. I do what I do, but I don’t steal!’
‘Then, this?’ Oshin is puzzled; she fumbles for words.
‘Our business is renting out space to vendors. If we let everyone do as they please, there would be no order! We cooperate with the police, too. Your fabric got ruined, but that is too bad. You broke the rules, so we can’t pay you the damages,’ says the goon leader.
‘You are saying it is all my fault?’ Oshin charges back at him. Ryuzo tries to stop, but Oshin isn’t scared of anyone.
‘You have to get a permit and pay these men the rent!’ Ryuzo explains to her and looks at the man for support.
‘Yes, that is how things work. I have returned the money; my job is done,’ the man gets up and starts to the door.
‘Thank you for coming,’ says Ryuzo walking behind the man to see him off. The man turns and looks at Ryuzo.
‘You are lucky to have a wife like her. Be good to her!’ the gangster puts a hand on Ryuzo’s arms as he speaks, then turns to leave.
‘Wait,’ Oshin calls out.
‘If I pay rent, may I set up shop again?’ Oshin asks; she still has the idea of selling the fabrics on the streets.
‘Don’t be silly!’ Ryuzo warns her.
‘It is the only way we can sell our fabric; we need the money to start a new business,’ says Oshin.
‘If that is what you want, then I will help you. I can make things happen for you!’ says the gangster earnestly.
‘Really?’ Oshin is happy.
‘I like the way you are. I like your spirit. You are too good to be a woman. My late sister was like you, too,’ he says again with sadness.
‘Please come on in. I have a lot to learn from you,’ Oshin is excited, and she invites the man to her home. Genzi and Ryuzo are both startled, and they try to stop.
‘Go and get some sake and something to snack on,’ Oshin tells Genzi and turns to the man, saying, ‘I am sure you don’t mind drinking.’
‘I didn’t come here to be entertained,’ the man says, hesitating.
‘It is to celebrate our meeting! Come on in!’ Oshin chirps and ushers the man into her home. Oshin has this natural skills to make new acquaintances that would benefit her business.
***
The man sits in the dining area with Ryuzo and Oshin. Genzi brings in the drinks and snacks.
‘Drinking during the day isn’t too bad,’ the Boss starts a conversation.
‘I like the northern accent of yours! You are from Yamagata, too.’ Oshin is happy to hear the sounds of her own village she left behind.
(It is a universal emotion; the native language can bring joy without bounds! Such is the power of speech!)
Oshin continues, ‘fate has brought us together!’
‘I didn’t detect an accent on you at first,’ says the man; he enjoys a homely atmosphere and talks freely. Ryuzo and Genzi, though, are still stiff with fear.
‘I am trying to get rid of my country accent,’ says Oshin.
‘Why?’
‘When I married him, I decided to become a Tokyo person,’ says Oshin, fondly touching Ryuzo’s arm.
The man fills Ryuzo’s cup and says, ‘it is hard to go home again once you leave.’
‘That is why I have to work extra hard!’ Oshin thumps her fist on the table.
‘I know, just leave things to me,’ says the gangster with a smile.
‘It is pretty hard getting customers to come,’ Oshin wants to learn more and asks the man.
‘I hear you did your selling lines well.’
‘I am honored,’ says Oshin shyly.
‘We have our own way of self-introduction. I am from Kanto. And Kanto is no small place. It starts off like that. I will teach you that first!’ the Boss is in a good mood and is ready to teach Oshin the market tricks. He gets ups to demonstrate and tells Oshin to repeat after him.
(Kanto region in Japan has some great history behind it. See the link to learn more about the history of this region https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region#History. It is also connected with Oshin’s life)
Ryuzo is disgusted with all of these. He is a fine man from an affluent background and considers such street tricks lowly for his status. He tries to stop Oshin from encouraging a stranger this much, but Oshin simply ignores him. She gets ups and stands in front of the Boss.
‘You have to learn this, or you will never make it,’ the man bends his knees in a samurai fight position and takes his upper body forward. He says, ‘You get down like this.’
Oshin repeats after him, somewhat unsteady, but she manages to take the position, copying him.
‘Excuse me,’ the man shows how to sell and extends his hand forward.
‘Excuse me,’ says Oshin in an animated hoarse male voice.
‘Thank you for your attention,’
‘Thank you for your attention,’ repeats Oshin.
‘I am from Yamagata!’ He demonstrates, and Oshin follows seriously.
Both Ryuzo and Genzi are embarrassed by such antics.
***
Later, Oshin sits with a notebook, and Genzi brings a stack of fabric.
‘What are you doing?’ asks Ryuzo entering the hallway.
‘Checking how much we paid for our fabrics. I have to decide how much to sell it for. We can’t sell at a loss.’ Oshin replies.
‘You really believe that man?’ Ryuzo is surprised.
‘Yes, I do. Yamagata people never make false promises. They don’t talk much, but they tell the truth,’ says Oshin; she is fully convinced of her plans and confident in her instinct to gauge people.
‘You don’t have to do this,’ pleads Ryuzo.
‘Business is business. You don’t have to help me,’
‘That’s not the point. I can support us all by getting a job. Maybe we won’t get rich, but I will make enough for the three of us to get by.’ Ryuzo insists.
‘I want us to work together! We still have this shop. I hate to see us give it all up. I think it is important for couples to work together. That is what real marriages are all about. Genzi will help us, too. Let us try it. Even if we fail, it will bring us closer together. We can treasure such moments.’ Oshin tries her best to bring Ryuzo from the hopeless situation he feels he is in.
(Oshin is ahead of her time. Her thinking is so clear about business, about life!)
Oshin really believes what she says to Ryuzo. She has learned this from her past mistakes of trying to support Ryuzo alone. This time, she wants Ryuzo’s involvement. Ryuzo isn’t convinced; he walks outs.
***
Genzi cleans the glass panes of the front door. He blows air from his mouth to moisten the surface and then wipes it with a cloth.
‘Thank you! I will be right over. See you then!’ Oshin talks on the phone with someone. Genzi is curious to know who was calling. Oshin puts down the phone and runs toward Genzi.
‘Genzi! It is Ken! You know him.’
‘That Tekiya thug? Is Ken his name?’ Genzi enquires.
‘He is a good man; he has gotten me a permit. He kept his promise! People like that can be trusted. I am going to work starting tonight!’ declares Oshin, and she jumps with joy.
‘Mistress!’ Genzi tries to stop her.
‘I will go alone if you are both against it,’ says Oshin theatrically.
‘I can’t have you go all by yourself!’ protests Genzi.
‘You will join me? She asks Genzi and burst out laughing. Genzi cannot help but laugh as well.
Oshin’s plans are now taking shape. She is happy to once again have a purpose.
What is in store? Will her plan work?
We will find more in the coming Episode, number 100, soon!