Bheela’s Blog -108
18 December 2022
Episode 107 Recap
Oshin is pleasantly surprised to see her mother at her door. Ryuzo decides to bring Oshin’s mom, the best gift Ryuzo ever gave to Oshin.
Oshin and her mom both are happy to be with one another. Oshin feels as if she is the luckiest woman in the country!
Please click the link to read the full Episode:
https://medium.com/@bheela-wadehra/bheelas-blog-107-bfc04b16a8a1
Episode 108
RETURN TO THE PRESENT TIME
Kei and Oshin are on a cruise ship over the Sumida River in Tokyo for sightseeing. Kei gets a packet of snacks and hands it over to his grandma. He is keen to know about the events of Oshin’s past, especially when Oshin is talking about the birth of her first child.
‘I was big with the child then, but we went sightseeing. That was the only time I could see the sights here with my mother. That was the happiest time of my life. All the hardships seemed to disappear. And I thought my joy would last a lifetime. Little did I know what the world had in store for me.’ Oshin shares with Kei the best part of her life. Her eyes sparkle with joy thinking of those times.
But the time was not joyful for Oshin all her life. 1922 passed, and now it is another new year. Tanokura Company was doing very well. And Oshin was looking forward to a new year with her baby-to-come.
FLASHBACK RETURNS
Oshin and her mom return from a pleasant outing.
‘Don’t forget to take these gifts you bought when we went to watch the play,’ says Oshin to mom.
‘I will treasure that moment. I will tell your father about it when I see him in heaven,’ says Fuji. Oshin and Fuji enjoy their tea and chat non-stop.
‘That was my first time a play, too. After the baby comes, I will be too busy to go out,’ Oshin looks at her expanded belly and smiles. She continues to talk happily, ‘I am so glad you came!’
‘I am glad, too! You and Ryuzo have been so good to me. I was worried you might go into labor last night.’
‘I am all right. This baby is a good one!’ says Oshin.
***
‘Excuse me, but I need the medicine box,’ Genzi enters the dining area looking for the medicine box.
‘Is someone sick?’ Oshin asks.
‘Toshiko has a fever,’ replies Genzi and takes the medicine box towards the front area where the girls are working on the sewing machines.
‘Is it cold?’ says Oshin, and she gets up to look at the sick worker.
‘Don’t go out there; you might catch it!’ Genzi panics as he watches Oshin walking to the door.
‘Is she okay?’ asks Oshin, and she comes close to the coughing girl. Oshin touches her forehead of Toshiko and says, ‘you would better go home and get some rest.’
‘If I leave now, we won’t finish in time,’ says the sick girl.
‘I will take over from you. It would help if you didn’t get worse,’ says Oshin with concern.
‘I can’t let you do in your condition,’ the girl is worried for Oshin.
‘I am still fit to work; I even went to see a play last night! You go home and rest.’ Says Oshin cheerfully.
‘I am sorry,’ the girl is apologetic.
Oshin sits on the girl’s machine and starts stitching the unfinished dress.
Genzi sees Oshin and is alarmed to see Oshin working with concentration. He runs to the kitchen to tell Fuji about this. Fuji cuts the vegetables on a chopping board.
‘Please go stop her; she won’t listen to me! She shouldn’t be using the sewing machine in her condition,’ Genzi pleads.
‘Never mind, she will stop if it gets too difficult. Pregnancy isn’t an illness, you know!’ Fuji replies. She remains calm and continues chopping.
Genzi anxiously returns to his desk and keeps an eye on Oshin. Oshin winces as she gets her first labor pain. Fuji, too, peeps in to look at Oshin. Genzi fidgets on his chair. He cannot sit quietly and returns to the kitchen.
‘Shouldn’t you call the midwife yet?’ He asks Fuji.
‘Taste this for me,’ Fuji remains unagitated, and she hands over the stew she is preparing for Genzi to taste.
Meanwhile, Oshin limps and walks towards the kitchen.
‘It was tough for a while, but I am fine now,’ says Oshin, and she takes a cup of water and gulps it down. ‘I will work until this evening,’ she declares, walking back to work.
‘Young Mistress, please be careful!’ Genzi shouts. Then he looks at Fuji for help.
‘The pains have to come more frequently. Oshin will be alright until the evening. But the pain must be pretty bad now. She sure is a stubborn girl!’ says Fuji, and now she too gets a bit worried. Then she laughs it off, ‘she is a lot like me,’ Fuji returns to her cooking, and Genzi starts fretting. He cannot fathom how Fuji remains calm in this situation.
The labor pains come in shorter intervals, but Oshin keeps on sewing. Oshin always fills in for her sick work workers. After all, she has to help meet the deadlines. Oshin values trust, and trust means business. Oshin is good at bearing pain.
‘Stop that!’ Ryuzo enters and gets alarmed to see Oshin working and bearing her pain.
‘I only have a little bit left to do,’ says Oshin as she heaves but continues to peddle the machine.
‘Are you having pains?’ Ryuzo is anxious now.
‘I am okay,’ Oshin replies, but sweat beads show up on her forehead.
She tries to get up but tumbles, ‘I am sorry, I need the midwife now,’ Oshin sits on the floor. The workers get up and push Ryuzo aside. ‘You would better go get the midwife! Hurry!’ shouts one of the girls.
Ryuzo rushes out, and the girls help Oshin to her feet.
‘Please keep working,’ Oshin tells the girls. She calls outs to mom as she reaches the kitchen, ‘Mother! Please put out the bedding!’
Fuji leaves the kitchen and comes close to Oshin. She tells Oshin, ‘It is all prepared; Genzi is boiling the water, you just hold on to me,’ Fuji then supports Oshin to pull her.
‘I didn’t know it would be this painful!’ Oshin now starts shouting with pain.
‘Pull yourself together,’ says Fuji, holding Oshin by her shoulders.
‘I don’t want to have more babies!’ shouts Oshin. She starts crying, ‘Mom!’
‘Hold on,’ says Fuji as she drags Oshin to the room. ‘You will be better in no time,’ soothes Fuji.
Genzi comes rushing to her help.
‘No men allowed!’ shouts Fuji and closes the door.
‘The hot water!’ Genzi suddenly remembers to look for boiled water and runs to the kitchen.
Ryuzo returns with the midwife hurriedly and shows her the way to the room.
‘The baby is here!’ The infant’s cry is heard, and the midwife tells Ryuzo to get hot water and stay out.
‘Genzi! We need hot water!’ Ryuzo calls for Genzi and rushes to the kitchen.
Ryuzo and Genzi hold hands and start jumping with joy as they hear the baby’s cry.
‘The baby is here! It is a boy! Hurry and bring hot water,’ the midwife tells the men.
Genzi and Ryuzo stop and tumble over one another to get the hot water. Ryuzo fills hot water into a wooden pale from the pot kept in the furnace.
***
Ryuzo and Genzi wait outside. Ryuzo smokes a cigarette to overcome his anxiety. He suddenly feels hot and remembers that he hadn’t removed his overcoat, which he had been wearing until now.
He quickly removes the woollen garment and asks Genzi, ‘how much longer?’
‘Just be patient!’ says Genzi.
They hear the cry of the new-born and laugh with joy.
‘It sounds healthy!’ says Ryuzo looking at Genzi.
‘You cried like that when you were born,’ Genzi gets emotional.
‘I did?’ Ryuzo is excited.
‘Just like you!’ Genzi exclaims. Both of them start laughing with joy holding hands.
‘You may come in now,’ the midwife comes out of the rooms and tells them.
They rush in.
‘Oshin, you did well!’ says Ryuzo, looking lovingly at Oshin. Oshin takes her hand out of the quilt cover and holds Ryuzo’s hand.
Oshin lies on the mattress, tired but happy. The baby lies next to her.
‘It is a boy!’ Genzi announces.
‘I don’t care, as long as baby and mother are okay,’ says Ryuzo.
Baby starts moving, and Ryuzo looks at him.
‘He is a fine boy!’ says Ryuzo, a proud father now! ‘Oshin, he is moving his hands!’ Ryuzo is puzzled to look at the baby and doesn’t know what to say.
‘The birth went without a hitch! Congratulations!’ says the midwife, ‘good thing is that your mother is here,’
‘Thank you,’ says Ryuzo, bowing to Fuji, ‘We sure are lucky to have you here.’
‘I felt at ease with my mother here,’ says Oshin, ‘Mother never needed a midwife herself. I knew she would help me. Mother, I am alright now. Next time, I won’t need anyone’s help.’
‘Don’t be silly! No more close calls for me!’ says Ryuzo; he almost missed his heartbeat while rushing to get the midwife.
‘He is right; I can’t always be there. Listen to Ryuzo. Childbirth isn’t something to take lightly,’ says Fuji.
‘Mom, I will be okay; I am your daughter! If it is that easy, I want to have more babies,’ says Oshin.
‘Listen to you. You were saying that you never wanted another baby!’ Fuji says, full of smile and admiration for her daughter.
‘Oshin, I want more kids, too! And I will work hard to support them. I will earn us a lot of money,’ says Ryuzo; he is now on cloud nine!
***
‘Congratulations!’ A man is there at the Tanokura house. He greets Ryuzo, and in return, Ryuzo thanks him.
‘I heard it was a boy!’ says the man.
‘I now have an heir!’ says Ryuzo.
‘This is a present from our company’s president,’ the man opens a wrapper and hands the gift to Ryuzo.
‘Thank you very much,’ Ryuzo is grateful.
***
Ryuzo enters the room and sees Oshin up and looking at the baby.
‘Shouldn’t you be lying down?’ Ryuzo asks Oshin as he comes in.
‘I was just giving him milk,’ replies Oshin, continuing to look at the baby.
Ryuzo joins her to observe the new light of their lives.
‘Can you recognize me yet?’ asks Ryuzo to the baby.
Ryuzo then places the gift on top of a stack of boxes and says, ‘this is a present from the sewing machine company.
‘You sure have a lot of presents!’ says Fuji as she enters with a tray in her hands with two cups of tea. She sits and says, ‘What a lucky baby!’
‘He is lucky; our business is doing so well. Things got better when I became pregnant with him. He has brought us all luck!’
Oshin is Happy as Ryuzo is an exemplary husband and a good father. Tanokura company is doing well, too. Oshin never dreamed that things could ever go wrong again.
Oshin is now 23, and the world is fast changing. Decadent songs are currently popular, reflecting the failing economy.
What will happen? Will Oshin’s happy days last long? We will know more in the next Episode, number 109, soon!