Bheela’s Blog -114
29 January 2023
Episode 113 Recap
After being upset, Kayo finally takes charge of her life. She decides to move back to Sakata and start her business and family life.
It is all set for the new Tanokura factory to open. The land is acquired, and machines are about to arrive.
The date of opening is decided as September 1st, 1923. It is the happiest day in Oshin and Ryuzo’s life. They are ready to receive guests as Genzi takes care of Yu.
Please click the link to read the full episode:
https://medium.com/@bheela-wadehra/bheelas-blog-113-9dd0fed9ef3a
Episode 114
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
It is September 01st, 1923. It is the year to the day when Oshin and Ryuzo started their clothing business and also the day of the grand opening of their new factory.
Ryuzo and Oshin oversee the last-minute arrangement of banners and posters announcing the opening. They arrange the chairs, the flowers, and the entry gate decorations.
Genzi, at home, takes baby Yu on his back and strolls merrily. He sings a song with funny words and rhythm, making Yu laugh joyfully.
‘Congratulations!’ the café girls, along with Ms. Taka, enter through the door, startling Genzi. He is happy to see them. The girls and Ms. Taka bow to Genzi in greeting together.
‘Why are you all here?’ Genzi now welcomes them and enquires.
‘For the grand opening ceremony of your factory!’ replies Someko. Ms. Taka pulls a chair and sits at the round table close to the main door.
‘That is to be held at the new factory,’ says Genzi.
‘We know that, but we just wanted to say hello first to Oshin and Ryuzo,’ says Ms. Taka.
‘That is very kind of you!’ replies Genzi.
‘Where are Oshin and Ryuzo?’ asks Oshigeko.
‘They are preparing for the party at the new factory!’
‘Oh, no, we came early just to see them!’
‘I am so sorry,’ says Genzi.
‘They would be too busy at the party for us to talk,’ says Ms. Taka; she blows the hand fan to get some air; the weather is too humid at this time of the year.
‘Thank you for taking the time,’ says Genzi, thanking Ms. Taka.
‘Aren’t you going?’ asks Someko.
‘My job is babysitting!’ Genzi replies proudly. The girls start patting baby Yu, must to his dislike.
‘I am so thankful for all of your support. We were able to get this far because of all your support. Let me express my gratitude on Oshin’s behalf,’ Genzi bows as he also carries Yu at his back, with some difficulty. The girls smile at his gesture.
‘Genzi looks great today, too!’ Says Someko to a blushing Genzi.
‘Tanokura company bought 50 new machines! And he is their main man!’ says Oshigeko.
‘It is only 30 machines,’ Genzi corrects.
‘That is still great!’
‘I will make tea,’ Genzi wants to get away from the girls’ extra attention.
‘No, we would better get over to the party,’ says Ms. Taka.
‘We will leave you alone now!’ says Oyae.
‘Let us all have our own party again, just like at Oshin and Ryuzo’s wedding party. Genzi can dance for us again,’ says Oshigeko, and she shows some dance steps, imitating Genzi.
The girls burst out laughing loudly. Genzi joins them too. Yu starts crying with so much noise around him. Genzi shakes to calm him down.
‘Thank you!’ says Genzi as the girls leave the house and walk through the lane.
Genzi starts singing again, and Yu is happy alone with Genzi.
***
Guests start coming in one by one. They register their entry at the gate on a notebook. Most men wear hats and take them off in greeting when they see Ryuzo. Ryuzo welcomes them all.
The girls stand in a line to guide the guests toward the entrance.
***
Genzi comes out of the house and looks at the sky. He is happy to see the rain has stopped. His face lights up as he spots the sun. He laughs with joy and goes in. Yu is lying on a mattress, a light sheet covering him. Yu turns to look at Genzi, hearing his footsteps. Genzi comes closer and starts talking to Yu.
‘The rain has stopped, and the skies are blue!’ he tells Yu.
Yu extends his little arms and touches Genzi’s mouth with his fingers. Genzi showers him with kisses.
‘The party is almost finished, too.’ Says Genzi happily. Yu continues playing with Genzi’s face with his tiny fingers, and Genzi keeps laughing cheerfully.
***
The girls arrange the lunch plates with meals on small stools in front of the line-up of cushions in the upper room.
‘The party is almost over, and we will be having lunch up here with our close friends,’ says Oshin as she enters and instructs the girls.
The café girls and Ms. Taka enter the upper room and create noise as they see Oshin.
‘The ceremony was great!’ says Someko.
‘Thank you all for coming,’ says Oshin cheerfully.
‘Can we help?’ asks Someko.
‘You are the main guests today! Please stay for lunch and enjoy. Please go on,’ Oshin welcomes them to the lunch area.
The girls look around and admire the space.
Oshin hurriedly takes steps to return to the ground floor.
***
All of a sudden, the whole building starts to shake. Oshin is taken off balance and hits the railing of the steps. She tries to catch the barrier for support but slides down as the railing breaks. Ms. Taka, on the upper floor, tries to catch a window and falls as the window comes off the support.
The building starts shaking, the food plates turn over, and the pieces of furniture topple with great force. Some of the pillars start buckling.
A walk clock drops on the floor with the glass shattered around. The time is stuck at 11:58.
Oshin has yet to learn what is happening. She lies on the floor, unconscious. She has no way of knowing that this was what would be called ‘the Great Kanto Earthquake’ in the history of Japan.
(This unfortunate historical event changed the lives of people living in the Kanto region of Japan, where two major cities of Tokyo and Yokohama are located. The article covers the event in great detail and the aftermath that followed. Please click to learn more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-japan-earthquake-of-1923-1764539/#:~:text=The%20date%20was%20September%201,swept%20away%20thousands%20of%20people.)
As the first shock halts, Ms. Taka removes a panel, pants heavily, and looks for Oshin calling out.
She somehow climbs down the broken stairs and approaches Oshin. Two girls follow her too.
‘There might be after-shocks!’ Ryuzo comes running toward them and shouts. He asks the girls to evacuate.
All the guests jump over each other to rush towards the open space outside the new factory gate. Some of them fall due to the stampede.
Ryuzo carries Oshin in his arms and comes out. He finds a vacant space on the roadside and places Oshin gently. Ms. Taka and Ryuzo pat Oshin on her cheeks to wake her up. Oshin opens her eyes and looks around.
‘Let us all evacuate to a safer place,’ Ryuzo urges Ms. Taka.
‘What happened?’ Oshin is puzzled.
‘There was an earthquake!’ as Ryuzo replies, the ground starts shaking heavily again. Ms. Taka and Ryuzo cover their heads and bend upon Oshin to protect her. This one is equally severe, breaking the walls and windows of the surrounding buildings. A fire breaks out, and a gush of dust engulfs the place.
Ryuzo takes a sigh of relief when the shocks stop.
‘I will go back to see about the house. Look after Oshin,’ says Ryuzo to Ms. Taka, and he gets up. Ms. Taka nods and tries to lift Oshin’s head to her lap.
‘I will go with you,’ Oshin gets up with a start. She panics, thinking about Yu and Genzi. She says, ‘Genzi and our baby are there!’
‘I will go alone; if they are safe, you will see them again,’ protests Ryuzo.
Oshin refuses to listen; she gets up and walks towards her home.
Oshin realizes now that this was no ordinary earthquake. There is debris everywhere, and people are screaming for help. She rushes, Ryuzo following her. When they reach the lane, they see a crowd trying to find people stuck inside the rubbles. She tries to enter her home by pushing people aside, but they don’t let her go ahead. Ryuzo pulls Oshin by catching her arm, and they enter from the backyard.
Ryuzo and Oshin freeze as they look at their home. The building has collapsed, and there is a heap of broken wood, steel, and stones.
‘Yu!’ Oshin cries and tries to enter.
‘Don’t go inside! I will go and see first,’ Ryuzo grabs Oshin to stop her from entering the mess.
‘Yu! Genzi!’ Oshin keeps shouting.
‘Calm down!’ says Ryuzo.
Oshin wriggles out of Ryuzo’s hold and clears the debris with her hands. She gets inside the house and shouts for Yu and Genzi constantly. Suddenly there is another jerk, and the cement falls from the roof and walls. Ryuzo holds Oshin tight, covering her to prevent getting hit by the toppling objects.
They go in different directions to look for Yu. Oshin crawls to the place where they had one of their rooms.
‘They must have evacuated,’ says Ryuzo as he returns, not finding Yu or Genzi.
Oshin removes a log with full force, and then she is shocked to see a hand.
‘Genzi,’ Oshin murmurs.
Ryuzo removes a door panel, and then they hear Yu crying.
Yu is safe as Genzi’s left arm is around Yu, protecting him.
‘Are you hurt anywhere?’ Oshin takes Yu to her lap and looks closely at Yu. ‘I am so glad,’ says Oshin holding Yu close to her; she cries and smiles simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Ryuzo removes a heavy log from Genzi’s back, and Oshin’s gaze turns to Genzi.
Oshin touches Genzi’s forehead and cheek and says, ‘He is all cold!’ Oshin and Yu start crying loudly. Ryuzo’s eyes fill up, and tears start rolling.
‘The fire is spreading!’ a man passes by, shouting.
‘We need help getting a man out,’ Ryuzo shouts for help.
The stranger comes close and says, looking at Genzi, ‘He is dead; you would better evacuate fast!’
‘I can’t just leave him!’ cries Ryuzo.
‘You won’t be able to escape if you don’t leave now!’ there is urgency in the man’s voice, ‘the wind is spreading the fire this way!’ he warns and goes out running as fast as he can.
Ryuzo unfastens his kimono cord and covers Genzi’s bleeding head with a cloth piece he tears from his shirt. He says, crying, ‘It can’t be helped! He died protecting Yu. We will make sure Yu is safe for Genzi’s sake’. Then he bows to Genzi and says, ‘Genzi, please wait for us; we will come back for you.’
Yu continues to cry; Ryuzo picks him up and covers him with the remaining shirt cloth. He gets up, carrying Yu, and shakes Oshin. Oshin is stunned and unable to move.
‘Make sure you stay close behind me!’ Ryuzo shouts and helps Oshin get up on her feet.
‘Hurry, Oshin!’ shouts Ryuzo.
‘Genzi,’ Oshin speaks to the dead man softly.
‘Hurry!’ Ryuzo comes back and pulls Oshin out. She starts howling at the loss, which is still sinking in her mind.
‘Let us go!’ pleads Ryuzo.
Genzi lies motionless, a life spends caring for his master and his family. Not only caring but protecting the family even in his death.
***
A mass of people walks in one direction away from the fire, coming towards the town from the sea as the wind blows westwards.
Oshin has yet to learn where they are going. She tries to keep up with Ryuzo. The scene is straight out of hell. They lost everything they had in that brief moment of nature’s fury. But they do not fully realize what or how much they have lost.
Oshin and Ryuzo keep walking with ashen faces, Yu wrapped in Ryuzo’s arm; their destination and destiny unknown!
We wait for the next episode, number 115, to know what happens next.