Bheela’s Blog -130
06 August 2023
Episode 129 Recap
With the excellent care of Ryuzo, Oshin gets well. But her right-hand doesn’t seem to work. She is worried if this is a permanent situation. Tanokura house prepares for the celebration of Atsuko’s pregnancy. Oshin tries to help, but a stack of bowls falls from her right hand, breaking the dishes.
Oshin fears for a dark future.
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Episode 130
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
It is the day Atsuko is to tie on the ceremonial Iwata-obi sash to ensure easy childbirth. The household is busy with preparations. Two large burners are lit up in the kitchen to prepare delicious meals.
Oshin, not wholly recovered, wants to help out, too, but she isn’t of any help. She sits in her room, tapping Yu gently with her left hand to put him to sleep. Her right hand is almost useless.
Ryuzo enters the room and says, ‘Mother is back. It is too bad about your right hand. But don’t let Mother catch you doing nothing. At least, go out there to show your face.’
Oshin puts a finger on her lips so that Ryuzo can speak quietly not to wake up Yu. Ryuzo realizes, and he, too, puts a finger on his lips. Then he whispers to Oshin’s ears, saying, ‘I will watch Yu, so go out there and help. The sharecropper’s wives are here to help, too. Just show Mother your willingness to help.’
Oshin nods and gets up. She comes to the dining area, where Kiyo writes some accounts in a notebook. The others are helping in the kitchen.
‘Welcome home!’ says Oshin, greeting Kiyo by bowing to her. Kiyo doesn’t respond. Oshin gets up and enters the kitchen, and sits next to Tsuneko.
‘Never mind, Oshin.’ says Tsuneko prohibiting Oshin from picking up the dishes.
‘Oshin!’ Kiyo calls out, ‘I hear you broke ten small bowls!’
‘I am so sorry, my hand slipped,’ says Oshin apologetically.
‘That is no excuse! It is unlucky to break dishes on a day such as this! Stay out of the kitchen! All you are good for is breaking things. I would rather have you loafing in bed!’ as usual, Kiyo says things to make Oshin feel bad.
Oshin returns to her room and tells Ryuzo, ‘I was told not to help. I am just in the way, disturbing others.’
‘You were careless to drop those dishes,’ says Ryuzo.
‘I have no strength in my hand,’ Oshin is puzzled by her condition.
‘That is silly! You didn’t hurt your hand. You got hurt in the neck and your right shoulder. Your hand should be fine,’ says Ryuzo; he starts doubting Oshin.
‘But it is true,’ says Oshin. She pounds her left hand, cursing her fate.
‘If you say so. It is not my body, so you can say what you want.’
‘You think I am lying?’
‘I think you are imagining it. How can I stick up for you like that? Living among a large family, you can’t always have things your way,’ says Ryuzo; he gets up and leaves the room, letting Oshin stay alone with her miseries. Oshin takes a deep sigh and looks at her lifeless hand.
***
‘Congratulations!’ says the women sitting in the living room.
‘Thank you!’ says Ms. Kiyo to the visiting neighbors and relatives. She continues, ‘Atsuko has been married for a year now. I was so worried, but now she is with child.’
‘How fortunate!’ says one of the women, ‘please help your daughter all you can!’
‘We haven’t done much, but please enjoy yourselves,’ says Ms Kiyo.
‘Sorry we haven’t been much help,’ says the woman.
‘You look like a drinker! We will see about that,’ jokes Ms. Kiyo, and the women burst out laughing.
***
Oshin starts washing the diapers with her left hand. She listens to the songs and the sound of clapping as the family celebrates. A new life is growing inside Oshin, too. While one new life has the blessings of all those around, no one knows about the other new life growing within Oshin.
As Oshin dries the cloth using her left hand and support from the elbow of her right arm, Oshin cannot help but feel sorry for her unborn child. Unknown and unwanted!
***
The guests have left the house, and Ms. Kiyo enjoys drinking with her sons and husband in the living room.
‘What a relief to have the celebrations over! Tsuneko and Otsugi worked so hard!’ says Ms. Kiyo.
‘Oshin isn’t well yet, so she couldn’t do much. I am sorry, she really wanted to help.’ Ryuzo is embarrassed.
As they talk, Oshin listens with bitterness from the kitchen. Sitting in the adjoining kitchen area, she eats her dinner with Tsuneko and the maid.
‘She was hurt badly; it is only natural,’ says Daigoro, observing Oshin from a distance, ‘she can’t even eat with her right hand?’
‘The doctor says she shouldn’t be using her right hand so soon,’ says Ryuzo.
It is best to get used to moving it,’ comments Fukutaro.
‘I told her that,’ says Ryuzo.
‘She cannot do much, but she can still sew! She can help out with that. We will wait until she is completely healed,’ says Kiyo.
‘She is good at sewing! She used to sew for people in Tokyo. She can’t work in the fields yet, so she will happily sew,’ Ryuzo says joyfully. He is happy that Oshin will be helpful in the house.
‘Oshin, I will take the things to you to be sewn. And Yu can continue sleeping with me,’ says Kiyo.
‘We cause you nothing but trouble!’ Ryuzo smiles awkwardly.
‘I wish you could start taking care of me for a change. You are an unfilial son!’ Kiyo, as usual, is sarcastic.
‘Oh, come on! Yu is a cute kid; you don’t want to let him go!’ says Daigoro, laughing. He laughs loudly, making things easy. His laughter brings a faint smile to Oshin’s lips.
***
Ms. Kiyo brings a cloth and sewing kit to Oshin and hands the same to her on a tray.
‘You can start with my sleeping gown! You can afford to make mistakes with it,’ says Ms. Kiyo. Leaving the cloth material with Oshin, she goes to the living room and starts sewing herself. Tsuneko joins her, and she stitches, too.
‘I heard Oshin used to be a hairdresser. She sews, too?’ Tsuneko is somewhat impressed by Oshin but is always scared to express in front of her mother-in-law.
‘She didn’t even go to school much. She is from the hills of Yamagata. I am sure her family was starving,’ Ms. Kiyo quickly points out Oshin’s shortcomings. She sews the clothes swiftly as she speaks.
‘No wonder she is used to doing a lot,’ says Tsuneko.
‘At least that is what Ryuzo says,’ Kiyo complains.
***
Oshin begins to work on the cloth her mother-in-law gave her for stitching. She starts a stitch with her right hand and loses her grip on the needle. The needle falls on the floor, and Oshin cannot pick it up. She then uses her left hand to lift the needle. She gets exhausted physically and mentally. She keeps the cloth aside with irritation and takes a deep sigh.
She takes the tray back to her mother-in-law. Both Kiyo and Tsuneko look up to see Oshin entering the room.
Oshin places the tray on the floor with difficulty and speaks slowly, ‘I am sorry, I can’t finish this.’ Oshin bows and keeps her head down.
‘You can’t sew?’ Kiyo is surprised.
‘I can’t hold the needle with my right hand. I will go back to the fields tomorrow,’ says Oshin, her voice full of regret.
***
‘What is going on? Oshin says she can’t hold the needle!’ Going close to Ryuzo, Kiyo asks, ‘She can’t even sew! What has she told you?’
‘Are you sure she knows how to sew?’ says Ms. Koyo. When Ryuzo does not reply, Ms. Kiyo blames Ryuzo, saying, ‘I guess you don’t know! She is the worst!’
‘Enough!’ Daigoro, who was listening all along, interrupts Ms Kiyou.
‘She thinks she can get out of work by saying that her hand is useless,’ shouts Kiyo as she looks at Daigoro.
‘How long are you going to harp on this!’ says Daigoro; he is fed up with Kiyo’s constant criticism of Oshin.
***
The following morning Oshin starts going to the field. She tries hard with the plowing tool with her left hand; her right-hand slips whenever she tries to support the wooden handle.
‘You still can’t work?’ Ryuzo observes Oshin’s struggle with the tool and comments. He says, ‘Your wounds are all healed.’
Ryuzo comes forward and helps Oshin’s hand catch the tool; he supports the wooden rod and says, ‘Try to use it more. You won’t be able to use it if you don’t try!’
When he leaves his hand for Oshin to do herself, Oshin winces with pain, but she cannot move her hand.
‘I am sick of Mother complaining to me.’ says Ryuzo. Oshin once again looks at her right hand and is puzzled. Ryuzo takes her hands and observes the fingers. He, too, is puzzled. He says, ‘There is no reason your hand can’t work!’
Ryuzo once again helps Oshin to catch the rod. Oshin tries herself but fails. Ryuzo gives up and says, ‘Mother doesn’t want to think you are lying. And I don’t either. But people will think that eventually. You have to work on it to get it better!’
Oshin nods without saying a word. She is exhausted, with sweat drops falling from her forehead. She wipes them with her left hand and tries again.
Oshin sits on a rock and drinks water near the streamlet.
Suddenly Sawa appears quietly. Oshin turns to look and freezes.
‘Are you better now?’ Sawa comes forward and asks, bowing to Oshin. She says, with her head down, ‘I am sorry I couldn’t come to see you. I have been waiting for you to come back out here. I feel better now that you have recovered. I am also glad that you did not have a miscarriage. I was so worried that you might have lost the baby. I heard that you had Ms. Atsuko’s baby ceremony. Did they celebrate yours, too?’ In a friendly way, Sawa continues her monologue, but Oshin remains rigid. She doesn’t even respond to Sawa’s greetings.
‘I am not pregnant,’ Oshin replies, after a pause, with sternness, ‘So don’t mention it. Don’t come near me again.’
Sawa gets scared, and she steps back, nodding. Then she takes cash from her dress pocket and says, ‘I wanted to return this money to you.’
‘I gave it to you, so please keep it,’ Oshin interrupts.
‘It is a lot of money,’ Sawa protests.
‘I no longer have any hope of leaving the Tanokura family. I have no use for the money.’ says Oshin.
‘Once you give birth, you can leave,’ Sawa gets alarmed as she knows the suffering Oshin faces at her in-law’s home.
‘I told you, I am not pregnant!’ Oshin repeats.
‘Ma’am, you haven’t told anyone?’ Sawa knows that Oshin isn’t telling the truth.
‘You can leave whenever you choose to. So, use that money,’ suggests Oshin.
‘Please at least tell your husband!’ Sawa pleads, ‘You can’t have this child alone.’
‘Stop it!’ Oshin gets up and shouts at Sawa, ‘You betrayed me! I am suffering now because of you. So stop tormenting me! There is no need to worry about me.’ Oshin lifts the kettle and walks away, leaving Sawa stunned.
Oshin goes back to work, and she tries to grip the plowing tool again without any success.
Oshin can see no light at the end of her tunnel. A new baby should have given her hope, but to Oshin, the scorned bride, the unborn life is a cause for further pain.
What will happen now? Will the family know about Oshin’s pregnancy?
We will know more in the coming episode, number 131, soon!