Bheela’s Blog -131
13 August 2023
Episode 130 Recap
Oshin’s right hand isn’t working at all. But Kiyo, her mother-in-law thinks that Oshin is lying. Sawa comes to meet Oshin, but Oshin gives a cold shoulder and asks her not to mention her pregnancy to anyone.
Oshin worries about her unborn child, who will come to the world unwelcome.
Please click the link below to read the full episode:
06 August 2023bheela-wadehra.medium.com
Episode 131
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin is beaten down physically as well as emotionally. She works as usual in the field but can’t hold the plowing tool with her right hand. In a month, her wound and the pain have healed too. But she still cannot use her right hand.
Not being able to do her share of the work makes her relationship with Kiyo more intolerable. As Oshin uses her left hand to put the seeds into the loose earth, she thinks of Ryuzo’s changing attitude toward her. Even Ryuzo is drifting further apart from her.
She is now five months pregnant but still hasn’t told him about it.
‘That is enough for today!’ says Ryuzo, sitting on a rock, exhausted. He removes his head scarf and says, ‘We don’t get anything for working anyway!’ Looking at Oshin, he says, in a blaming tone, ‘Since you can’t do your share, we can’t even meet our work quota. I wish you would get better soon!’
Oshin remains quiet. She continues to do her job of sowing the seeds. As Ryuzo is about to leave, she says, ‘I will visit Genzi’s grave on my way home.’
***
Oshin sits in front of Genzi’s grave, placing some wildflowers in front of the headstone with her left hand. Thinking of Genzi brings a faint smile to her otherwise sad face.
‘Genzi,’ says Oshin, ‘I was happy when we all lived together. I wish you were still with us.’
Oshin gets startled by the noise of footsteps. Sawa enters with a cloth in her hand. Oshin quickly gets up and tries to dodge Sawa and go away. Sawa blocks her way, saying, ‘I have something for you. It is an Iwata-obi sash for your baby. Today is the day of the dog; so promising! I want you to have it even if you won’t use it. I am just concerned that you haven’t told anyone. I went to a shrine in town to get this for you. I didn’t want to go to our local temple. It is a lucky sash, so it will bring you happiness.’
Sawa is scared that Oshin might reject her gift; she is aware of her action of betraying Oshin. But she profoundly cares for Oshin at the same time. She wants Oshin’s well-being.
Oshin understands this, too; she decides to change her stand against Sawa and forgive her. She says, accepting the gift, ‘Sawa, Thank you!’
Sawa takes a sigh of relief and says, ‘There is no need to thank me. I used some of that money you gave me.’
Oshin loosens up and starts speaking to Sawa in her old friendly manner. ‘I have to work in the fields, so I have no time to visit the shrine myself. And I don’t want to tell anyone about it.’
‘You haven’t told your husband either?’ Sawa panics, ‘Hasn’t he noticed?’
‘We have been sleeping apart for a while now,’ Oshin shares truthfully to Sawa and says, ‘I don’t mean to complain to him so much, but I suppose he thinks I nag him a lot.’
‘It is the same with us, too. I wish my husband could just listen to me. But he can’t even do that much. A woman is destined to be alone!’ Sawa gets philosophical!
‘I guess men have it badly, too. They have to put up with their mothers.’
‘That is true. My husband had to spend the family savings to buy me out, so he can’t say much to anyone at home! But your situation is different from mine.’
‘It is the same. The family members were all against us marrying. Now we are no longer independent, so it is even worse. We are being kept and fed by his family now. I wish I could do my fair share of work. But I can’t with the way I am now.’
‘I thought you have recovered fully and the situation is better at home.’ Sawa gets worried.
‘I had always heard how in-laws were hard on wives, but I never believed it. My grandmother lived with us when I was small. We were so poor that we didn’t even get to have our fill of daikon gruel. But Grandma and my mother always got along so well. That is why I couldn’t believe what people said about in-laws.’
Oshin laughs when she says, ‘I guess it is my fault! My mother never resented her mother-in-law. She took such good care of her in-laws. But I have no such feelings for mine. All I think about is running away. I guess I will have to try harder to get her to like me now that I can’t run away. If I could only get along with her! Then maybe Ryuzo and I could love each other again. Otherwise, this new baby will have a rough time.’
After a long time, Oshin gets to speak her heart out, and all her inner feelings start flowing in front of Sawa.
‘That is right; I am sure your mother-in-law will understand,’ says Sawa, encouraging Oshin to cheer up.
‘I can give birth all on my own. I don’t care if nobody will celebrate,’ says Oshin, wrapping the Obi-sash with her arms and bringing the cloth close to her heart.
***
Kiyo and Daigoro are in the dining area. Kiyo is pouring a drink into a cup for Daigoro. Oshin enters the room and bows to both of them, saying, ‘I am back.’
‘Thanks,’ says Daigoro, taking the cup of tea from Kiyo.
‘Oshin!’ Kiyo calls when Oshin is just about to get up and go. Oshin stops to listen.
‘No word of thanks to me for caring for Yu?’ Kiyo says with sarcasm.
‘I am sorry, thank you!’ says Oshin, bowing again.
‘I have to wash his diapers and everything!’ says Kiyo picking a basket of soiled clothes.
‘Let me wash them,’ says Oshin, trying to take the basket with her left hand.
‘Never mind!’ Kiyo stops her and says, ‘You can’t even wring them out properly.’
‘I will take him to the fields starting tomorrow,’ says Oshin.
‘That is not what I am talking about. I am concerned about your attitude! You leave Yu in the care of others. What about this visiting Genzi’s grave? Ryuzo was complaining about how he has to cover for you at work.’ Kiyo starts her daily doze of bashing Oshin.
Ryuzo enters and sits with his father as Kiyo continues to shower Oshin with her nasty comments. ‘I am trying to help you by caring for your baby. And I know you can’t work your fair share. I have given up on that. So why are you going off visiting graves and doing such other activities? You can’t blame me for complaining like this!’
Kiyo then turns to Ryuzo and starts again, ‘Ryuzo, you can’t even control your wife!’
Oshin starts to get up as she hears Yu’s crying voice.
‘Never mind! He can eat gruel now. Thank Tsuneko, for making Yu’s meals! She cooks for him and does the diapers.’ says Kiyo.
Oshin looks towards the kitchen and bows to Tsuneko with gratitude.
‘Oshin!’ says Daigoro, who watches all this and isn’t happy with his wife’s non-stop bugging. ‘I am taking you to a clinic in town tomorrow. This is getting to be too much for you. If you can get better, it is better soon than later.’
‘She is all well!’ retorts Kiyo, ‘why go to a doctor now? Doctors aren’t free!’
‘I am taking her, so you have no say in it! Daigoro shouts back at Kiyo. Kiyo is stunned to see his firmness on this. She steps back.
***
The following morning, Kiyo sits with Yu in her lap. Tsuneko mops the floor in the backyard.
‘Yu is so attached to you now,’ comments Tsuneko.
‘He doesn’t even cry for his mother. And that is just fine,’ replies Kiyo, patting Yu’s back as she rocks him to put him to sleep. Kiyo then starts complaining, ‘A doctor can’t help Oshin. There is nothing wrong with her, so what can a doctor do? Oshin is just lazy, that is all.’
Tsuneko feels awkward and goes inside the kitchen.
The main door opens, and Daigoro and Oshin return from showing to a doctor in town.
Oshin bows to Kiyo and says, ‘Thank you for letting me go.’
‘How did it go?’ Kiyo asks Daigoro, ignoring Oshin.
‘Make me tea, and for Oshin, too,’ replies Daigoro; he avoids the question.
‘I will change and go to the fields now,’ says Oshin.
‘Never mind, you can rest today,’ Daigoro is considerate; he understands that as he is tired from the journey to town, Oshin must be tired, too.
‘There is still time before the sunset to work, thank you,’ says Oshin, bowing to both her in-laws.
‘What did the doctor say?’ Kiyo remains curious.
‘Just make the tea,’ Daigoro still doesn’t reply, and he thinks deeply.
***
Oshin reaches the field and starts working with her left hand quietly. Ryuzo puts small plants on the loose earth for the next season of crops.
He then notices Oshin and asks, ‘What did the doctor say?’
As Oshin remains quiet, he gets impatient and shouts, ‘What did he say?’
‘He says there is nothing wrong with me. He says I should just train my hand to work. I just need to try harder.’ says Oshin; she applies extra force as she works on the field.
Ryuzo is puzzled.
They return home, and Oshin starts washing diapers. Ryuzo is speechless; he puts his tools on the rack and is about to go in when Kiyo comes and tells him, ‘I need to talk to you.’
When Kiyo goes out of sight, Ryuzo looks at Oshin and says, ‘More complaints!’
Ryuzo enters the living room, where Daigoro sits on a desk and writes accounts in a notebook. Kiyo sits with a grim face.
‘What is it?’ asks Ryuzo. He also tells them, ‘I heard what the doctor said. There is nothing I can do about it.’
‘Ryuzo, let Oshin go to her home for a while,’ Daigoro speaks seriously, ‘Her mother and brother are still in Yamagata. With her hand like that, it is too hard on her here. Let her go home.’
Ryuzo is shocked to hear this; before he grasps, Kiyo chirps, ‘I will raise Yu here.’ Ryuzo tries interrupting, but she says, ‘Oshin has no will to work.’
‘It is getting better; give her time!’ Ryuzo protests.
‘Let her recover at her home,’ Daigoro repeats his instruction.
‘Who knows when that will be! You think about divorce,’ Kiyo chirps. She finds a chance to fulfill her wish.
‘What are you saying?’ Daigoro tries to stop her, but she doesn’t.
‘If you are planning to stay here, get a suitable wife. Oshin is not good for these parts.’ says Kiyo trying to convince Ryuzo.
‘I am against divorce,’ Daigoro shouts at his wife. Then he calms down and says, ‘But I feel sorry for Oshin. She used to be so lively in Tokyo. How about it?’ He insists that Ryuzo thinks about Oshin.
Ryuzo lowers his head and is in deep thought. Kiyo says, ‘It is time for you to decide.
***
Oshin, alone in her room, opens the Obi-sash and looks at it lovingly. Even the doctor doesn’t believe her. She feels pathetic. She has no idea that there is talk of sending her away. Now, she only wants a private Iwata-Obi sash ceremony for her unborn baby. She holds the cloth close to her.
What will happen? Will Ryuzo know about Oshin’s pregnancy?
In the coming episode, no 132, we will know more soon!