Bheela’s Blog -132
15 October 2023
Episode 131 Recap
Sawa buys a Iwata-obi sash and gives it to Oshin on an auspicious day. Oshin agrees to take it as she wishes to give her friendship with Sawa another chance.
Daigoro takes Oshin to a doctor in town who is unable to understand Oshin’s condition of her right hand. Kiyo suggests to Ryuzo to divorce Oshin and find another bride.
Oshin, alone in her room, decides to celebrate her yet-to-born child and tie the Iwata-obi sash.
Please click the link below to read the full episode:
Episode 132
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
The family takes dinner in the dining area. Oshin takes her meals in the kitchen with Tsuneko.
‘It is already been a month now, I can’t believe you still can’t use your right hand! Even the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong,’ says Tsuneko, observing Oshin using her left hand to use chopsticks.
‘I can grip a little harder now, I am sure it will get better,’ Oshin tries to clarify.
‘How long will that be?’ Tsuneko doesn’t believe Oshin.
Even the doctor in town could not find a cause for Oshin’s lack of feeling in her right hand following her head injury. Kiyo, her mother-in-law, is encourages her son, Ryuzo to divorce Oshin.
‘Thank you for the dinner,’ says Oshin to Tsuneko and tries to lift the crockery.
‘Never mind, I don’t want any more broken dishes,’ says Tsuneko and looks for the maid, who comes and picks up all the dishes for washing.
‘I am sorry,’ Oshin apologizes and gets up.
‘She goes to Genzi’s grave but can’t do her own share of work in the fields. She can’t sew and I have to look after her baby! And she calls herself my son’s wife? I have put up with her for your sake. But aren’t you getting sick of her, too? She just doesn’t fit into our family!’ Kiyo rattles out her daily grudges sarcastically for Oshin and continues to influence Ryuzo against her. Oshin listens to it partly and moves to her own room.
Daigoro and Fukutaro, look on.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have brought her to Saga. I can’t do much to help her,’ says Ryuzo, his soft feelings towards Oshin visible on his face.
‘Oshin is still young, and we will adopt Yu. She can start her own life over again. She doesn’t want to be here, so why force her?’ Kiyo is quick to respond with a solution, which involves Ryuzo separating from Oshin.
This leads Ryuzo to start thinking.
***
Oshin, alone in her room, opens the Sash cloth given to her by Sawa. She uses her left hand and spreads the cloth on the floor. She gets up to open her belt and at that very moment, Ryuzo enters the room. Oshin gets down to the floor and tries to hide the Sash.
‘What is going on?’ Ryuzo is puzzled. Looking at Sash, he understands. He is in a panic and asks Oshin, ‘Are you with a child?’
Oshin lowers her head. With a pause, she gathers her courage and tells Ryuzo, ‘I am in my fifth month, I need to wear the sash.’
Ryuzo is in shock! He looks at the door and quickly closes it so that others cannot listen to their conversation.
He is happy and angry at the same time. He charges Oshin, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? You knew about this long ago! What are you thinking? I can’t figure you out anymore!’
‘Nobody will celebrate this new baby. It is just another mouth to feed. Besides, I don’t want any help from others. I didn’t need them to give me a ceremonial sash. And I don’t need a midwife either! It is my second time. I can do it myself. I will show you I can do it!’ Oshin tells him what she had suppressed all those months, now that Ryuzo learnt about her situation.
‘That is nonsense!’ shouts Ryuzo.
‘I won’t cause your mother any trouble. So don’t tell anyone about it yet,’ she pleads to Ryuzo, remaining firm on her resolve.
Ryuzo softens and says slowly, ‘Oshin, maybe you should go home to Yamagata to give birth. You would only have difficulty here. It is better if you went home to Yamagata!’
Oshin faces Ryuzo and says, ‘What will I do there? My brother and his wife run the house there now. Maybe they would let me stay if I could work. But without the use of my right hand, I can’t do hairstyling and I can’t do farm work,’ says Oshin, sharing the reality.
‘But he is your brother!’
‘I can’t stay here? You are telling me to leave?’ says Oshin; her utmost fears coming true.
Ryuzo breaks down and says, ‘I am only thinking of you! You want to leave, you were trying to run away.’
‘Yes, but, I was planning to go back to Tokyo to be a hairdresser again. But my hand like this, I can’t,’ says Oshin, turning close to Ryuzo, she continues, ‘I will persevere, I will do my best, I will just put up with everything here. And you will be here with me. Maybe you don’t like the idea, but you are the baby’s father. Let me have the baby here!’
Oshin is hopeful and she smiles. She says, ‘I will get my hand well and I will work hard!’
Looking at her eyes, Ryuzo gets emotional. He thinks hard and makes a decision.
‘Oshin, let me help you tie the sash! You are having my baby! I won’t let anyone say a word. If you so desire, then have the baby here. I will do my best to help you. It is my job as baby’s father! No matter how hard things get, we can make it through together!’ says Ryuzo, looking at Oshin.
Oshin’s happiness at hearing these words from Ryuzo knows no bounds. She laughs and cries at the same time!
***
The following day, Oshin and Ryuzo continue their farm work, Oshin trying her best with her left hand.
‘Take a break,’ says Ryuzo, ‘Don’t strain yourself, you are carrying a baby!’ Ryuzo laughs and Oshin joins her.
‘I am all right, I worked while carrying Yu, too,’ replies Oshin cheerfully.
‘Mother still won’t like you, so just take it easy. We will just take things in stride!’ Ryuzo says and playfully pulls Oshin’s scarf. Oshin laughs out loud.
After a hard day’s work in the field, Oshin and Ryuzo return home. Ryuzo pulls water from the well and Oshin washes her hands and feet.
Ms. Kiyo comes out and looks at Oshin sternly.
‘We just got back,’ says Oshin, standing up in greeting. Kiyo fumes in anger as she watches Ryuzo exerting.
‘I will do the rest, you go relax,’ says Ryuzo. Hearing this, his mother gets angry further and rushes to her room, stomping her feet.
Looking at Oshin’s worried face, Ryuzo says, ‘stop worrying so much about my mother. Be strong, or it will affect the baby.’
Once Ryuzo is inside the room where his parents are sitting, Ms. Kiyo questions him, ‘Didn’t you talk to Oshin about what we discussed? When do you plan to tell her?’
‘I am not sending Oshin back to Yamagata. I am keeping her here.’ says Ryuzo firmly. When his mother tries to interrupt him, he continues, ‘She is my wife, and she is Yu’s mother. There is no reason to send her away.’
‘She is useless,’ Kiyo says rudely.
‘She is doing her best. She can’t work much now, but she is mending. It is not her fault. We can’t send her away just for that!’ says Ryuzo forcefully.
Kiyo takes a deep sigh, and says, ‘She has sweet-talked you again! She got injured while skipping out of work. Now she says she can’t use her right hand! She is just trying to get out of work!’ Kiyo continues her taunting.
‘I will work more to cover for her. I will work enough for the three of us to eat!’ Ryuzo’s temper rises as he starts shouting back.
‘I am not saying I won’t feed you. I am just saying that Oshin doesn’t fit into the Tanokura family! Kiyo comes back to her original objection. Daigoro, who was busy writing a letter, stops by this shouting and listens with his fists clenched.
‘I picked her to be my wife. I won’t divorce her. She is my responsibility and I will handle it!’ declares Ryuzo.
‘Such big talk! She can’t even look after Yu,’ mother throws her usual tantrum.
‘Let Oshin do it, she wants him back,’ Ryuzo challenges his mother.
‘How dare you say that! Yu is very active now, and Oshin is handicapped,’ argues Kiyo.
‘You look after Yu because you like it! You want to get Oshin out, and keep Yu! So don’t act as if you are doing me any favors!’ Ryuzo shouts.
‘Yu is a Tanokura, Oshin can’t have him! I will make that very clear!’ Kiyo shouts back.
‘If Yu stays here, so does Oshin! I can’t rob the boy of his mother.’
‘I see, I will talk to Oshin,’ says Kiyo; she isn’t ready to give up yet. She says, ‘Oshin can’t stay here anymore!’
Daigoro has enough, he intervenes by saying, ‘Stop it! Both of you! Can’t you discuss things quietly? Ryuzo, Have you spoken to Oshin? We need to know what she thinks,’ he asks softly, looking at Ryuzo.
‘She says she wants to stay here no matter what; she is ready to face your wrath!’ says Ryuzo and he looks straight into Kiyo’s eyes. Kiyo fumes.
‘I see, then there is no problem!’ Daigoro is relieved, he continues, ‘If Oshin is willing to stay, that is fine! I brought up her leaving because I felt so sorry for her. That is why I was for that idea. But if Oshin wants to stay, I have no objection. Give her time, and she will get better. We will treat her with warmth and understanding.’ Daigoro has affection for Oshin and he finds good solutions.
Kiyo tries to stop him. But he says firmly, ‘No more talk about Oshin! I won’t allow it!’
Kiyo is speechless seeing her husband’s stand on the topic.
***
Sawa comes to meet Oshin on the field. She pours water from the kettle into a cup and hands over to Oshin. Oshin starts sipping as she still uses her left hand.
‘I see, you will be fine now that Ryuzo knows about the baby,’ says Sawa with a big smile of hope. She continues, ‘you will need to start making preparations. But it is harder when nobody else knows about it. Tell me what you need, and I will get it for you.’
‘Never mind, I can make do,’ says Oshin.
‘I betrayed you, so I want to make up for my actions by helping you!’ says Sawa with the utmost sincerity.
‘Thank you, but don’t get into more trouble on account of me. I know you have your own problems.’
‘Don’t worry about me. Let my in-laws talk. I am just letting the storm pass over me. I figure that is the best way!’ Sawa echoes the thoughts Oshin has in her own mind.
Oshin and Ryuzo find some accord in this situation. They return from the farm happily together, chatting and teasing one another. As soon as they enter, Kiyo faces them directly. They are both are startled to see Kiyo.
‘What kind of woman are you! I will never forgive you now, I want you out of this house now!’ Kiyo says as she pants with anger.
Oshin is stunned. What will happen now? Will she be forced out?
We will find out more in the next episode, no. 133, soon!