Bheela’s Blog -138
02 Nov 2024
Episode 137 Recap
Atsuko comes to stay with her parents for her delivery. Ms. Kiyo treats Oshin badly whereas Atsuko gets all the pampering. Ryuzo protests this unequal behavior. Oshin feels happy with the stand Ryuzo took, but Ryuzo is upset that his mother hates him, too.
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Episode 138
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Ryuzo sits at the backyard, next to the small pond. He is depressed as his mother shows her hatred. Oshin comes and sits next to him.
‘It doesn’t matter when somebody bathes or who eats what, does it?’ Oshin speaks softly to console Ryuzo.
‘I don’t like the way my mother spoils Atsuko. She should take better care of you! You are pregnant just like Atsuko!’ Ryuzo is still upset; he is against inequality.
‘A son’s wife is just a stranger, I am not her real daughter, so it is only natural. It is human nature,’ Oshin tries to reason out to make Ryuzo calm down. She continues to maintain a soft tone as she speaks.
This helps the situation. Ryuzo says, ‘No matter how much she hates you, the baby you are carrying is innocent! It is her own grandchild!’
‘But she prefer the one being carried by Atsuko,’ with a short laughter, Oshin says, ‘Don’t fight with your mother over me. I just want to have my baby here, that is all. I want Atsuko’s and my baby to be both well and healthy, and that will dispel the superstition. Maybe she will give me credit for working hard, too. That is the only way I will ever get accepted. And I will persevere until then! I don’t want to cause trouble for anyone. So, please cooperate!’ Oshin pleads to Ryuzo, as she is determined to have her baby at Tanokura home.
‘That is no way to be!’ Ryuzo argues.
‘I know you are just trying to protect me, but I will end up getting treated worse if you try to protect me and fight with your mother.’ says Oshin.
‘If I don’t protect you, who will?’
‘You may think you are protecting me but it is not that easy. With Atsuko here, there is bound to be more trouble. But, please don’t say anything.’
‘You want me to just keep quiet?’
‘The more you speak up for me, the worse things get!’
‘I understand! I am just nothing but trouble for the Tanokura family, and I can’t even protect my own wife,’ Ryuzo laughs with sarcasm and says, ‘They all look down on me. And you talk down to me, too.’
‘That is not why I am telling you all this,’ Oshin doesn’t give up.
‘Never mind! I will never say another word. I will try to get along with my mother and brother,’ Ryuzo calms down and looks at Oshin with love. He says, ‘You are a strong woman. You don’t have to depend on me. You can make it on your own!’ He gets up saying these words, feeling depressed about himself. Oshin watches him get inside the house. She is in deep thought.
***
Oshin completes the washing and enters the kitchen. The family members are sitting in the dining area and Tsuneko serves them drinks.
‘You should be eating already, too. If you wait till we finish, you don’t know when you will get to eat. I am sure Oshin and Otsugi are hungry, too.’ Daigoro talks to Tsuneko as she serves him the drink. He is always concerned for the people around him, unlike his wife.
‘Otsugi is watching the children, and Oshin is washing diapers,’ Tsuneko replies politely.
‘I thought Oshin planted rice all day? Go on, feed her!’ says Daigoro.
‘Oshin works hard, I am happy to have her,’ adds Fukutaro, Ryuzo’s elder brother, who normally is quiet. He continues, ‘you wouldn’t know she was from Tokyo!’ It is a common perception that city girls can’t work hard on the fields.
‘She is the daughter of a poor sharecropper!’ pat comes a comment from Ms. Kiyo.
‘My sister is no match for Oshin,’ says Fukutaro; he has started appreciating Oshin for her hard work.
‘Atsuko is a Tanokura! I don’t need her working like a sharecropper. I sure don’t want her being made to work,’ Ms. Kiyo continues to justify her behavior.
‘So she will be staying here?’ asks Fukutaro.
‘I don’t want her to miscarry her baby!’ says Kiyo and then looking at Atsuko, she asks, ‘do you want more?’ Atsuko already has her mouth full of the soup and she refuses.
‘Eat lots of you want to have a healthy baby.’ says Kiyo.
‘Give my fish to Oshin, she needs nourishment’ Daigoro places a piece of fish on a plate and tries to hand that to Ryuzo.
‘If you don’t want it, I will give it to Atsuko. We can’t show favoritism to our sons’ wives. We didn’t treat Tsuneko any different when she was pregnant.’ says Kiyo and takes away the plate. Daigoro moves his head in frustration.
***
Oshin is tired and she lies taking support of the folded mattresses in her room when Tsuneko enters.
‘Oshin, it is time to eat,’ says Tsuneko as she opens the door. Oshin gets up and greets her. Tsuneko gives an envelope to Oshin saying, ‘here is a letter for you.’
‘Thank you,’ says Oshin and picks up the letter. She opens the cover with difficulty, her right hand is still not fully functional. She takes the letter close to the lantern hanging from the roof. It’s a letter from her mother Fuji; she reads on as she can listen to her mother’s sweet and caring voice.
“I hope all is well with you. We are all fine here. Oriki is writing this letter for me, and she is fine, too. I am glad that you are with child again. I can’t be there to help you but I am glad to hear that everyone there is very nice. I wish I could send you something, but since your brother takes care of me now, I can’t do as I please. Forgive me. I am only able to send you some diapers that I sewed from old kimonos. You can never have enough diapers. I will send them to you soon. I have sewn a couple of swaddling clothes for the baby. I am sure the family there has provided them already, but please accept them as a present from me. Remember to eat well. A hard working woman has an easier time giving birth.”
Oshin lies down catching the letter in her hand. Stream of tears run down from her eyes and she almost chokes with happiness of having the letters. She feels her mother to be close to her.
***
It is raining heavily the following morning. Oshin is at the kitchen eating her breakfast when Daigoro enters. She greets him with respect.
‘It is raining today, take the day off,’ says Daigoro.
‘Yes, but I have do have other chores,’ replies Oshin.
‘I understand, but,’ Daigoro suddenly remembers and asks Oshin, sitting on the floor, ‘Have you had a midwife check you? There is one coming today to have a look at Atsuko. Have her examine you, too.’
‘It is Atsuko’s first time, but it is my second. I know I am alright,’ Oshin says; she doesn’t want any favors from anyone.
‘But it is different with each baby!’ protests Daigoro; he, as usual, is concerned. He calls his wife, ‘Kiyo! Kiyo!’
‘What is it? You will wake up the kids!’ Kiyo enters the kitchen fanning herself, half asleep. She too sits next to Daigoro.
‘Have Oshin examined by the midwife today. She doesn’t have to work today,’ says Daigoro.
‘She has other chores to tend to!’ says Kiyo.
‘Atsuko loafs all day long, Oshin needs rest, too. The baby is growing, it is hard for her!’ Daigoro then looks at Oshin and tells her, ‘When it gets difficult, just take the day off. It is a wife’s duty to give birth to a good, healthy baby.’ He laughs and then turns to wife and says, ‘Do as I say, Kiyo!’ He gets up and goes away.
Kiyo takes a sigh of relief. Oshin bows to her and says, ‘Thank you for the breakfast.’ She then enters the kitchen where Tsuneko and the maid are chopping vegetables.
‘Ryuzo, your father sure is a problem!’ Kiyo complains to Ryuzo as soon as he enters the kitchen. She says, ‘He thinks having a baby is so hard. I have had children myself. But a wife has to keep working. He talks as if I am making Oshin work too hard! It is all going to Oshin’s head. She is not like Atsuko. She is a wife belonging to another family. I can’t treat her like our own. It is the same for the midwife, too. The village one is good enough for Oshin. I don’t know what Oshin thinks, but I want you to speak to her about it. Explain the difference! She is your wife, so you keep her in line. She will just let it go to her head.’
As Ms. Kiyo continues her sermon to Ryuzo, Oshin quietly listens and continue doing her chores with her head down.
Ms. Kiyo calls out, ‘Oshin!’
‘Yes,’ responds Oshin, taken aback.
‘This came from your mother in Yamagata. I opened it, and it contains diapers and babies clothes,’ says Ms. Kiyo and hands over a packet to Oshin. Kiyo continues in her usual caustic tone, ‘There is letter for me and it asks me to take good care of you. Your mother expects me to get you a mid-wife?’
‘Thank you for the package,’ Oshin bows to Kiyo and replies respectfully.
As Ryuzo comes out to look at the packet, Kiyo starts complains again, ‘What is she writing about me to her mother? Why isn’t her mother willing to take her in?’
Ryuzo walks off ignoring his mother.
***
Oshin opens the packet and finds handmade soft cotton diapers and baby clothes, neatly folded. She pulls the clothes close to her heart, feeling proximity of her own mother.
Ryuzo enters the room and she is startled.
‘We will get you the village midwife. I can’t go against my mother,’ says Ryuzo, in a voice full of defeat and regret. He closes the sliding door and goes away.
Oshin looks at the door and feels bad that people’s kindness towards her always gets turned around by Kiyo and it is being used against her. She quickly puts the thought away and looks at the clothing with love. She packs them into a bag to keep them for later use.
Unable to rely on Ryuzo, Oshin feels Fuji’s motherly kindness, when she needed it most.
***
Oshin is back in the field the next morning. She knows that she had to persevere. But how much and for how long!
We will know more, in the next episode, no 139, soon!