Red Beard Page #3

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He said he was my father.

He wanted me to go home with him.

He was pale,

but he tried to smile

and put a hand on my shoulder.

He said,

"Okuni, let's go home.

You're my precious only daughter.

You're my precious only daughter."

But I was only a child then.

I was frightened

and I pushed him away and ran.

I was living with Mother

and a young man

she called a relative.

I didn't know anything.

He was father's assistant.

They'd been bad together then ran away.

I found that out

after he'd married me.

Your mother's lover?

She was over 40.

It was probably the only way

she could hold him.

But I saw them

with my own eyes!

Never mind the rest.

What happened to your mother?

She died.

She left when she was found out.

She became a maid at a teahouse.

It seems they still saw each other.

She gave him money,

so he didn't work.

Just before she died,

she sent for my husband

but didn't want to see me.

She made me marry him.

And she hated me.

I don't even know

where her grave is.

I didn't build

a family altar either.

I'm just as bad!

I knew what he was,

yet I had three children by him!

Did you see your father after that?

After she died,

he came to see me in secret again.

He seemed older.

I hardly recognized him.

His hair was all white.

He trembled when he spoke:

"Come with me

and bring the three children."

But I was purposely rude

and sent him away.

I told him to leave us alone.

How could I go with him?

And bring the children of the man

who had taken both his wife

and his daughter?

Was he in pain when he died?

No, he died peacefully.

He had to.

He had to!

If he hadn't,

life would have been too cruel!

But that man!

When she died and the money stopped

coming, he started in on the neighbors!

He'd get drunk and become abusive!

Said to get money

from Father because

I was his only child.

"What kind of a man is this

not to feed his own grandchildren?"

I put up with everything

for the children's sake.

But there's a limit to my patience.

Telling me to get money

from the man he'd hurt.

It's one thing

he shouldn't have said.

That's why l...

I understand.

So you tried to stab him?

I meant to take the children to Father

and then give myself up.

I went to the inn where Father said

to come if I needed him.

I was told he was sick

and came here long ago.

I came here, but...

What will I do?

Don't worry. Cutting someone up

a little is not too serious.

No, an accident!

He was drunk...

he had this knife.

You stabbed him

while trying to get it.

That's what happened!

It often happens.

Luckily, I know Magistrate Shimada.

I know some things about him.

I'll go with you.

Go and confess.

My children...

what will become of them?

The children.

That's right.

We'll ask Goheiji.

He's in charge of houses near here.

Has a fine wife too.

Take the children

and Sahachi there.

After the magistrate's office,

I'll come too.

Sahachi!

Onaka... Onaka,

why have you come?

You needn't have come.

I'll be with you soon.

I won't make you wait long.

The children have run away!

What?

We were asked to keep them!

Be more careful!

I'm all wet because of you!

There's a vacant house near here?

Will you rent it to them?

I'll be responsible.

How's Sahachi?

He has a high fever... delirious.

He keeps talking to a girl.

He never knew any women.

Move over.

No, you go home.

What's that?

Me and Sahachi

are the longest tenants here.

And Sahachi's dying. You got no right

keeping me from seeing him.

But you're drunk.

You don't know what you're doing

when you're drunk.

I began to drink when I was nine,

and I've been drinking ever since.

I can't say when I'm sober,

but I know what I'm doing

when I'm drunk.

Where's that Red Beard?

He'll be here.

You're a doctor at the clinic too?

My name's Heikichi.

I've known Red Beard a long time.

He told me once

I drank too much and threw up.

He looked fierce, awful fierce.

Said to support my family

if I had the money

to drink till I was drunk.

It's no laughing matter.

Thinking about the wife and kids

would make me drink all the more.

Rich men and educated ones

don't know this fact.

So there you have it.

- Stop it!

- What?

What's that, talking so big?

That's enough!

Bad for him!

What's that?

What of it?

Fool landlord!

Stuck-up Red Beard!

Sahachi, still hanging around!

He's worried about Sahachi.

That's why he's carrying on.

You all go home.

Standing there shuts out the air.

Please look after him, Doctor.

Help him to live if you can.

He never thought of himself,

just about others.

He worked till he got sick,

then worked while he was sick.

Go now. He's just gone to sleep.

Let him be quiet.

Why don't you examine him, Doctor?

Is it hopeless?

Two fine men dying

one after the other.

Old Rokusuke died today.

He's the father of the woman

I just brought.

He left this ten ryo.

Use it for what they need.

I'll do that.

But, Doctor,

a man dying at a public clinic

wouldn't have so much money.

You scraped it together as usual?

We're friends.

You needn't have done it.

I scraped it together, all right,

but I made Magistrate Shimada pay up.

Not only the money.

I used what I knew to get him

to release the woman too.

Shimada was adopted

into his wife's family.

But he's keeping a woman

at his villa. Many men do.

She's grown melancholic about this...

has grown extremely jealous.

I hinted to Shimada

about the woman he's keeping.

I'm abominable.

True, the girl deserved to go free.

And the money's

for my treating his wife.

But I did hint,

so I did a cowardly thing.

Yasumoto.

From now on, if I'm arrogant

at any time, remind me of today.

I'm going back.

You tend to Sahachi.

Pouring a while ago,

but it's stopped.

What is it? I'll go see.

I'm sorry,

but can I have some water?

A landslide!

It was a narrow escape.

Almost crushed Sahachi's place.

A skeleton!

That...

I buried it.

She was my wife.

She's come for me.

Will you call everyone, please?

I want to tell everything

and die without any secrets.

Wait!

Please take this umbrella.

Thanks, but I'm wet already.

But it's bad for you.

I want to tell you about her.

Her name was Onaka.

After returning the umbrella,

I couldn't forget her.

We met many times

in the field at Iriya.

I'm so happy.

You'll marry me then?

I'm happy, but I can't.

Why?

Why? Because I'm not free

to do as I like.

I have seven brothers and sisters,

and Father's sick.

I've been bonded for ten years.

How many more years?

One year, but I can't leave.

I must send money home.

Return the money.

But I have obligations.

I'll send money to your family.

- It's not that.

- What other obligations?

Another man?

Do I look like that?

I'm sorry.

I just thought...

Lets not talk about it.

It's no good.

But I wanted to marry her so much

that I succeeded in persuading her.

She finally consented.

But, for some reason, she wouldn't

introduce me to her parents.

No! I don't want to!

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