Joe Zaw - Five short stories

A difficult journey

The snow was falling so thickly that we couldn’t see even fifty yards ahead. The wind was blowing from the north. It was just after 9 p.m. There were no pedestrians on Mingalar Road, also known as 73. Not a single car had passed by since our group left Aung San Saung. They were shouting and arguing in the middle of the road, singing and dancing, until we reached Mingalar Market. We could hear the sound of a horse-drawn carriage turning onto Road 30. Was it a horse-drawn carriage for a newborn patient going to the hospital? A group of horse-drawn carriage drivers were standing at the horse-drawn carriage gate in front of TB Zone 2. We couldn’t see any flames. We could only see the smoke of cigarettes amidst the snow. Two of us were left at the “Aye San” tea shop. The rest of us would march to the salad shop in front of Mingalar Market.

"Back then, a salad cost one and a half kyats."

Dr. Kyaw Kyaw Soe asked while cutting the duck with a hammer.

“I don’t remember if it was one and a half kyats or two kyats. It was around 78 or 79, so there were even two parts. It was around our 2nd MB.”

I answered while looking at the beer I was about to drink.

“Wow, those two meals costing one kyat, about 5 people had to save up money to eat. They brought the food from the dormitory and went to eat it after the people had finished eating. Haha.. haha..,” Dr. Khin Maung Aye added, laughing.

Three of us friends were sitting at the Golden Duck, sipping beer and roast duck, and ruminating on the shortcomings of our medical student days.

As Khin Maung Aye said, all of our friends can't afford to eat too much. We eat lunch at 5 pm, so by 9 pm, we're all exhausted. We can't stop eating a cup of tea worth 60 kyats. We can't eat 3 kyats worth of fried noodles and rice. So we've been eating lunch since the evening. About six friends, we bought three sets of fish soup, 60 kyats each, and ate three salads with rice. It was a difficult journey. On a cold winter night, we ate hot green tea, sizzling chilies, and had a good time. Then we went back to the dormitory to study.

The medical students and friends who used to take turns pulling rice bowls with shy smiles have now reached their respective places. Myingyan’s Thaung Tin is in America. Ne Win Shein is in Myitkyina as a radiologist. Sein Lin is in Chin State as a township doctor. Maung Maung Htoo is in Pakokku as a dermatologist.

Speaking of the rice dishes, I can’t forget my friend Soe Myint Than’s fish paste stew. In fact, our Aung San Saung, the University of Medicine, has good rice dishes compared to other university dormitories. We don’t do anything fancy, and all the rations are used in the kitchen. But when you eat the same food for five or six years on a strict schedule, you get bored. Soe Myint Than, a native of Taungoo, always cooks fish paste in a small earthenware pot. When you sprinkle chili powder on the pot during dinner, the rice will be delicious. I haven’t seen the guy for a long time. He is opening a clinic in Bago. You can find his writings in magazines. He writes short stories and translations under the pen name “Aung Tsek”.

“I wanted to tell Soe Myint Than Kyi that I was thinking about his fish paste pot while we were eating roast duck,” I said, and Kyaw Kyaw Soe nodded, “

"This guy is a writer, but he hasn't written about his fish sauce pot yet."

"Hey, you idiots are the ones who got into trouble for publishing a poetry book, aren't you 3rd MB?"

Khin Maung Aye started the conversation and our conversation went back to the 3rd MB.

“Yes, yes. It’s a book published by me, Soe Win, and Tin Maung Nyunt,” Kyaw Kyaw Soe replied. He finished his beer and cleared his throat to digest the story. At that moment, Khin Maung Aye’s cell phone rang, interrupting his conversation. Khin Maung Aye said a few words and then said, “The computer parts store is calling. Do you want to stay or come?”

“Hey, did you come to Mandalay to meet your teacher or friends? Did you come to take care of some business at home?”

Khin Maung Aye laughed in his usual style. This guy is from Natmauk. He only comes to Mandalay once a year, so there must be business and social issues. And now he is busy with his children's computer training.