Nyein Kyaw - I've been searching for the face of love.

1

As she handed the folders to him, Cho Hnin Yee said, "Don't forget to buy me some candy for my daughter." He nodded. His assistant, Ko San Tin, said, "I'll call Dr. Myint Thein Zaw as soon as I get to the office. I'll also warn the teacher, Ma Ma Hnin." Cho Hnin Yee smiled.

Just like that, Ko San Tin's teacher looked at him and said, "I don't remember anything except office work." He laughed. He said, "I didn't forget to go get medicine for my daughter." Ko San Tin opened the car door and got in. He started the engine and got in. There was no smile on Cho Hnin Nye's face. He knew she was upset because she had missed the movie last night.

The department meeting ended at about eight o'clock, and I called home right after it was over. I knew Cho Hnin Yee would be upset. I tried to coax her, but she was not satisfied. I also sympathized with her and knew that she was not right.

"I'm coming to the gate with the car... I'm bringing the kids. Because of the meetings and overtime work, it's like living in the same house but in a different country. " | Ko San Tin nodded. .

“We are lucky, sir. Some departments are not as busy as we are. There is no such thing as a person who works hard and a person who doesn’t work hard being looked down upon here, sir.”

"Everyone is used to it. Their mentality is different. It's different to complain because you're not balanced between people and responsibilities. They don't complain unless they lose their jobs."

We arrived at the edge of a hill covered in dense trees. The sound of the engine was louder because it was an uphill road. The gorge on the left was getting deeper by two kilometers. The spring breeze coming in through the car window was cool because of the forest mist.

When we reached a height of a few meters, we could smell the scent of eucalyptus leaves. We could see mountains and valleys covered with tall trees. Mist hung around the dark green forest. Even though it was a familiar landscape, it felt new.

Meanwhile, the scent of the perfume that had been sprinkled on the moss-colored chest was wafting through my nose due to the strong wind.

"What time do you think the meeting will end, sir?"

From where I see the shadows of the trees running across the white screen,

“I think it’s about twelve o’clock. Why, Ko San Tin?” As we reached the exit, we controlled the gear and drove... “I’m going to get a bottle of medicine from Dr. Myint Thein Zaw.”

"You can either come back or take it in. My daughter is in good health. I just need to carry it."

"Aw..." Ko San Tin exclaimed.

“My friend Dr. Myint Thein Zaw is a force in this area. Everyone relies on him. He is just a fingertip away from any disagreement. His kindness, communication, and expertise are all so good that no one knows him or dislikes him. If he retires because he is old, the whole area will support him. That’s how much they love him and care for him.”

He nodded.

"He's been like this since he was young. He's always happy. I never see him sad. He had a lot of trouble when he was in medical school. He was happy like this back then."

"I read a lot of letters"

"He doesn't just read books related to his field. He reads magazines, novels, poems, and political books. I haven't read even a hundredth of his."

“He is also a good piano player. I once heard him play the piano at his friend Sai Tha Oo’s house. It’s a good listen, sir.”

He nodded. "He's an artist doctor." "I'm more interested in him being a bachelor."

Ko San Tin smiled as he spoke. He had told me a few things about Dr. Myint Thein Zaw. A love affair during his student days. A woman from a Lanmadaw fair. A graduate of Mae. A student at Yankin College. Myint Thein Zaw was passionately in love with that woman, whose name was Khin Khin Thar. Myint Thein Zaw begged Khin Khin Thar not to go to parties, to avoid parties, and to avoid socializing.

The son of a farmer and a carpenter, the words of a doctor who was a novice were not true. He abandoned Myint Thein Zaw in the year he was a trainee doctor. He felt a deep pain in his heart. The next year, when he first took on government duties, he went to work at the Rakhine State Hospital.

He deliberately chose to live far away from Yangon.

After that, I moved to many places. I never got married. Now I'm thirty-three or four years old. There's no talk of marriage.

“It seems like Ko San Tin is tired of love and marriage.” “There are many people in this area who want him.”

“He is dark-skinned but has a straight face, good eyebrows, and... eyebrows that raise slightly every time he speaks, and thin lips. He is a character. He wears a light color. He is two or three years older than me, but he is young. I think he is even younger than Ko San Tin. How old is Ko San Tin?”

“I only have a few months left to complete my twenty-year term,” “I can’t even imagine Myint Thein Zaw doing that much.”

Ko San Tin said yes, sir, and honked his horn. Turn left. Up. Turn. Signal to let people know if a car is coming from the other side. The horn sounded again.

"Ko San Tin has two children."

“Yes, sir. The eldest son is five years old. The daughter is three years old. I was twenty-two when I got married. The woman is four years younger.”

He said, pressing the papers in the folder with his hand to prevent them from flying in the wind.

"I was twenty-two when I got married. I gave birth to my eldest daughter the year I joined the caretaker government."

“You and your younger daughter are very different...” “More than five years apart, Ko San Tin.”

"My younger daughter is in kindergarten. My older sister is in fifth grade, so she has started having problems with her playmates."

He smiled... "My eldest daughter plays with her younger sister. In fifth grade, we play together even though we don't have any schoolwork to do."

Ko San Tin laughed and said, "What's wrong?" He said, "I love my little sister." He reached out and grabbed the handle at the corner of the car.

We passed the ruined building on the hilltop.