Sinphyu Kyun Aung Thein - Natmauk Thu Poon Hey

The Natmauk rebel... hey

It is made of bricks.

But U Kyaw Swar wasn't interested. The more clearly the badges on the man's sleeve became visible, the more interested U Kyaw Swar became.

"That pavilion with the flag hanging over there..."

Before U Kyaw Swar could finish speaking, the person being questioned burst out laughing.

U Kyaw Swar looked at the man's face in shock. Why would he laugh?

"The big man from Yangon doesn't even recognize me anymore, hehehe"

The person who greeted me greeted me warmly, but I didn't recognize U Kyaw Swa. He was just laughing. I looked at him carefully. I didn't even think of stopping. .

"There's a rat at the foot of your house, Daw Buma."

Then, a mouse, a fly, and a gnat, drooling on his shirtless, dark, smooth chest,

The small figure of a mouse appeared, dusting the wound, and squeezed his shoulder.

"After being separated for so long, how could I suddenly remember? I'm so heartless..."

"What's the point? We're so happy to hear you're here. Just now, I went to your house for a while, and your mother told me to let you go to the stream too."

U Kyaw Swar's hand, still pulling a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, stopped, and his eyes lit up.

"In the creek, right?"

After asking in a hurry, he continued.

"I was thinking about asking about that noisy pavilion over there."

"Now... tell me. Why did you invite me into the stream? To catch fish?"

After asking, he opened a large, flat, black cigarette pack and handed it to U Kyaw.

"You don't have the energy to smoke cigarettes. I have one."

U Kyawt held up a cigarette with a smoky glow, then lit a cigarette.

"Try telling me"

U Kyaw Swar asked again.

“Before I talk about the pavilion with the flag flying over there, first take a look around,” U Kyaw said, pointing to the shallow stream behind U Kyaw Swar, causing U Kyaw Swar, who had turned around to look, to exclaim, ‘ Ha! ’ . He had already turned around and stood there, his mouth hanging open.

In the spring, onions were planted in the winter, and in the shallow stream, there was no use except for making hay and hay bales. U Kyaw Swar was amazed to see the rice fields up close in the stream. The dark green rice plants in the flooded fields seemed to be showing off to U Kyaw Swar.

"If you look at it from the perspective of thirty years ago, your eyes will bulge."

It's like a mockery.

The rat laughed out loud.

“Those are the fruits of the Shwewa Myay Pioneer Cooperative Association in Ingone Village.”

He said.

"How many? Hey."

“This year, I plan to plant 50 acres of rice, 20 acres of sesame, two acres of tomatoes, one acre of chili peppers, and one acre of eggplant.”

"If it's not too much, what is it? Hundreds of thousands?"

The mouse smiled..

“We have already planted 15 acres of Ngwe Toe, 15 acres of Manaw Hari, 14 acres of Shwe Wah Tun, and 1 acre of Shwe Wah Lay. Now, I hear on TV that the last remaining ones will be closed after a competition. The rice farmers from the member village groups will compete.”

U Kyaw Swar nodded and looked at the nearby fields with a vacant look. On U Kyaw Swar's shirt, there was a white circle with a clear blue background and a picture of a dam frame and a pointed shovel, with the words "Dam Support" above it. Below it, he noticed a badge with "Natmauk Township". U Kyaw Swar had been interested in the badge even before he knew U Kyaw Swar was U Kyaw Swar.

"You're like, uh... which army's badge is this? What army? Do you work there?"

"No, I don't."

The rat pointed his finger at his shoulder, pointing back from where he was looking.

“Over there, it’s the seal from when they were building the dam on the other side of the river. Kantaw Dam.”

He answered.

"Is it a dam? It doesn't rain, so what will we do if we build a dam?"

“There is also a rainstorm. Then, we have to collect and store the water so that it does not run out. You live in Yangon and don’t know anything. In our township, we have built twenty dams in the past ten years under the rice self-sufficiency project. Come, join us in our rice planting competition. We can talk quietly while drinking hot water.”

 

U Kyawt led the way, following the village, and then they descended into the shallow stream. Along the way, there were fields. On the other side of the fields, a large, clear stream flowing in a clear stream, seemed to stretch out like a long, winding stream. “H-not much,” U Kyaw Swar said as he followed Ho Kung Kyaw. “The place we were standing and talking about was the north side of the tamarind hill, and now it is the Paukpin Aik hill. The place where the pavilion is located is the east side of the Inn hill. Just as the land is divided like this, the responsibilities are divided into three groups.”

The field where the rice planting competition will be held will be large enough for three people to plant according to the traditional system, or six people to plant according to the row planting system. The areas where the rice will be released will be marked with flags, and rows of five-pin ropes will be planted to prepare the rice, and the rice will be cooked and fried, and a donation will be made.

The watercourse to the east of the pavilion was flowing like a stream of clear, cool water. For U Kyaw Swar, everything was new. U Kyaw Swar introduced U Kyaw Swar to some of the elders and then sat down next to U Kyaw Swar, pointing to an old woman.

“In our village tract, we are the top rice farmers, we come first in every competition.”

“Where are the girls over there?” U Kyaw Swar asked, pointing to a group of beautiful young women in bright blue blouses and white gloves, who were trampling through the mud, moving and transporting the seedlings.

"School teachers and children. We are from Inn Kone Village Tract."

"Yes?"

U Kyaw Swar, who still believed that a schoolteacher would be terrified of mud, even though she was not afraid of chalk, was once again surprised.

“We must achieve food self-sufficiency in our township within ten years. With the determination to be self-sufficient in food, if there is water and land, we will plant on trees. We will also plant on the mountain. That is why our comrade Bo Ya Kyaung Taung Camp is not only a cooperative, but also a pilot cooperative with 105 acres. You will see it in the newspaper.”

"Hmm... you're doing a bad job, aren't you?"

At that moment, U Kyaw Swar was so surprised that he fell to his knees. At the same time, the image of Comrade Ya Kwat, who was so proud and honest that he would not back down if he did something, appeared in U Kyaw Swar's mind.

“So, his comrade, Commander Moe Daw, and Commander San Tin?” “U San Tin, the village monk, is here.”

U Kyaw Swar could only nod his head, his mind fixed on the slender and peaceful figure of Bo San Tin.

"I'm a farmer, working in the village of Mon. Sometimes I

"I can see Aung Thein arriving at Natmauk on a cart on Sinphyu Island."

“Aw... aw... wait, Bo Ba Sai, Bo Chit Maung, what about you?”

“Bo Chit Maung retired from his teaching career and became the chairman of a cooperative clinic. Bo Ba Sai lives in poverty with a granddaughter. In the city.”

"Yes," U Kyaw Swar said, after a long, drawn-out moan.

"Just as they were armed when the country needed to be armed, now they need to be armed again. Well, wait a minute, where is their camp?"

His words were interrupted, and U Kyaw couldn't hear them.

“I was just asking General Ya Kat. Where is his camp?”

“It’s near Layein Station. It’s not too far.”

The past suddenly came to U Kyaw Swar. The formation of the People's Army to prevent the veterans from disintegrating, the People's Army's defiance of the colonial government's order not to display military force or wear uniforms, the colonialists' arrest and torture of comrades who had served in the three armed forces during the war, the police strike, the general strike, the Governor-General Sir Dorman Smith's flight after suffering a stomach ache, the FAPL's acceptance of Sir Hubert Rance's offer and the formation of a government led by General Aung San, General Aung San's announcement that he would resign by January 31 if he did not receive a guarantee that independence would be achieved within a year,

"You, Mawanu, are also in this village."

Be prepared, if we don't get complete independence, we will fall. The group led by the general will be defeated.

"You said we should consider getting married after the country gains independence, Mawana."

"Hey..what's up, Mawana?"

U Kyaw Swa could only ask now, as if he had fallen off the bed while sleeping. U Kyaw laughed.

“Oh, I thought you heard,” U Kyaw Swar smiled and said gently, “I heard you. My mind was elsewhere, so I didn’t understand the meaning. I couldn’t grasp it or not.”

“Is the name Mawanu among those you mentioned?” “Yes, of course.” “He is in this village now, right?”

"Yes, I am a single woman without a partner. But I have many siblings and grandchildren who have been born to me."

When U Kyaw Swar heard Daw Wa Nu's name, he was happy. His face was young and cheerful. However, when he learned that she was still an old woman, U Kyaw Swar's face became sad. But inside, he felt sad and guilty, like someone who had committed a sin.

Nay Chi had quickly retreated from the peaceful village. The herdsman had only been grazing because he had been throwing stones and sticks at them.