Thornbird - On the roof of the palace, every hour

On the roof of the clock tower, passing through the realms...

There is an opening ceremony of a doctor friend's clinic at 6 pm. And I'm going to the National Theater. If I don't get it, I'll just take a break and march.

"Okay, I'll be back... I'll stay. Call me when I get to Yangon."

He waved goodbye to the director and left. As he watched the director's car drive away from under the palm tree from the veranda of his apartment, he was momentarily intoxicated by the view to the west. Then, he threw himself on the sofa in his friend's apartment and relaxed his tense muscles. The writer friend took a seat at his desk and wrote "Paris Spring" in whatever time he could. Therefore, the whole room was silent..., and the only sound around was the occasional hum of the FAW cars driving by from the city. In the distance, the sound of a motor car from the river..., in the peaceful and quiet environment, he forgot the cool touch of the soft mattress on the sofa and fell asleep. Oh..... Peaceful...

I had only been asleep for a few minutes when a sudden thought woke me up. Yes, of course.., what will I do when I get back home? I don't have a bicycle. Since I have a bicycle, I don't have to worry about how far I will go.. Now.., I rolled out of bed.., and asked my friend, who was absorbed in the letter, in a panic..

"My teacher... how can I go back to the city?" My friend lowered his ballpoint pen, raised his glasses, and smiled...

“Don’t worry. I told you to go to Koba Kaung Myin Hle. I’ll pick you up before 4 pm.”

He said calmly.

Then my mind became lighter. Along with the lighter mind, my eyes became less strained and my vision blurred. Then I forgot..

This time, I don't know how long I slept.. I only woke up when my friend woke me up. Even so, I still didn't want to sleep..

"I'm getting up... It's four o'clock. Take a shower... If Ko Ba Kaung's horse-drawn carriage doesn't come, we'll have to leave before the bus..."

The sound of the bus immediately made my eyes widen.

The bus....

I, a Mandalay native, didn't know which bus to take from there, so I had to get up and take a shower to freshen up.

My writer friend was sitting on the sofa, smoking a cigarette, waiting for me. I quickly got ready, put on my shoes, and packed my bag. It was almost half past four.

"I'm sure Koba Kaung won't come. Let's run to catch the last car."

The friend said.

I didn't know which bus to take until I closed the apartment door, locked it, and went down the stairs. I didn't know where to take it. I went south along the street in front of the apartment. I saw a stone road that went east from the curb. I went east along that road. After walking for a while, a bus stopped on the north-south road. The driver on the back seat of the car was calling people one by one. Only one was calling. His car was full.., and he was hanging on the back seat..., and there was no one on the roof yet,

"Come on, come on, hurry up, the last car...the last car"

He shouted.

We hurriedly ran to the back of the car, and squeezed in. There were mostly students and teachers in the car. It was a Dyna..

"What number is this car?"

I asked a writer friend who had arrived in Mandalay the other day.

"This is line 7, if you want to go into the city, you have to take this bus."

The friend's answer was surprising.

But I don't know if Line 7 reaches Eyar Htun Nay Pu village on the western side of Tatthay Inn...

“There is a gate on the south side of the No. 7 bus. If you go to the gate, you can get a seat in the front,” my friend said. The No. 7 bus line I know is a large, short-bodied bus with a silver-colored roof. It is called the Yellow Bus Line in Mandalay. The entire bus is painted yellow. The Mandalay symbol is a ribbon around the gate and the gate. The ribbon has the words “Mandalay City Transport Association” written on it.

The No. 7 bus line used to run between North Pyin O Bo Shwe Kyin and 35th Street Sasana Viman. The number on the bus is written below the bus number: Viman-O Bo. The buses are lined up at the bus stop in front of the Sasana Viman. Passing the bus stop, there is a restaurant in the Nyaungpin Roundabout in front of the Sasana Viman. Chicken, pork, fried beef, fried eggs, goat meat, pickled duck eggs, etc. are served in a bowl with rice and served. You can add as much fried chili, sauce and fried rice as you like. In addition, you can add as much fried chickpea curry and pickled rice as you like. When I was there,

8 kyats per time.

I used to sit on a large round brick bench under a banyan tree, holding a bowl, and making sauce.., and drinking hot pickled vegetables. I had eaten many breakfasts. Another time, it was ten kyats. Another time, it was 15 kyats.., another time, it was a portion.... Another time, it was a portion..., I used to go and eat with a famous writer from Mandalay often. Then, it didn't arrive..., The No. 7 bus line also went from the temple to Sein Pan. I don't know how far I got from Sein Pan to Eyar Htun...,

Now, in addition to the large, short-head, large-cab cars that were previously available on the No. 7 Yellow Line, there are more and more Dyna cars. Not only on No. 7, but also on other cars, Red Cars, South Myo Lines, and Mathura Lines, there are not many old cars left... Only Dyna cars have been replaced.

I'm still obsessed with the old stuff, so when I see number 7, I only see a big wooden-bodied car with a short tail. I blame my obsession and shortsightedness for not noticing these little Dyna cars.

The Dinar No. 7 bus we were riding in headed east along 41st Street. When we got to the leather factory, the students and teachers in the bus got off. We headed east along 41st Street, and when we got to 84th Street, we thought we would turn north. However, before we got to 84th Street, we turned north along the middle road at 85th Street. We followed the road to the west of Ywahai Market (Mann Myo Market), followed the road to Hledan, the road to the east of Mya Taung Taw, Beimaan, Malun, and Thakyathiha.

In early February 2000, as I sat in the fast-moving Dyna of the 4th Line, heading north from 31st Street along 85th Street, my thoughts were forcibly drawn back to the years gone by...