Bhamo Tin Aung - Collection of Short Stories (1)

The north wind is blowing.

It was in the wealthy part of Bago, opposite the Butterfly Pond. In the living room of the large house with a large entrance and a courtyard facing the pond, a young, fair-skinned woman, about 20 years old, was looking out the window at the small trees and bushes playing in the north wind.

The poet Than Swe took a step back and looked at the young woman.

"Nue," he called coldly.

Naew turned from where he was looking at the small trees and looked at him.

"What are you talking about, Than Swe?" Nwe asked, smiling at him sheepishly.

"Are you going to live like this?" he said, his voice like a poet, filling in the blanks with a poetic flourish.

Naew let out a loud laugh.

The poet Than Swe, who saw the little face in front of Nwe, looked at Nwe in surprise. He was surprised by the way Nwe laughed. Did Nwe laugh at him in a playful way?

"Oh," escaped his mouth.

Naew slapped his face.

“Not yet, Than Swe, you are not yet.”

`` Naew said with a sigh..

"How could it not be so much, you idiot?"

"How long have Than Swe and Nwe been living together like this?"

He only expresses his views through his own words.

“It’s hard, Ko Than Swe.”

Nwe, as if she was in pain to speak to Than Swe, stopped short of finishing her words, looking at her lover with a pitying expression.

"What's so hard about this, you idiot?"

The poet is only interested in poetry.

“What are you going to say, Ko Than Swe?”

Naew said disappointedly.

"It's a matter of you getting married."

“That’s why I’m telling you it’s difficult, Than Swe.”

"Are you still coming back? This is so hard, isn't it?"

"Not yet, Than Swe. You are alone outside the human world, just a person dreaming about your religion."

Although he didn't say anything, he couldn't help but say it, so Naew looked at his face with pity and pain, and slowly said one thing at a time.

He didn't say anything back, just kept saying "yes" or "yes" to the poet.

He just listened to what Nwe said. He was a person who was outside the human world. Nwe hadn't even finished with that, he was a person who was still living alone with his own thoughts...

Are you thinking while listening to what he says quietly...?

“You are also an educated person, Than Swe. With the knowledge you have acquired, think about your religion.”

He remained silent with his mouth agape, as Nwe continued to give advice.

He didn't say anything, just stared at me with wide eyes, listening quietly.

"In these terrible times, when the entire Union of Burma is on fire and everyone is dying, you alone can compose these imaginative poems, such as "In the cool, shady land, where the river flows, the last rose of summer, the queen of my dreams." If you were to tell me, I would never stop marveling at Than Swe."

Nwe didn't look at him anymore, but looked out the window and said as he looked outside.

When the words were finished, the poet smiled.

"With the Burmese Union burning brightly, won't poetry be written anymore?" he asked with a new question, sounding like a philosopher.

From where she was gazing outside, she turned around and looked at him.

“I didn’t understand your question very well, so please ask again, Than Swe.”

`` Naew asked, looking at him like a tiger cub.

"I asked myself, 'Isn't a poet no longer able to compose his own poetry as the Union of Burma burns brightly?'"

He smiled and said calmly, "Oh... a poet can't write his own poetry anymore..." The poet nodded.

“Do you think Nwe kept the poem “The Empress of My Dream,” which you wrote alone at Hinthakone on the day of the big battle with the Karens in Kaput?”

"Hmm... didn't you keep it? I wrote this as a gift for you."

“I tore it down and burned it, Than Swe. I won’t tell you about this.”

"Tear it down... burn it down... yeah, it's so funny"

Nwe didn't look at him, and instead stopped speaking and looked away.

He shook his head sadly. Poor poet...

They were silent for a long time, unable to speak to each other.

As for Naew, he lowered his head and thought as he looked at the beautiful rows of sycamore trees planted along the fence.

The sound of war chariots passing by in the direction of Thanapin was often heard.

They couldn't speak for a long time, and there was silence.

"Nwey," the poet whispered in a strained voice.

Naew turned to look at him.

Naew looked at him with absolute composure.

He looked at Naew's naturally calm face with confidence...

"How can I be so guilty that Than Swe is writing poetry after the fighting with the Karens?"

He asked in a poetic tone. Naew's face darkened as he looked at him.

“Even in a time when the whole of Bago was in a state of panic, wondering whether it would live or die, you alone could write poetry. Don’t let me say that, Ko Than Swe. Don’t let me continue saying that, don’t let me say that.” The voice grew louder and then faded.

It seems that Naew is feeling pity and anger. And she is feeling helpless towards her lover, the poet.

Than Swe just stared at Nayew's expression and smiled a gentle smile. Nayew nodded his head as if he liked the way she spoke to him with compassion and kindness.

“It is the responsibility of the people who form the government to protect Bago City. The government has also deployed troops to protect Bago City from Karen infiltration, right? And there are still soldiers.”

He was talking calmly to Nay. Nay turned quickly towards the window.

"Nwe," he called calmly. Nwe didn't even look back at him.

"Nue," he called out again with a gentle smile. Nue pouted at the window. He slowly got up from his seat and walked closer to her and stopped.

Nwe didn't turn to look at him. - At that moment, a jeep stopped in front of Nwe's house, and two young soldiers, a soldier in uniform and a young officer, got out of the car.

"Hey, Ko Lay, I think Daik Oo is back," Nwe said happily, "Ko Lay... Ko Lay."

Among the two young men in uniform, he looked at the officer with the two shoulder stars and called out.

The officer with the two stars on his shoulder looked at Nwe with awe.

"Are you guys there, hey, Naew?"

“Dad is going to Yangon, brother, and mom is going to Vipassana meditation.”

Nwe turned around and walked briskly towards the door, avoiding the poet standing behind her.

Nwe's younger brother and his companion entered the living room.

“This is Nwe... My sister's cousin, Captain Aung Gyi. This is Captain Aung Gyi, Nwe... We were in the same army as Ko Lay. He was the soldier who defeated the Karens in Katup, Nwe.”

Ko Lay introduced his cousin Nay to Captain Aung Gyi, who was accompanying him, in a very modern way.

Captain Aung Gyi smiled and nodded, like a soldier who had defended Bago. Nwe, a modern scholar, offered her hand.