Golden Peacock - Collection of Short Stories, Volume Four

A strange green leaf

Of the friends who had studied together in the 1907 entrance class, Ko Ohn Khin was the least talkative and the most learned. In his free time, he would never join the circle of people who gathered to talk, but would often sit alone under a tree with a book or scribble on the ground with a stick. When we met in Katha after school, I learned that Ko Ohn Khin had passed the medical examination and was working as an assistant doctor at the Government Hospital. From then on, Ko Ohn Khin and I became close friends, and we would correspond and discuss important matters and ideas. Soon after, Dr. Ohn Khin left the government service, opened a pharmacy, and began to treat patients as a local doctor. He had a great reputation for treating patients with mental illness. Doctors not only in Katha but also throughout the country acknowledge his expertise and refer patients with mental illnesses to him.

Dr. Ohn Khin was killed by a bomb during the Japanese bombing of Katha during the last war. His wife, Daw Than Yin, knew of our close friendship and, recognizing my interest in psychology, sent me Dr. Ohn Khin's notes. I used to read the notes written by my traveling friend whenever I had free time. These notes were about patients suffering from mental illness and were of great interest to me, who was interested in psychology. Among these notes, the following incident is of great interest not only to psychologists but also to ordinary readers, and I have decided to transcribe them as a novel.

Dr. Ohn Khin's story

U Ke Tu, a monk, was a prominent landowner in the village of Zarit Chaung near Katha. As a monk, U Ke Tu was a good preacher. Although he left the monkhood when he met Daw Buk Yin, the widow of the landowner, he was still called U Ke Tu by the village, regardless of his name. He was over 40 years old, with a straight nose and a clean appearance. He was literate and a good preacher during his monkhood, so he was familiar with government officials and high-ranking people in Katha. Daw Buk Yin died a year after her marriage to U Ke Tu. The village used to joke that whatever her first husband, U Ba Pye, had done, Daw Buk Yin would do, and whatever Daw Buk Yin did, U Ke Tu would do.

U Ke Tu, who had not married after Daw Buk Yin's death, lived with his nephews and nieces and grandchildren. I met him at the house of his assistant, U Chit Su, from time to time. Although I was not an English speaker and did not understand Western science, I walked slowly and carefully. Finally, when I arrived at the house, I opened the courtyard door and entered, and he followed me into the courtyard.

Me.. "It's hard to say. Even ghosts and goblins can't climb up to the roof of the house, right?"

Tu. ..“I can’t tell you why, when I got home, I called my nephew Po Tay into the room to find out, and I sat on the chair, and the monkey sat on the table. When Po Tay came in, I thought he would disappear, but he didn’t. He sat on the table, limping. I asked, “Hey, Po Tay, what’s on the table?” Po Tay said, “There’s nothing on the table, Uncle, just books.” So I was the only one who could see him, no one else could see him. The rickshaw driver didn’t see him, either. He wasn’t a ghost or a goblin. I thought it was some kind of delusional illness. I thought it might be due to lack of sleep or indigestion. However, the way he acted was very strange. I don’t think it was just my imagination.”

Me.. “Wait, isn’t this just for one night?”

"Which one will be the best? If it's just this one night, I won't even bother talking about it. Wait, I'll tell you something. Listen."

Me.. "Tell me."

"So that night, before I went to bed, I sat in the front room, reciting prayers, reciting scriptures, and reciting the sacred words in Pali and English. There was nothing wrong with that. He sat on the table, staring at me intently. His eyes seemed to be a little blurry, but his gaze didn't waver. He was looking at me with a blurry look. He was looking at me with a wide eye, not even blinking. So, when the clock struck one, I went into the bedroom and started to sleep. He came to me, curled up, and sat on the table next to my bed.