Thawtar Swe - My dear Theingi

Chapter (1)

When faced with an unexpected event, even the most predictable things can suddenly go wrong. However, the signs that signal what is about to happen often appear unexpectedly and are only noticed after it has happened.

September 24, 1949.

That morning, as I was packing my clothes, books, and papers into a bag to be ready for my trip to Thanlyin for a week, my friend, the young clerk Ma Nan Htwe, came up to me and said...

“Where are you, Ko Thaw Ta Swe? Are you going to Thanlyin Island to see Khin Non? Oh, my shirt is worn out. If you wear this new Bangkok long-sleeved shirt, wear the one that the King gave you, Ko Thaw Ta Swe.”

Ma Nan Htwe not only takes care of herself when it comes to her clothing, but also has an observant eye for others, and she often talks to me like a brother. What she said now is also true.

My shirt was worn yesterday, so the seams are frayed. But I don't have anything else to wear. The shirt that Pinmin gave me four or five days ago is still not finished because it's still raining.

Therefore..

"Yes, of course, Uncle, but I'll have to wear an extra coat."

"Oh... Even if I wear a top, my neck and chest are still exposed. It doesn't look good. Put on that shirt.... Why are you so lazy to take it off?"

I urge you to be bold and enthusiastic.

"No, my uncle, the king has already given me clothes to wear."

"Oh... so what's this shirt supposed to do?"

As my uncle spoke, he pulled out the shirt that was at the bottom of my chest...

"With this light blue shirt... how much would you pay for a light gray Bangkok long-sleeved shirt with a waist tie?"

Yes, yes.

But... this 'shirt'...

This shirt, just now, when my uncle showed it to me, reminded me that it was a “thing to wear.” It had been sitting in my closet for years. I could see it but had forgotten to use it. It had an old book of mine stuck to it.

However, this book has been around for so long that it has been discussed in parts.

Now, even though my uncle accidentally showed me the book, I couldn't put the details out of my mind. It was so dark and heavy that I couldn't even think about it. Back then, every time I touched it, I felt something... It was a very good book to read. A great book that I was very fond of.

Now it doesn't taste good anymore. But as the saying goes, "The golden rabbit and the golden tiger are reaping the harvest," I still see the car clearly. So I smiled and was happy...

“Well... I just remembered this shirt when you mentioned it. But look at that shirt carefully, it’s a light blue color, right?”

My uncle looked at me with his eyes...

“Hmm... no... with letters... ah... “Love... Love... letters... when did this kind of thing come out...?”

“How would my uncle know.... In the years (1935-36), my uncle must have had two or three daughters, and I was already between 15 and 16 years old.”

"Dude... why have you been undressing for so long?"

"Uncle... spread out that shirt and look at the bend of the elbow on your left arm..."

My uncle spread out the area I mentioned and looked, and four or five small dots appeared in the dark brown area.

"I left it unworn because of those little holes, uncle."

Uncle simply thought...

“My dear.... I don’t wear this, Ko Thant Gyi. I wore it yesterday, but I still wear the necklace around my neck and wrists.”

“No, uncle, there is a reason, but it doesn’t make sense anymore. I’ll wear it now, give it… give it.”

I took off my shirt and put on this one. My uncle unbuttoned the shirt he had taken off...

"That shirt I wore when I was 15 is still good enough to wear now."

“My body now is the same as it was when I was 15 or 16 years old. When I was 18 or 23, I would have been able to do bodybuilding and not wear this shirt. I didn’t wear it back then, but now I wear it again, and I wear it again.”

My uncle was not interested in the meaning of what I said, but watched me put on my coat and smiled happily...

“Oh... oh... if you wear that dove blue shirt, light blue shirt, and gray Bangkok long-sleeved shirt with black shoes, you’ll look as smart as Ko Thaw Ta Swe’s Aye Swe, just like the one that Pa Uu gave to Ko Thaw Ta Swe.”

He was right. I was looking at myself in the mirror, my clothes on.

Oh... Uncle. Uncle is someone who not only prepares himself, but also people. Like this, choosing clothes well... If you choose well, you will be blessed with good things in your life.