Thawta Swe - Pattamyar Win Htein and the Three Sailors

Ruby Win Htin

“Hey... Aise... Friend... Phoe Swe, don't you want to make a lot of money with just one novel?”

My friend Pattamyar Win Htein, who seemed to sparkle as brightly as a diamond stud in a friend's ear upon hearing his name, came to my house, drank my morning coffee, and smoked my cigarette one by one. When he asked me, I said,

"Okay.. I want it."

"So you write a book about me, I'll tell you everything, I've read your novels, they're just empty fantasies, they don't relate to life, if you write about me, it's a real life story, you'll suddenly become famous, and you'll have to drink and drink until you become a movie star."

I cut...

"Huh..huh, is that all?"

"Oh, I'm not a writer like you, but I know from my aunt how much money a book can make because it's popular with the government."

This guy's aunt is the famous writer "Mouth Pon Tin Tin Gyi", as you may know.

The dog lit another cigarette from the cigarette that was only a handful old...

“Now... let's say you have about 15,000 kyats on paper. You get 7,500 kyats, I'll get 7,500 kyats, each of you will get half. Now, are you satisfied with that...?”

I know that if this guy gets angry, he can come to my house at any time and tell me what to eat and drink, and then leave, so that things can be done easily...

"Now... are you satisfied?"

"I said it was legal, right? That's because you're my best friend. I wouldn't even give my aunt this opportunity."

I bit my lip...

"Thank you very much, brother...

"But this guy doesn't care about my appearance...

“Well... so I need to use it now, so I'd like to take 500 kyats as a starting point. Can you give it to me?”

I raised my eyebrows and stretched my neck...

"Five hundred..."

"Hey.. five hundred, I'll give you a thousand, but I'll give you another thousand, so what's the point?"

"I don't have a thousand, I need five hundred."

"That's enough."

"Well... Rob, then go and get it at the coffee shop at the end of the street."

I took a wad of money out of my pocket. He looked at me quizzically and...

"What are you..."

"It costs five hundred baht per month, whatever medicine you like, whatever spices you like..."

This is how he opened his eyes..

"Don't try to stay out of trouble, I'm just saying good things..."

I carefully aimed the cigarette in my hand at the window frame and lit it (that's how I usually go outside, snorting).

“Huh... Upsapha Win Htein, are you crazy enough to think I have 500 kyats?”

“Well... so instead of 500 kyats, let’s make 250 kyats”

“Hey.... Tophra, if I had 100 kyats, let alone 250 kyats, I would have gone to Mandalay to pick out my clothes from the pawn shop and go to my girlfriend’s place. I don’t remember staying in Yangon for an hour.”

However, this guy was very disappointed and said, "Ha...Ha, so you only have a hundred and fifty, so I'll give you that."

“Hey... look here”

I poured all my money into my bag. Only one kyat and three peas...

"That's all, brother. Those are the beans that are not used today, May Day. You should put them in the donation box while you're still asleep. If you hear the sound of money clinking, I'll open my eyes and recite the mantra, 'I'll give you a lot of blessings.'"

From here he sighed.

"I can't even get my big dick pulled by your landlord's aunt..."

"Huh... they're complaining because they can't pay their food bill for more than 10 days."

"Oh... I wish I could find someone poorer than me. I'd give you that one kyat worth of my money, because I don't have the money to go to the city."

As soon as we spoke, the kyats went into his pocket. I knew that if I gave this guy this much, he would leave the house, so I took out this money and made this hole.

"Now... come on, brother, I have something to write."

He stood up from his seat and pulled a cigarette from the tin and put it in his pocket...

"What are you writing now?"

“Love, love

"They're in the eight rolls.. ha ha ha... the name is strange, what does it mean..."

"When you shake the rattle, it makes a sound, doesn't it? Just like that... The story of falling in love with a girl who was originally making a toy.."

“Oh...good...good...you are quite famous in Upper Burma, bro. I found out when I arrived.”

"Yes, haha.. haha.."

“If you write about me, it will be more important, sir. If you want to write, tell me, I will tell you everything. Now... I will go.”

"Go ahead, brother... I don't need to tell you anything special, you already know."

Yes. This guy and I were best friends, schoolmates, and even older. If I had to write about him, I would be the most important.

Ruby Win Htin

After he and I had been in 10th grade for the second time, in our third year, one day, the students gathered together and went out to Inya Lake for a picnic. After breakfast, the boys and girls spent the afternoon swimming and playing cards. Some of the girls also went swimming with the boys.

When Patamyar Win Htein lost his poker and lost both his pen and my watch, he took me by the hand and made me stay somewhere. In the style of a movie star, he covered his face with a handkerchief and followed the girls who were swimming. Soon he was running away, grabbing the girls' shirts and blouses.

The two of us went into town and sold it at the best pawn shop, which had a silk shirt, silk trousers and two sets of gold buttons, which were quite impressive. That night... the two of us checked into a hotel.

The next day, the girls complained to the teacher.

When the teacher examined him, Pattamyar Win Htein did not show any signs of anger, but with a calm expression (which is hard to believe from his appearance), he said:

"Hey girls... don't accuse me too much, I just have a small eye and a handkerchief around my face, how can you say that I'm funny?"

This was a sudden remark, as my friend said, and it caused a scandal, and the teacher immediately expelled him from school.

From here, he and I were separated as schoolmates. He had to return to his hometown of Mot Poon. I felt very sorry for him. He said, "I missed out on my student life." I didn't hear that he continued his studies. I heard that he was working on a farm or going to Dawei to dig a mine. Two years later, he came to Yangon with a lot of money. At that time, I had passed the 10th grade and was going to university because he was not there. He was studying.

The boarder came to sleep and was very tired. One night, the teacher called me to my room and gave me a "wan-ning". When he ran out of money, he returned to Mot-Pun. However... I heard that the money he took was stolen and he was thrown out of the house and went to Upper Burma. After that, I didn't see him much, and we didn't have any correspondence.

Now... let's get back to the story.

When I got to university, my parents and relatives said, “Doctors make a lot of money.. and it’s not like a job. Even if the country is in ruins, there is money for the patients. The 96 types of diseases must be worth it, so… let’s just go to medicine.” So I went. However… except for the most tiring and difficult subjects, which are the subjects I like, I was the most lazy in school and had to drop out of medical school after failing for 3 years. My parents and relatives… asked me, “Do you have to spend so much money?”

"This guy is a good guy, he's just a school dropout," they said. So I became interested in him, and after trying my best as a writer, the name soon came out. Tha Toe Swe... Tha Toe Swe.

I wrote novels under this name every month, received a fee from publishers, and rented a room in the house of a restaurant owner in Kyimyindaing, even paying for her food. I met Pattamyar Win Htein, whom I had been separated from for a long time. He came because I had become a writer who earned money.

However, the money I earned was not enough for us two young people who wanted to spend it lavishly, and we soon had to separate.

About 3 months later, I heard about him. The person who told me was Ko Khin Maung Lat, who was the dormitory manager when we were in school. He now works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ko Khin Maung Lat has a mature attitude since he was a student. He loves and talks to people. He is especially fond of Pattayar Win Htein, who is very kind. Whenever I meet him, he always asks about Pattayar Win Htein. “This guy is really tough,” he would complain.

Hey... this time, I'm happy to see him and I...

“Hey... Po Tin Swe... You've lost your cool. Did you hear... His rich aunt raised him, you know his aunt, the writer "Moot Poon Tin Tin Gyi"... With a big house, a big yard, and a big yard in Shwe Gon Daing, I'm glad that this guy has settled down with someone who will look at him like this.”

For him, yes. I am not satisfied with the writer's view. I feel sorry for my friend, thinking that a guy who is different from people like Pattamyar Win Htein, who is a good listener, will live quietly under the care of an old woman who does not understand anything about the world.

About 3 days after meeting Khin Maung Latt, I felt even more depressed.

As I was walking in front of Scott Market, I saw a large sedan parked on the side of the road, full of eyes, cats, and dog faces. One of the faces looked familiar to me, so I looked closer. It was Pattamyar Win Htein, sitting with 6 dogs.

I looked down at him....