Niko - Roses in the Rain

Lin smiled as she watched the small cork tree, which was still and motionless in the green pond among the sugarcane, the sedge, and the water moss.

Is that smile at a fish that has never seen the water that has not come to his bait? Or is it just himself, staring blankly at the cork that has not been dipped once in three days? If not, then... a fishing rod, a pack of cigarettes, five slices of bread and butter, a Zippo lighter, and a fish that has never been caught by a fish that has come to the pond by the railroad tracks to buy a bottle of water... No one can tell if he is smiling at him or at the other fishing companions who have never had a fish.

The issue of fishing for ling tangs is just a resistance to the lazy attacks of those who have passed their second year exams and are still waiting for their results to be released. It doesn't matter if they catch fish or not, but the main taste of fishing for ling tangs is the taste of catching a fish that is bobbing on the tip of the rod.

But the cork did not move at all. It was already late on the third day of Lin Ket's journey. A short distance away from Lin Ket, a man of about sixty was fishing, twenty-eight years old.

I watched with great satisfaction as the fish was expertly gutted and placed on the plate.

"How are you? Same as yesterday?"

A fellow fisherman, who was about to return with about twenty fish on a line, greeted Lin Ket with a smile. Lin Ket smiled back.

"Yes, brother...the fish I caught looked like they were waiting for the Sabbath."

The old man, who had just cast the rod and caught the bait, turned and looked at the fish. Lin Ket was thinking about pulling his fishing rod back up and moving it. He wanted to catch at least one fish.

"Hey, son..let me show you..the rod. Well...it doesn't look like you're fishing. Are you having fun? Oh...the line that tied the hook is starting to come out...the worm is starting to get soft and its belly is even growing. Well...the fish hook is also showing."

"Ha...ha...yes, father...what did I do...I don't know anything?" A pure smile spread across the sunburned face of a man of about sixty.

"Well... I wonder why we can't catch fish... The fishing rod is not there... Dad, we have to eat fish. Now... Now... Dad, I'll fix it... We'll use worms and fish, and we'll use pickled eggs... We don't really like worms in farming... We'll use pickled eggs..."

"Yes, father...I'm happy...I'm bored."

The old man untied the fishing hook and retied it. It was a masterful act... Then he carefully attached the white powder from the small bottle of white oil powder he kept in his pocket to the hook. I thought it would be a pickled egg.

"So, are you ready, Dad...we're going to catch some fish?"

“Well...you won’t be able to fish there for the rest of your life. Yesterday, Kay Phyo, Ko Aung Thein, and the Red Rats were caught there, and the whole pond was gone. There are only one or two left. Come on, Abu, come on...”

We arrived at the small pond next to the Linkhet railway. It was already evening, so the intersection of the road and the railway was already bustling with people. People going to the 38th car gate... people going to the Sanpya Market and the 39th Daebu Gate, people going to work... back to work... back to school, back to the office... and people going shopping. The intersection next to the railway was bustling and noisy.

The children were watching Lin Ket's fishing rod with interest, as he prepared pickled eggs and other things. Lin Ket sometimes asked the children to buy bottled water and chewing gum, and he would give them food allowance without taking back the extra money. Lin Ket had said that if I caught a fish, I would give it to you, so the children were also standing next to Lin Ket.

He was excitedly casting his rod, hoping to catch a fish, as he had been properly prepared and moved.

Two minutes later... the little boy, who was looking at Lin Che, suddenly disappeared.

"I caught it...I caught it...I caught the fish"

As the children around me shouted, Lin Ke jumped up and down, pulling the fishing rod with all his might. He saw a fish with a bulging belly in the evening sun, and felt a tingling sensation in his hand holding the fishing rod.

"Ha..."

The fish, which had been swimming and rolling, was lifted up by the force of the rod, and it was difficult to tell where it had gone.

"Huh...where have you gone...where did my fish go?"

"I'm drifting that way... that way, brother." "Which way are you turning... where are you?"

"No, brother... I'm going to go into that big sister's house... into that big sister's house."

Lin Ket didn't know where to look because the children on the side were shouting. A child grabbed Lin Ket's hand and shouted, pointing.

"Hey, big sister, big sister, wearing a blue dress and a pink shirt, my brother has put fish in the basket. Hurry up and ask."

I looked around. I saw the girl the children were pointing at. I was about ten steps away.

"Hey, are you sure?"

"Yes, brother. I saw him enter the house."

The girl next to the pink shirt and the companion

Talking to him, he walked briskly, seemingly unaware of what was happening. Lin Ket thought for a moment. He couldn't let go of the first fish he caught. He threw down his rod and walked briskly. The children shouted, "Come on, brother, come on!" and they were left behind.

After about five steps, Lin Ket didn't know what to do. If he didn't go and get her, there would be a problem... While Lin Ket was waiting for a while, the girl in the pink shirt parted ways with her companion and got into a car at the 38th gate. Lin Ket didn't think anymore and got into the car.

As soon as Lin Ket got on the hook, the car started to move. Lin Ket sat in the middle row, looking down at the little girl's blue toy. A bag, a box of rice, a folding umbrella. In the meantime, he heard a rustling sound. Lin Ket was happy. Yes. His fish was jumping in the toy. The girl didn't know... She put the toy on her lap.

When I looked at the girl, she had thick, green eyebrows. Her eyes were wide and white, and her dark hair was showing through. Her nose was thin... her lips were thin... There was a small green spot on the corner of her right lip. The makeup that had been applied in the morning was only half on her cheeks. Her long hair was tied in a braid. She was a very pretty girl...

But...the fish jumped a second time.

"Here... there, sister-in-law... sister-in-law for a moment"

"What...?"

"The girl looked up as if she didn't understand, then asked sternly with piercing eyes and a raised chin."

"Drag... drag... my fish got caught in it"

"What..."

The girl was speechless and in shock. Then, without thinking for a moment, she smiled and...wrinkled her nose and turned her face away. Lin Ke didn't want to take it anymore, so she raised her voice and continued.