Min Thu Wun - Short Stories

Brother and sister

The village of Lekpok Kone is very happy and peaceful in the hot summer. The betel nut and coconut trees swaying in the salty wind that always blows from the sea are the beautiful ornaments of the village. It is filled with the peacefulness of the morning, the peacefulness of the afternoon, the peacefulness of the evening, and the peacefulness of the night. Therefore, the village is transformed into a summer paradise, a place to escape the heat of the city during the summer.

The owners of the large, dark house, which is separated from the sandy beach by a hill where cows graze and a large valley that floods during the rainy season, are Maung Htwe's father, U Shwe Cho, and his mother, Daw Hla Oo. Inside the house, there are two neat and clean houses made of thatched roofs. In the main house, Maung Htwe's family lived, while in the main house, called the West House, Maung Htwe's brother and sister moved to the city, so there was a gap.

U Shwe Cho had learned a little English while studying at the monastery when he was young, and he understood the current affairs, but he did not break the tradition of his father and mother, and he lived peacefully by leading the nine-acre farm with the help of his younger brothers and sisters. U Shwe Cho, who was upright, kind, and compassionate, was given the title of "Lu Samar Gyi" and was a prominent figure in the village family list. Maung Htwe was taught literature at the national school in Kunchangon, where he had relatives. Maung Htwe was his father's half-brother, and during school holidays, he helped his father with chores such as looking after cattle and tending the garden, as well as household chores, along with his older brothers and sisters.

Having grown up in the fresh sea air and working hard, Maung Htwe was endowed with the qualities of a man: broad chest, strong legs, firm feet, and imposing stature. He was a popular man. He had a bright face. Although he was the youngest among the villagers, he was intelligent and capable of giving good advice and good advice. He was also not bad in his studies. He had just returned from the six-level examination. During his lunch break, he would play with his friends and have fun and enjoy his love.

Daw Hla Oo called Maung Htwe, who was cutting straw in the cowshed, to her side and said, “Maung Htwe, please clean the big house in the west. A friend of Ko Yin Htoo’s, a big broker, is coming to get some fresh air. I’m going to stay at our house for a while because Bo Te is not feeling well. I wonder if they will arrive by boat in the evening. There is a key on the post next to the bed.” She ordered this, and the big house was soon clean, free from cobwebs, silkworms, and dust. That day, the ferry boat was flooded, and the big broker’s group arrived at the village at dusk.

The morning was clear. A small bird, perched on the fence, was singing softly, as if to please Maung Htwe, who was milking the cow. In the west house, the air was filled with the sweet and fragrant scent of betel flowers. Wanting to know what kind of flower it was, the broker's daughter, Khin Htwe, carried her slender body and came down into the yard. After looking around the four corners, when she reached the stables,

“My dear, let’s go see the big cows.”

Call me.

The moment he heard the clear, cool voice, Maung Htwe's head, wrapped in a towel, automatically turned away from the milk jug where he was concentrating and looked back at the lion. When he met Khin Htwe's gaze, their blood-red faces testified to the fact that their hearts were suddenly filled with a sudden surge of blood. Maung Htwe's sweet smile moved Khin Htwe's heart as much as his bright reputation moved Maung Htwe's heart. That morning was the first time that Khin Htwe, a city boy, and Maung Htwe, a country boy, met for the first time and the seeds of love were sown. Since then, Maung Htwe has not been as cheerful as usual. He has been feeling happy, bored, and sad. He has been searching for the exact reason but has not found it. His sweet smile, It gradually changed into something smaller.

Khin Htwe also constantly imagined Maung Htwe's smiling face. He especially remembered it when the betel nut blossoms were fragrant. He wanted to see Maung Htwe. He wanted to get to know him. He longed for him to be his own elder brother. However, since that morning, the two of them had been hesitant to meet, so they often went out together. What kind of spirit were these things?

One afternoon, Daw Htwe Tok, a temporary servant of the chief of the party, called Khin Htwe's younger brother, Maung Chit, and made him a friend. The little monkey in the cage tied to the door of the house was tempting Maung Chit to visit every day. Maung Htwe took special care of Maung Chit. She made a small clay bull and a small ox cart as gifts.

Maung Chit even thought that calling him “Ko Maung Htwe Ko Maung Htwe” was very delicious and sweet. In the evening, when he went to herd the cattle, Maung Chit would pick up white, brown, and yellow shells from the beach to play with. Thus, Maung Htwe and Maung Chit became close friends, even though they were not the same age. Khin Htwe and Bo Te stayed at the western house for 11 days before the arrival of the army. The broker and the courtier often thanked Maung Htwe and his family for their hospitality. The broker and U Shwe Cho, who were fond of literature, would sometimes meet and discuss literature.

Maung Htwe's friendly and helpful nature soon overcame his restless and impulsive nature. At his father's request, he would go to the village to deliver milk every morning. Sometimes, when he would buy dead sea birds such as the terns and the terns that were sold in the village, he would see a special expression of gratitude on Khin Htwe's face. Sometimes, Khin Htwe would smile at him as if he wanted to greet him, but he was afraid to face him. I had heard Daw Bwey Tok say that Khin Htwe had passed the ninth grade exam at a large school in Yangon. I was surprised because I had never heard of ninth grade education in my village. Khin Htwe, a beautiful, educated, and intelligent city dweller, would never have imagined a simple-minded person like me. Ma Khin Htwe, who had met so many people from the big city, wondered how she could possibly notice me. Maung Htwe, who had never seen anything like it, could no longer maintain or respect his once steadfast attitude, but instead was drifting around in the whirlwind of love.

Looking back at Khin Htwe, Khin Htwe's clear mind had been dull and dull since that morning. It was embarrassing to think directly that he loved Maung Htwe. He wanted to see Maung Htwe every day. In the mornings, Khin Htwe would be as cheerful as a cricket. This was because he had met Maung Htwe who had brought milk. The two of them, who met each other every day, began to talk and became friends. One morning, Maung Htwe picked fresh pistil flowers from the big pistil tree in the corner of the yard and brought them to the chief's tent with milk. On the way, he thought his fast pace was too slow and shouted. He found Khin Htwe and Maung Chit waiting at the entrance. After giving them the flowers, he went to take the milk to the kitchen.

“Ko Htwe Maung.. My grandmother is a thief, Ko Htwe Maung.. Where did you get these flowers? You are looking for flowers... It's so painful. If you tell us, we will come and get them. Is it because it smells so good? My dear... Take this big flower to your mother to offer to the Buddha.”

"It's no problem, I just picked them when I came across them on the road. They are wild flowers, so I'm still wondering if Ma Htwe will like them."

“Ko Htwe, even though the wild flowers are beautiful and fragrant, aren’t the flowers of the royal court the most beautiful? The big cities are not as good as they are famous for. I just live here because I can’t move. In this summer, I think it’s even hotter than the hellfire. Ko Htwe and I are very happy because our village is peaceful. I like the sweet and cold coconut water more than the ice cream. The sea breeze and the wind from the fan are as different from the fence as a ripe pomegranate and a ruby. If I could stay here, I could live here for the rest of my life,” he said, expressing the long-cherished desire he had been cultivating in his mind.

Thus, Maung Htwe and Khin Htwe, who were familiar with each other, showed signs of entering and opening a tragic drama. However, the broker and the courtier, who did not care about Maung Htwe as an ordinary boy, did not pay attention to him, and did not think about the special things, told him to look after Maung Chit and his siblings when they met. He trusted him.