Myat Nyein - People who meet at a corner of the universe

End of the story

This story is about a man named Eddie. And the story begins with Eddie dying in the sun. It may seem strange to begin a story with an ending. But all endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.

Eddie's last hour of life has passed. He, like many others, is at Ruby Pier Amusement Park on the shores of the turquoise ocean. The park has all the usual rides for its visitors to enjoy. A wooden boardwalk, a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, bumper cars, a coffee shop, and even a new giant roller coaster called Freddy Freefox. It is under this new roller coaster that Eddie's accident, which would become a news story throughout the state, occurred.

At the time of his death, Eddie was a tall, white-haired man with a short beard. He had a short neck, a broad chest, strong arms and legs, and the tattoo he had on his right shoulder from his time in the army had faded. His legs were thin and bony. His left knee, which had been injured in World War II, was so badly damaged by quadriplegia that it was almost impossible to use it. He walked with a cane. His face was rough and sun-bleached, and his sideburns were sparse. His lower jaw jutted out slightly, making him look even more chubby than he really was. He often had a cigarette tucked between his left ear, and a key ring was attached to his belt. He wore rubber-soled shoes, On his head he wore an old, faded cotton cap. His faded brown uniform indicated that he was a worker. Yes, yes. He was a worker.

Eddie's job is to maintain the gears, the rotors, and the rides. What he really does is to keep them safe. Every evening, he walks around the park. He inspects each ride. Are there any broken pedals? Are there any loose screws or rusted metal parts? He sometimes stands up and stares at them with wide eyes. People passing by think there's something wrong. But he's just listening for the noise. That's all. He's been around for a long time, and he can hear the problems. He says he can tell if there's a problem just by the sound of the moving equipment.

With only 50 minutes left to live on Earth, Eddie is making one last round of checks on a Ruby Pier. He lets an elderly couple out of the way.

"Friends," he greeted, touching his cap with his hand.

The couple nodded politely. The guests knew Eddie. At least the guests who were coming in knew him. They saw him every summer. Eddie was one of the faces that were familiar to everyone. The word Maintenance was embroidered on the chest of his work shirt. Just above that word was Eddie’s name. Sometimes, vacationers would wave to him and say, “Hello, Maintenance Eddie.” But Eddie thought their greetings were too formal and unappealing.

Today coincidentally is Eddie's birthday. His 83rd birthday. Last week, a doctor told him. He had shingles. Oh... shingles? Eddie didn't even know what shingles were. Once upon a time, Eddie was healthy and strong. He was strong enough to hold up two giant horses on a Ferris wheel with one hand. Well... that was a long time ago.

"Eddie"

"Call your son, Eddie."

"Call my daughter."

Forty minutes before he died. He went to the roller coaster track. He tried every ride at least once a week. Do the brakes work, are the handles still strong? To check these things, today's turn was... the coaster ride. The coaster ride they called the ghost train. The kids who knew Eddie wanted to ride with him. That's why he was yelling at him.

The kids liked Eddie. The teenagers didn't. The kids were always trying to get him to stop. Eddie thought he had seen all the ways teenagers would fight for no reason over the years. But the kids were different. The kids looked at Eddie. His lower jaw jutted out like a big smile. Like a dolphin. And the kids trusted Eddie. They were like cold hands warming themselves in front of a stove when they got to Eddie's side. They hugged his legs. They played with his big keys. Eddie mostly said "Yeah" and "Yeah." He never said much. Eddie thought they were friends with him because he didn't talk much.

Now he patted the heads of the two young men, who were wearing baseball caps backwards. They ran to the wagon and climbed in. Eddie handed his cane to the driver. Then he slowly sat down between the two young men.

“Hey... we're going, we're going,” one of the boys shouted happily. The other grabbed Eddie's hand and put it around his shoulder. Eddie pulled his chin down. Then... with a "do-

There was a story about Eddie. Eddie, who grew up on this pier, was once involved in a street fight when he was a kid. Five young men from Picken Avenue had tied up Eddie's brother Joe and were trying to beat him up. Eddie was eating a sandwich under the porch of a house about a block away when he heard his brother scream. Eddie ran to the back alley. He grabbed the lid of a trash can and beat the two bullies to death. The two boys were taken to the hospital.

Joe didn't speak to Eddie for months after that. He was so embarrassed. Joe was the firstborn of their siblings. The oldest brother. But Eddie was the one who won the alley fight.

"Guys... can we ride again, Eddie? Let me ride."

Thirty-four minutes to live. Eddie didn't give up. He gave each boy a candy cane. He took the cane back. He shuffled to the maintenance shop to cool off from the summer heat.

If he had known that he was going to die, he would have gone somewhere else. Now he is doing the same job that we all do. He is doing the same boring, everyday job. As long as there is life on earth, there are still days to go through.

Dominguez, a maintenance worker, stands next to a hand-washing sink, wiping grease from a wheel. Dominguez is a thin, lanky young man with high cheekbones.

"Hey... Eddie," he greeted.

"Don," Eddie greeted back.

The workshop smelled of sawdust. The ceiling was low and narrow. On the walls hung hooks, saws, hammers. The basic parts of recreational vehicles were everywhere. Compressors, engines, belts, light bulbs, a pirate toy with a head. On one wall hung tins of ground coffee, and on another wall, tins of grease.

Eddie used to say that greasing a chain saw was as much a chore as washing a plate. The only difference was that greasing didn't make it cleaner, it made it dirtier. That was the kind of work Eddie had to do. Lubricating, adjusting brakes, tightening bolts, checking electrical wiring. In fact, he had wanted to leave this place for a long time. Find another job, build another life. He had longed to do that many times.

But then came the war. None of his plans came to fruition. Soon enough, his hair was turning white, his trousers were baggy, his movements were slow and labored. That was who he was. Yes. He was the man he would always be. A place where sand would get in his shoes, a world where he would have to pretend to smile and not be enthusiastic. And a place where he would live and eat sausages. Just like his father had before he died. He would have a badge pinned to his shirt. Maintenance Man Eddie. Maintenance Chief. Or as the kids sometimes called him. Ruby Pier, the Chief Inspector of Vehicles.

Only thirty minutes left.

"Hey... Happy birthday, it's your birthday."

Dominguez greeted.

Eddie is doing something.

"What are you doing for birthdays?"

Eddie looked at Dominguez as if he were a madman. He wondered if growing up in a place where bird's nests were everywhere would be a good idea.

"Hey, Eddie, remember, you know, I'm off work next week, starting Monday, I'm going to Mexico."

Eddie nodded. Dominguez danced, twirling.

"I'll meet the whole family at Teresa's party."

He stopped dancing when he saw Eddie staring.