Yuwadi Khin Oo - Shwe Kyet Than Cho Short Stories

Emerald Buddha

Down, down, down...

The sound of the golden rooster was sweet, and Ma Mya Sien lifted one side of the mosquito net and got up from her bed. She couldn't get her hair back, which had fallen out with the hairpin, so she pushed open the glass window.

Outside, the snow was hazy. It seemed as if the red stars had lost their strength and were fading. The early morning breeze blowing through the flower fields made my heart feel sweet and cool.

“Under-e-e-book”

Once again, the golden woodpecker chirped from the guava tree. Ma Mya Saeng straightened her loose, falling hair and reached under her pillow for the matches and candle.

"Are the shopkeepers not here? Please open the door quickly... quickly."

Ma Mya Saeng had to quickly light the lamp and run out to the front of the house.

"Daw Daw... I don't know who's in front of the house. Please try."

As I woke up my aunt, I peeked out through the gap in the front door and saw a vague figure of a man in a loose coat and a soft, straw hat.

Auntie woke up, still half asleep, and called out to the cook, the old man and his wife, and the dishwasher.

"Who are you... what's the matter?"

Ma Mya Saeng is a woman who has been raised in the past.

He asked, staring intently at the face visible through the gaping hole in the wood, its eyes wide open.

“Oh my.. there’s a big sign in front of the restaurant called Myaek Taw Sek and I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with this?’ Open the door quickly, I’m sick.”

The man outside dropped the leather box in his hand with a thud on the floor and shouted angrily.

"We don't sell rice at this time."

Ma Mya Sein held the lamp in one hand and answered with a warm smile.

"Oh... come here for a meal at this time, I'm not crazy yet. I have malaria and I just want to stay at the restaurant for a while, shopkeeper Ma Ma Paew. Don't talk too much, I'm already feeling well."

Ma Mya Saeng was staring at the green-faced man outside, who was trembling and heaving, from the plank with her mouth open.

"Oh.. We're just a restaurant, not a hotel. Where are the kids? The rude ones are rude, shouting loudly."

The aunt brought her people with sticks and swords, and they were shouting angrily. Ma Mya Sein looked at her aunt and said nothing, but simply removed the door handle and pushed the door open.

The young man didn't seem to see anyone clearly. He just stumbled inside and collapsed.

"Oh my God"

Ma Mya Sein threw the glass house on the floor and pulled the young man up. The young man's strength was too much for her. Just as she was about to fall, the old cook had to help her up.

The aunt stared at her niece in surprise.

“What are you looking at, Ko Ba Pu and Daw Vu? You’re just standing there watching someone get into trouble. It’s amazing. Take this big leather box and put it in the corner of the room. Make the bed at once. Oh… Daw Vu, quickly get me a cup of hot water and two anti-malarial pills from my cupboard.”

Ma Mya Sein pushed the leather box into the hands of the dishwasher, Ko Ba Pu, and quickly pushed the cook, Daw Vu, to the back.

"Now, U Tin, you've been standing with that person all this time, so why don't you take him to the deck chair?"

The aunt didn't say anything, just stood there, leaning on her waist, looking at her.

"So... what are you doing here, Daw Daw? Can you go and arrange for the restaurant to open in the morning?"

The aunt said nothing, made a face, half pursed and half uncovered, and walked away.

Ma Mya Sein smiled at her aunt and, holding the lamp with one hand, moved closer to the young man. His whole body was yellow. He took a quick look at the young man's face, which was covered in hollows, hollow cheeks, and a scaly face, and seemed to be suffering from malaria.

The young man was running a fever. He couldn't even open his eyes. Ma Mya Sein had to force hot water and anti-malarial medicine into the young man's mouth, unconsciously.

"Well... it's fine, the medicine has worked."

Ma Mya Sein was drenched in sweat even on a snowy morning.

“U Tin... Take this man to the room with Ko Ba Pu, then go into the back kitchen to reheat the food.”

Ma Mya Sein placed the glass house on the table and opened the windows and doors. The breeze was blowing. The smell of the incense was already wafting through.

God willing

"How are you? Are you feeling better?"

Ma Mya Saeng woke up from her sleep and greeted the guest with a smile and asked him questions.

The young man became a little confused and looked in amazement at Ma Mya Sein, who was wearing a light green tunic, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a gentle face.

“Ko Myint Naing got really sick last night.”

"You"

The young man seemed even more surprised when he heard his name called.

"I'll take another quinine this morning, will my face look fresh?"

The young man was swallowing his saliva first.

"Khin.. who are you? Do you know me?"

Ma Mya Sein looked at the leather box next to the young man's bed and smiled again.

"My name is Ma Ma Paara"

Ma Mya Sin opened the glass door and tied the curtain back with a rope.

"Ma'am, yes sir?"

The young man was surprised and got up from the bed. Ma Mya Sin laughed so hard that her teeth turned white, and pulled out a leather box from beside her.

“You had a fever last night. When we saw the restaurant, you shouted at us to open the door. How dare we open it so suddenly? So you came from outside and called me, the owner of the restaurant, Ma Ma Pawar… Open the door quickly, I’m cold.”

The young man seemed to be relieved and started laughing.

“I saw your name written on this box too. You can raise it, right?”

"Yes, sir."

While Ko Myint Naing was speaking, he glanced up at Ma Mya Saeng's gentle and bright face.

"Actually, we're only open as a restaurant, not as a guest house. But since you're in trouble, we've had to send you to the room we have."

Ko Myint Naing seemed to be deeply grateful for the shopkeeper's kindness. However, his mouth did not say anything.

Ma Mya Sein, who was about to leave the room, grabbed Han and Khan Si's hand and held it tightly.

"Stay..stay, my queen."

Ma Mya Saeng was surprised and raised her eyebrows. Ko Myint Naing's expression was not joking. It was truly sincere.

"My name is Ma Mya Saen."

“Ah... Yes, sir. For me, Ma Mya Sein is not a god, so it wouldn’t be wrong to call her Ma Ma Paewya.”

Ma Mya Saeng felt uncomfortable at Ko Myint Naing's sincere words of gratitude, and her lips seemed to curl up.

"Please forgive me for the hysterical, hysterical speech I made last night."