(Direct
translation of late Naing Win Swe’s “Ma Thein Shi Si Pote Pay Bar”.)
(On 6 January 1966
General Ne Win’s Revolutionary Socialist Government foolishly prohibited the
civilian populace from transporting, storing, distributing, and trading of 460
basic commodities including the staples such as rice, peanut-oil, and salt. Hta-nyet
(jaggery) was one of those restricted commodities and a large scale smuggling
trade of Hta-nyet had developed overnight in Middle Burma where most of it is
produced.)
Winter 1969
Late
winter days had arrived and in the heavy dawn mist the train appeared to be
struggling by carrying a seemingly heavy load. The snowy cloud were now
covering the faraway western mountain ranges.
Train
was on the return trip from Kyauk-pa-daung and the setting sun was almost dying
once the train reached Shew-lin-ban Station. I was sitting beside Nyo Nyo and
doing the cash accounts of my one day work at the same time wondering what Nyo
Nyo was thinking about deeply in her innocent mind.
Without
her telling me I could correctly guess her ongoing day-to-day troubles. The
worries from deep inside of her were plainly showing up on her little round
face. In last few days her little face was visibly becoming paler and paler as
her money troubles mounted over time. Usual brightness in her eyes was nearly
gone. She wouldn’t laugh as before when her friends were laughing. She even
stopped talking to them as her unhappy mind had weakened her outer appearance.
On
the trains she just stared out the windows as if she was withdrawing from the
life. Her fading red shirt was fraying at the edges. I could feel her eyes
filled with tears even when I was just seeing her back. Without expensive
coconut oil her long hairs were now untidy and flying all over in the wind as
the coconut oil prices went up ten times last year alone.