Chapter-6

Chapter-6

2016, Dec, 37^th Street, at a local teashop

LIN was a bit interested in talking about books and literature. Today, he had an appointment with his friend Oo at Seik Ku Thit (New Idea) teashop on 37^th Street. Normally, they met each other for enjoying literature talks and other small pieces of stuff on Saturday morning when they had free time.

Lin was looking impatiently at his watch which said half-past eleven. Today, Lin wore a short-sleeve white shirt, and a Karen longyi (man’s sarong). The costume made him high-spirited. He thought that today’s sun was not as hot as last week because he sensed that the winter started to unfold its coldness in the city, making it more livable.

In the early morning, he noticed that mist was falling down shortly when he opened his window to see the first sunlight. He saw corrugated roofs were wet with mildew. At this time, he liked to tug his feet under the blanket and cuddled up in the bed.

But, he needed to wake up when he remembered he would meet his friend Oo because he got an appointment with him this morning downtown. He told his friend Oo to come down to meet him at 10:30 am, and his friend said that he would come according to the time.

Lin was already seated at a stool outside the teashop. Now, it was nearly an hour gone since he waited for his friend at the teashop. He looked at the empty cup of tea again and poured some green tea into the small plastic blue cup. He was blankly looking at the amorphous steam coming out from it.

He was sitting outside the teashop, feeling the sun was blazing hot on his back through the insufficient cover of the plastic umbrella set up by the teashop. So, he tried to move into the shade, but he was not much success because the sun seems to move to the place wherever he liked to go.

This morning the teashop did not have as many tea drinkers as on weekdays. Three or four tea drinkers could be found inside the teashop. Only Lin was sitting at the premises of it. He thought that he should leave soon because he felt a little bit hungry for having not enough breakfast he had taken in the morning at home.

He called out a thin young girl waiter to get the money for the cup of tea. Instead of coming directly to Lin, she was still wiping and rubbing the washed plates in front of her with the ragged napkin.

Impatiently, Lin called out to her again. “Here, the money for tea!” Only then did she stand up from her seat, and approached Lin. When he was about to stand up from a low-level stool, someone pressed his hand on Lin’s shoulder from behind.

And Lin turned around to see his friend Oo smiling broadly at him, and Oo said sorry for being late. Lin just wanted to give him the best sourness in his mind, but he kept it away and told Oo, “You’re late as late as the turtle in the fable.” “In this pace, you won’t win the race.”

Oo got the sense of sour humor from Lin whose words were really tense, and unwelcome. Oo knew that Lin was disappointed with his late coming. So, Oo thought up a plan to console his friend’s vexation.

“Come on, Lin. Don’t get me wrong, and don’t be too tense on me. I have tried to come here at the appointed time. But, this morning I rushed to go to uptown to carry out my brother’s order.”

“When I came back from there, on the way, as you know, the traffic was dragging me and the car’s tires were stuck as if they were glued to the asphalt road so that I couldn’t make it on time. But, I’ll buy you a plate of Nann (flatbread) with chickpeas. I know you like it.”

Lin thought that how clever Oo was. Oo knew how to console Lin’s anger with his favorite food.

“You’re so cruel and heartless that you let me wait for nearly an hour. Next time, I’ll do the same to you.”

Sensing the determination in Lin’s voice, Oo nodded his head, without complaining anything because Oo knew that in this way he could expel his friends’ anger away. Oo started the conversation as they sat down again at the stools.

Oo shouted “Po Seint (light sweet tea) for me and a plate of Nann with chickpeas for my friend.” Oo was such a naughty boy to tease his best friend Lin all the time. There came the reply from the thin waitress, “Sure, I’ll bring the order as quickly as I can.”

Upon it, Lin cast a disdainful glance at her. But, Oo smiled at the quick reply of the girl who was about seventeen years of age, not knowing the inconvenience between Lin and the thin waitress. And Oo saw the indignant expression of the teashop owner who sternly sat at the counter. Her only interest was counting money and imposing orders on her workers.

Lin faced his friend Oo and waited for the food. Instantly, the food arrived. And, Lin was ready to take a piece off from the Nann which was a bit hot; he blew at it to cool a little bit off. Then, Lin put some chickpeas and fried onion into the piece of Nann which was ready to put inside his mouth.

Oo also felt tantalizing to taste it. But, Oo knew that he needed to give his friend Lin first to taste it. Afterward, Lin was chewing Nann and chickpeas. And they went down his throat; Lin picked up a cup of green tea and gulped it down. He felt now quite satisfied.

Lin’s unclear mind became straightened up. His mood was back to normal after his empty belly was stuffed with food. During the time, Oo took out some old books which he was brought from home. He laid them down before Lin who looked at them fascinatingly.

“Lin, you know, these are from my brother’s book collection. I’ve brought them here for you.”

Lin looked at the books and found that they were good English novels and fiction.

Lin felt very happy and thought what a good friend Oo was and his piqued mind became smooth out again.