🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
(14)
“Kyaw Thet… Have you finished the investigation that Uncle asked you to handle?”
“Yes… It’s done, Uncle,” Kyaw Thet replied.
U Phoe Kyaw Zan asked Kyaw Thet as soon as he returned from Popa. Though he couldn’t investigate in person around the Bagan area, ever since he stepped foot back there, he had been curious about “Khin Hnin Thike.”
“The business belongs to Daw Khin Hnin Thike from the New Bagan Royal Pottery Workshop, Uncle. She’s said to be an old spinster, running the business herself. They say she adopted her nephew from her brother. I had my friend in Bagan investigate thoroughly, and he even brought back photos, Uncle…”
“Show me…”
Eagerly, U Phoe Kyaw Zan requested the photos. By now, he wondered if Khin Hnin Thike, like the typical upper-class woman of her region, had grown stout from eating lots of oil-rich food. But not him—he kept his diet in check and stayed fit. Surely, he still looked youthful.
As U Phoe Kyaw Zan extended his hand for the photos, Kyaw Thet hesitated slightly, unsure if he should show them all. Though he was only instructed to take pictures of Daw Khin Hnin Thike, the photographer had gone beyond that and taken pictures related to the situation, including some that might be tricky to explain.
“Hey, show me already. Where are the photos?”
“Y-yes, Uncle… here they are.”
Kyaw Thet hastily separated some of the photos and handed over the ones of Daw Khin Hnin Thike.
When U Phoe Kyaw Zan looked at the first photo, he was stunned.
Though she was no longer as young as before, Khin Hnin Thike still possessed a timeless beauty and grace, standing in a large room surrounded by the lacquerware of the Bagan Royal Pottery. She looked as regal as ever, engaging in conversation with a foreigner, with her sharp, striking eyes and thick brows.
As he gazed at her photos, U Phoe Kyaw Zan felt a pang of longing and sadness. His emotions softened into something more delicate. He was no longer the cart driver who had been disdained by their entire family. Now, he was Phoe Kyaw Zan, the man who could buy the whole of New Bagan if he wished.
He placed the photos on the table and asked:
“So, did you treat the photographer generously for these?”
“Yes, Uncle, I did.”
“And the daughter?”
“Oh, she’s staying in the bungalow now, Uncle,” replied Kyaw Thet, trying to shift the conversation.
U Phoe Kyaw Zan raised an eyebrow and eyed Kyaw Thet skeptically.
“Your answer sounds suspicious.”
“Well, um… I’m just not great with words, Uncle. Miss Khin Nandar is staying with Ma Thu Zar in the bungalow.”
“And these other photos? What are they?”
“Oh, these are just some extra photos the photographer took.”
“Then why didn’t you show me everything? Show me all of them…”
“Well… these… these aren’t of Daw Khin Hnin Thike. They’re pictures of her adopted nephew. The photographer took them with too much enthusiasm…”
Kyaw Thet replied nervously while internally cursing the overzealous photographer. Just taking a photo of Daw Khin Hnin Thike would have been fine, but the additional photos of the nephew only complicated things further.
His hand, holding the photos, began to sweat.
“Show me, then… Let me see who this person is.”
“Uh… uh…”
“Why are you hesitating? Release the photos!”
When Kyaw Thet refused to hand them over, U Phoe Kyaw Zan snatched them from his grip with determination. The first photo he saw was of a young man riding a bicycle along a red dirt path between the pagodas of Bagan. He wasn’t alone—there was someone sitting on the rear carrier. Though the person in the back wasn’t fully visible, a glimpse of her legs in pink pants and red shoes could be seen.
With a sly smile, U Phoe Kyaw Zan remarked, “Ah, it’s that boy from the other day, the one who returned my daughter’s scarf at the lantern festival. He’s not too shabby, eh? Looks like he’s cozying up with a girl. Judging by her legs, she’s no Bagan native—probably a foreigner.”
As U Phoe Kyaw Zan inspected the photo carefully, Kyaw Thet’s heart pounded with anxiety. U Phoe Kyaw Zan moved on to the next photo, which showed the same pair, but this time from the side.
This angle gave a clearer view of both of them on the bicycle. The girl’s features were somewhat blurred, but the man’s face was more visible.
“From what I can see, it looks like she could be a foreigner… maybe Japanese? I can’t quite tell. But that red jacket and floral pants—only one person I know would dress like that. This… she looks a bit like my daughter…”
At this, U Phoe Kyaw Zan’s eyes sharpened as he studied the photo further. Kyaw Thet felt as if he was about to faint.
By the time U Phoe Kyaw Zan glanced at the last photo, Kyaw Thet was already inwardly praying to all the gods.
The final picture was a clear shot of Nandar herself, taken from the front.
“What the…? This… this can’t be!”
U Phoe Kyaw Zan’s voice boomed with shock, and he repeatedly examined the photos, unable to believe what he was seeing. Kyaw Thet stood silently, paralyzed by fear.
“What’s the meaning of this? How could this happen? Explain this to me!”
U Phoe Kyaw Zan slammed his hand on the table in a fit of rage and stood up abruptly.
“Tell me, when was this photo taken?”
“Y-yesterday, Uncle.”
“Yesterday?! But my daughter had a stomachache and stayed in her room all day, didn’t she?”
“Yes, Uncle… that’s what she said. So this must be someone else. Your daughter couldn’t have gone outside.”
“Don’t lie to me! This is my daughter!”
“Yes, Uncle, it is your daughter.”
“You just said it was someone else! Now you’re saying it’s my daughter?”
“Well… you seemed unsure earlier, Uncle. I just… I just saw her a while ago. Since you see her every day, you’re the one who knows best…”
Kyaw Thet nervously stumbled over his words, trying to deflect the situation.
“Moung Kyaw Thet…”
“Yes, Uncle?”
Kyaw Thet was at his wit’s end. He couldn’t figure out how to navigate this situation. Should he deny it? Should he agree? No matter what he said, it felt like he was in trouble.
“How did my daughter get involved with this boy? They only met once at the lantern festival, didn’t they? How did he manage to wrap her around his finger?”
U Phoe Kyaw Zan muttered angrily as he paced, wondering what to do next. This situation was definitely tricky. But now, they were the ones in control… The time had come to press down on Khin Hnin Thike’s family.
U Phoe Kyaw Zan, lost in thought, was transported back to his childhood memories. There it was again—the sound of horseshoes clopping against the ground. And accompanying it, the youthful laughter of Thike…
“Hey, Phoe Kyaw, drive faster, will you? You’re so slow!”
“I’m going slow because I don’t want to part with you just yet, Thike. By this time of day, my horses are getting tired, so I’m taking it easy for their sake.”
“If we get home late, my mother will suspect something. If she tightens her grip, I won’t be able to see you anymore…”
“Alright, alright… I’ll speed up. Come on, old boy… let’s get the young lady home quickly.”
With the sound of the wheels rumbling, the horse trotted on, and Thike’s laughter rang in the air. In the late afternoon, the bells of nearby pagodas began to chime softly.
Those stolen moments with Thike were precious to Phoe Kyaw. As a ninth-grade dropout turned horse-cart driver, he never imagined he’d have a chance with someone like Khin Hnin Thike, the daughter of a wealthy pottery business owner. Even though their love was simple and innocent, for Phoe Kyaw, being with Thike was like living a dream.
Thike was bold, strong-willed, fearless, and a bit wild.
Phoe Kyaw, on the other hand, was gentle, soft, and unsure of himself.
That day, they had met secretly at a temple outside of town.
“Ha! It’s starting to rain, Thike. Let me cover you with something.”
“Don’t bother, Phoe Kyaw. I want to feel the rain…”
