THE LAST HOPE ( Original Story By Henry Aung )

THE LAST HOPE

Most of the Myanmar people believe that in life cycle, we are playing our part according to our fate. But sometime we can change our fate with perseverance. It is depending on individual, you want to control the fate or the fate controls your life. When the fate controls your life, you have to perform according to what the fate want you to be.

When I was young, there was a rich family in our village. Our village was not a small one and around two hundred over households in the village. Most of the villagers were farmers and only a few were government servants and merchants. There were a few rich families in our village but not as rich as U Taung family. The father name was U Taung who owned a lot of farms and servants. And the mother was Daw Aye, a quiet housewife. And two lovely kids were born to fulfill the pleasure of the rich family life. I still remember that when the harvest time arrives, majority of the villagers were working for U Taung because it was a good pay with free meals until the whole farms were harvested.

A monastery which situated at the northern part of the village was donated by U Taung’s family and the family became very famous not because of rich but generous to who needed. Only one thing to mention that both U Taung and Daw Aye love their son and daughter so much and their children get whatever they wish for. They don’t beat their children and not even berate them at all. At that time, in my thought those burdens, problems and unhappiness were not meant for that particular family.

But the situation started to change after Daw Aye passed away. U Taung was getting older and the son and daughter were become out of control. Although both of them were teenager but rumors were spreading around the village that the son was enjoying in drug and alcohol, the daughter was famous in gambling. Both of them were not interesting in studying and getting worst and worst. The chief of the villager complained to U Taung about the delinquents of his daughter and son. But the two devils were not scared to their father and just ignored U Taung’s admonition. A year later, both of them became abysmally wicked and empty the wealth of their family and moved to nearby town for their monkey businesses and left their father in the village with empty house.

A few faithful servants were taking care of the house and to U Taung. Soon later, the two wicked comeback to village and claimed the house from their father. U Taung just ignored the advice of the village chief and sold the house for his son and daughter. And he followed with them to the town. And then, nobody knew how U Taung life was in town. A few years later, an old grandpa was holding a bamboo stick and walking limply at the middle of the village street under the glaring sun. At first I didn’t recognized him. When he approach me and asking for the way to monastery. Then I lend a helping hand to carry his khaki bag and walked slowly toward to the monastery together with him.

On our way to monastery, I was shocked by his murmuring that he was never thought, one day he have to sponge on the monastery that donated by him. U Taung, once the richest man of the village was living in complete destitution. When we reach to monastery, before I left, U Taung asked me that if his son and daughter ever come and looking for him, just tell them that he is at the monastery. I just replied “Yes” to him and went back home. On my way home I was thinking about a person’s last hope that controlled by the fate.

Photos credit; Google Image
Henry Aung ( Kachin )