Chapter - 21 - Recognizing relatives…
"We should sit around and talk to get a brief understanding of our classmates. Don't you think so? We have to get along for two years."
Zaw Lwin Moe, monitor of Class B proposed his idea. Most of the trainees agreed with him. First year trainees sat under the shade of a small group of trees.
Wine saw Yuya in the group of Class B. It seemed she was competent as a monitor except she couldn't talk back the two green tea around her, she led the class well.
When Wine saw her this morning, she was sitting at the edge of this group of girls neither included or excluded in the group. If she wanted to make friends with others, she was pulled into the conversation but she was excluded when she sat near them. Are they fishing?
Wine moved his eyes away from her. Out of sight, out of mind. An outsider couldn't help her if she didn't know how to lift her head high on her own.
As a monitor of Class A, he still had prestige over others. This country valued numerical and alphabetical orders. All the first year trainees came and sat next to Class A.
"Ok. What about you all talk about yourself and do something you are best at? Other talents won't do. Just sing a song or dance a few moves..."
The boys 'boo' loudly at Wine's suggestion but the girls rejected the choice of dancing. Most of the girls hadn't danced in their life except for the traditional dances. But the traditional dance was not suitable for this occasion. The girls chose to sing.
When it was the turn of boys, you could hear the ghost howling once in a while. There were a few good ones too.
"My name is Yuya. I'm from Floating town. My hobbies are reading, writing and listening to music. I want to sing a song today. The title is "You raise me up"…
When I am down, and oh my soul so weary….
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be…
Then I am still and wait here in silence…
Until you come and sit a while with me…"
Wine was surprised by two points when he heard her talking. The first point was that she was from his father's hometown. The second point was her choice of song. There was still no internet explosion in 2007 to get lyrics online but she sang quite well.
"You raise me up so I can stand on mountains ….
You raise me up to walk on stormy sea ...."
After her, there were a lot of chicken flying and dog jumping kind of entertainment by the brats of Class D and E. Compared to the back benchers of other classes, they were the truest form of authentic back benchers.
The monitors led all the classes to the trucks when the time was up. They heard there was another stop on the way back, Single Stone pagoda. This pagoda was built on a long stone boulder near the beach. The architects of this time carved caves in the stone to enshrine the Buddha statues and built a small pagoda on top of this stone.
Single Stone pagoda exists half way back. When they arrived, the sun was already on top of their head. They couldn't do much but worshipped three times and some warriors who weren't afraid of heat ran towards the reefs.
Wine also went there despite the heat but had to run back. He really can't stand it. There are no coconut trees or shades on the reefs, even the sands are hot. In a few minutes, all ran back and restarted the journey.
The last stop was the clean beach just outside the town. There was a garden with a lot of benches under the trees and a small restaurant in it. Thankfully for the poor and penniless trainees, the garden and beach was opened for free.
"Attention trainees!!!"
The PE teacher was asking for attention again.
"Throwing garbage on the beach is not allowed. I don't care if you run on the beach or dip your feets in the sea water, but… you are not allowed to swim. The underwater current here is too strong. There were two boys drowned in this beach two months ago, pulled by the current while swimming. The bodies are found near the reefs of Single Stone pagoda in a day. So, cherish your lives and don't get into the water…"
The warning was effective. No one wanted to be drowned in the sea and died far away from home. The hot blooded boys calm down like being poured by a basin of ice. Keeping an eye on the classmates, Wine sat on the long bench beside Yuya. He wanted to ask her about his paternal grandparents in Floating town.
"It's rare that you are alone. Where is your friend who likes to hang around you all the time?"
"Anawar? I don't know. He left as soon as we arrived on the beach. Aren't you also alone?"
Wine leaned on the backrest and relaxed his muscles. Today, Yuya wore black three layered skirt and yellow blouse with black and white horizontal stripes. Her face was clean without makeup and Thanakha. Even so, her beauty still shines brightly.
"You said you are from Floating town."
"Yes, I am.."
"Is your home near Treasure street?"
"How do you know?"
Wine didn't expect it. He hit the jackpot.
"I don't know. I just ask because I have relatives in Treasure street, not because I know your address."
"Who is it?"
"U Than Tin.. My grandfather. Are they healthy?"
Except for landlines, there were no wireless phones to contact relatives far away. People had to rely on post offices and landlines. In an emergency, telegraphing was a faster way. The last time he had seen his paternal grandparents was three years ago.
"They are fine. In fact, we are related, too. Your grandfather and my grandma are cousins."
"Is that so? Then, you can be my sister. Call me brother and I will look after you."
"Brother.."
Wine didn't expect this one. In his generation, his parents are increasingly busy and his father didn't bother to take their siblings to his hometown to recognize relatives. Even if they were taken there, he couldn't recognise the cousins after not seeing them for many years.
"So…how is your college life?"
She looked at him quietly, after a while, turned her face towards the sea and sighed.
"To tell you the truth, not a pleasant experience but not that bad either.."