The Lesson of the Shrimp
The following was written by Htet Myat, a former Tatmadaw soldier who has since defected, and translated by Yuu Tu. The story is made possible from the team behind Breaking Brainwashed.
I was a new graduate officer in Pinne Taw camp (meaning Jade Fruit Farm Village). The village had about seventy houses. The village head was a Kayin woman. We call her Amoe, or “Mom.” It was always good to meet with her, ever chewing the beetle nuts in her mouth. She always talked to me in a friendly way.
As she became acquainted with me, she told me as honestly as she could about the region, as I was the new captain there. Soon, we became like family members.
We, the junior officers are instructed to take turns getting information and shopping at the nearby village. The informant is allowed to spend the full day in the village, but the shopper has to shop and rush to the camp to cook the meal.
The news aggregator’s job was not very difficult, but the shopper used to have some difficulties. Because you have to manage with fixed money to buy a full day’s food, even though there was no fixed price of anything. There were small home shops. If you were able to buy red meat, it was a lucky day for you! Then you had to rush back to camp to cook and be ready on time.
To buy fish and shrimp, you had to go to the western part of the village where fishermen lived. We used to get in trouble when the battalion commander wanted to eat prawns or goat meat, because we didn’t know where to find it, so I always went back to Amoe.
After such intimacy and trust developed between us, one day, Amoe told me, “Captain, if you go to the fishermen houses in the western part of the village these days, go only with companions or guards. Never go there alone!” I didn’t get it, so I asked, “Amoe, What? Can you clearly explain to me, why?” She was silent, pretending to be nothing special. “It’s fine. I’m just saying… I meant I am going to ask them to give you more meat and fish … ” I was skeptical. It was as if something was wrong with Amoe. But after a while, I forgot her advice.
One day it was my turn to go shopping. The battalion commander said he wanted to eat shrimp. If I bought the shrimp for him at the going rate, the rest of the money could not buy any additional meat, given the cost. Shrimp was also rarely available at that time, so it was urgent that I go to the fishermen in the western part of the village to see if I could get it for a discount.
As I was about to head out there, I recalled that Amoe’s advice to only visit there with companions. But I did not have time to go to her and ask for help. So I went there with an armed sergeant.
When we arrived at the village, we were wearing civilian clothes at the top and uniform pants at the bottom. My companion, the sergeant was armed with an folded MA3 under the coat. The two of us hurried to the western part of the village and went from house to house asking fishermen who could purchase shrimp and fish.
In one home I asked, “Auntie, would uncle bring shrimp today? We want to buy shrimps and fish if possible.” The auntie came out. “Oh.. come and sit in the home. Your uncle would be back home soon with shrimp. Have a glass of water while you wait for him” said the auntie with hospitality.
The house was leaf-roofed with long legs. Underneath the house, fishing rods, fishing nets were packed as a typical fishing family would do. We went up the stairs and sat down and drank the hot water the auntie gave us. And the aunties and her friends were working at the back.
She brought us the kettle and the cups and went back to the back. About an hour later, I saw two Kayin men coming from a distance, hearing their speaking in Kayin, arriving at the house where we were sitting. As we talked, the two of them went upstairs where we were sitting. So far nothing had happened.
When they came up without seeing us or expecting us, they were staring hard. We were strangers, but with a smile, so I said, “Are you buying fish? I think Auntie is busy in there.” Then I yelled out, “Auntie, here comes the guest” I shouted to let know the fish buyers were coming. “Come and have a sit here” I then said, handing the hot water cups to them, and my companion sergeant welcomed them.
They nodded and smiled and tried to sit down. As one of them sat down, he heard a “gutt” sound, comes from something hit with the floor.
When I glanced over, I could see the gun hit the floor. He too pretended not to know. The sergeant and I did not know what to do. I think they sat next to us and looked at us carefully.
We, with civilian clothes on top and uniform pants down, would be certainly noticeable for them. The four of us were sitting on the floor, but we did not talk to each other at all. Silence! The situation was not good for both of us. It was obvious that they were silent and their facial expressions were something strange. My sergeant and I were sweating profusely.
They did not move for a long time. Neither of us dared to move. No words between us. I was praying for the auntie to come back to intervene, but she must be gone when she saw that we were facing with arms in this little house.
Her husband, the fisherman also did not dare to return home in this situation. Finally, I decided that what I really needed to do it right. “A Kyot” as I called them, and they became surprised. One of them asked “what is it?” And I continued “Auntie seem busy now, so we are leaving.” I spoke this in Bamar language.
As we talked, we both got up, and they both got ready to go, too. Worrying that a language barrier might lead to something unnecessary. Nervous.
Being confused and leaving the house, we watched their every move. They were staring at us so intently! When we got down from the house, we did not know which way to go. It would only worsen the trouble if we went on the same path.
I must say we were lucky. As we turned to face to the way we came, they turned in the opposite direction. But in my heart I did not dare to believe that we were truly going to be lucky. Keep checking, and keep walking. They did the same with us. When we got far enough away finally, do you know what happened to us and to them? As if both parties consulted before and well arranged it, we all ran!
We ran straight to the west of the village where the camp was. “Run sergeant!” I shouted as I ran. “Yes, captain!” he responded and ran ever faster than before.
I used to take him with me every 30 miles of training in the army, but I had to follow him a lot this time. Fortunately, they did not turn around and shoot. And we did not get any shrimp or fish for the day, in the end.
As we reached to the home of Amoe, we told her the whole story and laughed. We were exhausted, much too tired! “Phoekwa (son), that’s why I told you to take care! If I were with you, it would not happen. But happy that no clashes between two parties occurred,” she said to me.
“When I asked the reason, you pretended it was not serious,” I said to her.
“Oh, we are intermediaries. We are the people who get along well with both parties. We don’t want either party to suffer or face loss because of our words. That’s why we don’t say what we don’t need to say.” Amoe replied.
Only when she said this I fully understood her intentions. I also realized that we need to be friendly with the local people everywhere. I thanked from the bottom of my heart that there was nothing wrong with either of parties on that day.
In the end, I ended up buying eggs, but no shrimp and fish. Time was running out and could not find anything except eggs. When I got back to the camp, I gave the eggs to the cook for the the battalion commander. But the battalion commander didn’t eat eggs for he brought lot of fries from his house.
My sergeant and I looked at the egg in the bowl and prayed in our hearts, “Long live to the two dudes we encountered on that day!”