The Country’s Good Son by Mein New Thein

The Country‟s Good Son by Minn New Thein Lin Aung‟s mother had a shop in the Mingaladon market, where she sold slippers. Lin Aung helped his mother in the shop during his school holidays. As the Mingaladon market was an army market, soldiers could be seen shopping there daily. It was more crowded on Sundays. Many soldiers could be seen moving about busily. It was Sunday, and Lin Aung was sitting in front of the shop; “Younger Brother, do you have real „Sin-kye‟ No. 9?” A young man, wearing trousers, entered and asked him. Quickly Lin Aung took a pair of „Sinkye‟ No. 9 slippers and showed them. “How much are these slippers, Young Brother?” Twenty -one Kyats, Elder Brother.” “Can I take only the right side slipper and pay you ten Kyats and fifty pyas?” The young man‟s question made Lin Aung‟s eyes become wide. If he sold only the right side, how could he sell the left side? And why did he want only one slipper? “You can‟t do that. If I sell only the right side, the one left in the shop will become useless. “Yes, but I want only the right side. But wait, I‟ll go and look for a partner.” Lin Aung was left behind, looking at the back of the young man, who walked away, limping. Soon, the young man came back. He had another young man with him. The first young man asked Ling Aung for the slippers, and gave the left side slipper to the young man who had come with him. He lifted the leg of his trouser and put on the slipper. Then he nodded with satisfaction. Only then did Lin Aung understand. They were buying and sharing one pair of slippers. The first young man had a false left leg, and second young man had a false right leg. So everything was all right because there was one who wanted only the right side, and another who wanted only the left side. Lin Aung was sorry to see the condition of the two young men. They were quite young, and they each had a leg missing. “Don‟t you feel sad that you have only one leg?” Lin Aung as inquisitive and asked them. “Why should we be sad?” the first young man smiled. “We are soldiers who offered even our own lives for our country. We are proud to lose a leg in protecting our country.” When Lin Aung heard the first young man‟s answer, he respected them. They were very different from the young drug addicts about whom he had often read in the newspapers. They were wasting their lives and killing themselves. These young men were the country‟s good sons who were protecting the country from its enemies. Their aims and intentions were as different from those of the addicts as east from west, north from south. Although these young men had one leg missing, they still wanted to serve their country. The two young soldiers told Lin Aung that they planned to work in the disabled soldiers‟ cooperative shop. “I respect you and honor you. You good sons of the country are the jewels of our country. When I grow up, I will try to be a good son of the country like you.” The two young soldiers smiled to hear Lin Aung‟s words. “We admire your intention. Our country‟s future will really be bright if there were more young people in our country with the same aim and intention as yours. All right, we will go now.” The two young soldiers said goodbye to Lin Aung and went away. Lin Aung was filled with the desire to become a good son of the country.