Chinese furnitures, Burmese sculptures, Buddhas, porcelaines…I used to have a collection."
He asked for the bill and drank the last cup of the pot.
- "Did you meet people doing that ?
- Sure, plenty. I used a site call le Bon Coin in France. The unemployed guy collecting Asian Art and showing to me pictures of his crowded flat during hours , and his girl friend who was a teacher was saying to him to stop as he was addicted to casino games or drugs. The retired man that had undergone a hearth attack and came alone with his wife to take a heavy furniture, I had to help. The ones that took a red desk without a car and had to take the subway for five stations to help their depressed friend. The obsessed by Maroccon art as remembering his trip in Ouarzazat with nostalgia. The one having done supposedly design and art studies, wanting a protection for fire in copper for her parents, then hesitating saying may be they wouldn't like it and suddenly running out my flat. The couple trying my king size bed leaving their shoes on the floor, and while doing that, underlining it was feeling weird, in a weird couple conversation on my bed, then the girl jumping, saying it would be disgusting for her to sleep in someones'bed, and their nearly running out of the flat… The guy taking a designer fragrance bottle, even if he didn't know the smell, just to impress girls in his bedroom. The young adult begining his library and emphasizing we had the same taste, even if he took only all my classic litterature, seeming happy, enjoying future long morning week-ends in his bed…
- You never stop ?"
In the afternoon, they came to the ceremony.
A lot of Burman people were waiting under the trees on each side of the canal filled with muddy waters, women and children with paint on their face to protect them from the sun, umbrella opened, men laughing, families with young babies in their arms, wrapped with colorful fabrics.
A young man was singing with a wrong tone in a microphone on the boat, and both of them laughed.
- "It's like a giant karaoke, isn't it ?"
Young girls in pale pink outfit began a dance that was not perfect but graceful, and at least they had something to watch.
And old woman gave them rice with sugar in a canne. When she smiled she had no teeth, but a beautiful face full of wrinkles. He shouted because of the noice : "She reminds me the graceful girafe's woman, their community lives not far away in villages in the mountains, not far from the border with Thaïland, the jewel around their neck is very heavy, but they so graceful. Did you meet them, they're perhaps the last ones ?"
She answered something that had nothing to do with what he was saying, but it didn't matter. They felt good. Her new friend, Anne-Lise, said to him : "May be it's the beer, but I could sleep even with the noise." She put her head on his shoulder closing her eyes, and he was carefully watching her supposedly broken leg to avoid any issue.
- "Look, the monks arrive with the buddha. Did you know that four bouddhas fell in the lake in 1965. Three of them were found within the day, they thought they had lost the latest one, but miracle, it appeared in the morning on the bank. But this one now, is not allowed to participate to ceremonies. Unlucky sculpture !"
He laughed.
- "Monks are not all good men. in Pagan, I've heard a guide mentionning to me she had a complaint for a little girl she knew that was sexually harassed. She came to the police. The monk took a lawyer, she had tremendous pressure to stop the action she was taking. I'm sure you will say that I'm obsessed with sad stories, but…"
He turned his head to look at her as the weight or her head was heavier. She was sleeping on his left shoulder, and a woman in front of them smiled at them as if they were a couple.
He should tell her about the teak stolen by Chinese, as exporting the precious solid wood was forbidden, for sure Generals were part of the story to earn money. As for the golden triangle, the tribes negotiating a cease fire with the government, but still buying with the help of the rich Chinese community a lot of buildings at huge prices in Mandalay. Corruption… He wondered what the polls would say about the future of the country and if the Nobel Prize could do anything to put it on the right path at the right pace.
She snoared and it made him slightly laugh, he realized that's his narcissism had made him talk and talk, trying to impress her, and except she was French and in a group of students from a famous University thanks to her tee-shirt, he knew nothing about her. At the same time, he thought that she didn't want yet to uncover who she was. That was her right and he could accept her behavior as they were having a nice time.
As she would have understood his thoughs, she said in a monoton tone, and he couldn't see her face as she was the head on his shoulder.
- "You know, I couldn't sleep last night, I spent hours staring at the ceiling. I get bored in life. I was in love with a boy. Suddenly he left me, with no explanations at all. I cried and cried during days. Then I went out with my girl friends, and I had a lot of guys in my life, but none of them interesting. I still dreamt of my first love. It hurts. So I decided to travel. Croatia, you know the place, Dubrovnik, a lot of German, too many tourist but the city is beautiful. Anyway,… In fact, I lie to you. He didn't left me. He chose a University in New Zealand for a one year exchange with his French University. I think in the world there can't be a country further away. It was three years we were together. I negotiated a free year, where we could meet whoever we wanted and make love with whoever was appealing to us. This was the most stupid idea I ever had. I did it, just because I settled the rule and I'm sure he's not thinking any minute of the difficulty of loving someone and having sex with another one at the other side of the world. Our weekly skypes are terrible. Everything is fake. Do you often lie ?"
He sighted.
- "Big or small lies, it depends, some are making life easier.
- Don't you think there is a lot of blabla in our world ?
- Blabla ?
- Yes, people talking to much for nothing. Non interesting moments, added to dull ones and boring ones. Nothing is worth it, really.
- Heu… If you allow me a remark, you look like a spoilt little capitalist, having money, safety, food, shelter, love, water, a long life expectancy, and look at the people around, they have no social security, no insurance, no retirement, they just help each other, sing to have good harvests, and are contended by the place they have in their family and in the place they belong to."
- Hey you, don't give me lessons. My heart is broken, and you don't have any heart, you just enjoy life in the present moment."
A cute little girl with dark hair, sitted on the brocken brick wall nearby, glaze at him, her eyes showing indulgence or benevolence.
He took one the the cigars he had purchased from the local plant. All was natural in this thing, even if he hadn't smoked in ten years, it wouldn't hurt him.
She raised her head of his shoulders and groaned in a friendly way, staring at him with sparkles in the eyes : "Hello you, Airbnb guy, no links, intense life. Carpe diem. I like you."
He smiled as they were wise to wait for the ceremony. A beautiful golden boat was arriving, the one supposed to transport the holy golden buddha from one village to another, during the whole festival.
People began to sing.
A woman with dark eyes, explained with gestures that it was for having good crops. She smiled.
He smiled back and knocked his head to show his understanding. Anne-Lise could be her daughter and he was not sexually attracted by her. It was not very important. The comparison was not good as he didn't have any children and had no intention to have one. He wouldn't mention the difference of age, it was obvious and she was a big girl.
The rain started smoothly, as every afternoon. The mousson was saying good bye.
Inle Lake, Myanmar Oct 2015
The nuns
The boat was spreading a lot of smoke and invaded the calm of the huge river. She was in Mandalay.
It was the first time she came out of Europe. Her daughter had disappeared, a long time ago, and she had to do somethin
g with her life.
A young healthy woman, supposedly American, looked at her and perhaps compassionate as reading her exhaustion, said : "Hello, are you feeling ok ?"
- "Yes." The answer was quick and laconic. She added :"There is a lot of music in this country, especially at night, I can't sleep very well."
- "Indeed, we are in the calendar, just after the Festival. November is a good month for the weather, but animated, it's true. You're visiting ?
- Actually not, I'm trying to see my daughter. She's in a monastery and has been student in the University for Buddhism in Mandalay.
- Oh, I see, in Pali and english. I think they are around two hundred and fifty. Since when has she been living in Myanmar ?
- Five years, and from time to time I received a postcard. No message, just a postcard with her writting, with children, nuns, landscapes, pagodas, umbrellas…Then nothing.
Actually it's three years I've got no news from her in anyway, and when I call the University they say she's not attending since three years. I guess she changed her mind, so I come to see the nuns if they no more. It's a little monastery near Pagain."
The American took her bike as they were arriving on the other side of the river.
- " I wish you good luck, I'm sure everything is all right. We, I mean the daughters are tough with our mothers. I don't know why. It should