In the wake of my poor matriculation exam result, I have to think deeply how to forward my future since all my dream of becoming engineer has been effectively destroyed by myself. My sponsor money is no longer with me and I have to establish by myself. In this point, I already been a tuition teacher and my own business is going well. To avoid people, I closed my classes for a while and I stay away from people's sense. During that day, I try to concentrate my mind and ask myself what should I do next? I know that I can't imagine some investment from my family because my family is poor. So what I can do without any investment, I considered. Finally I could decide that my current tuition business needs no initial cost and can open it and it's my only one prospect to become a wealthy and successful man. So I made up my mind to continue this tuition business till oneday I can open my own boarder. There was another reason for my decision. My childhood friends who sit the exam in my home town passed with flying colors. So I have to support by myself by opening tuition classes despite I pass it without D. I encouraged by myself and reopen my classes as usual. I was ashamed to see the faces of my pupils during my teaching. Anyway I overcome that crisis by doing my job to its best.
Soon after that I got information about army officer application advertisement. The time was summer holidays period and I have only one class. So I am pretty free and decided to submit my form. So I went to Magway and collect for form. But the problem is forms are finished ready at division army base. So I go to my cousin brother who is retired army captain and seeks for help. He got gun-shot at battle and converted to RTC department with the same rank at that time. So his post is director at the division class RTC department. He wrote a letter and asked his bodyguard to send me division army base. So his staff and I go to army adminstration office and get one copy luckily. Actually some forms were put aside for VIP people. I understand like that and may be my consideration is wrong. Because when I go there alone as civilian and they told me no more forms here. Then I go again with a recommend letter, they issue it easily. What a funny process ? Anyway anyhow I get one copy for my upcoming task. From that day onward I started to exercise by myself because there is no training class at my home town. And I am only one candidate to sit this exam at that year. So I have no friends to train/learn together. Luckily one of my pupil's brother is DSA student and he has exercise books at home. He attended preparation training at yangon and he passed the exam. So I fortunately got some exercise books from my pupil for preparation of my army officer exam. My physical exercise is very funny, what I do u know, early morning I wake up and run about 2 miles and eat raw bean so that I can raise my weight. The minimum requirement of cadet weight is 110 lbs and I am 112 lbs at that time. So I have to increase my weight amap. Few days later I get another information that there is another student who intend to sit coming DSA exam at the army quarter of my home town. So I managed to contact him and we exchanged some knowledge. His grand-father is army captain of our home town army. So he come visit our hometown during his summer holidays after 10th standard exam. By this ways, we become friends and time come to go yangon. My brother amazed when he know that I am going to sit DSA exam because he knew that I am not a brave boy and also physically not strong enough. He tease me by saying that you would be afraid ur soldiers if you become army officer. I keep silent and respond with laugh only. Sometime mum wake me up early morning to run out. But I complaint to her for waking me up before dawn. She would laugh me when I say that mum, I am not dare to run before day light come. I have my own reason for that, there is one house for dead bodies beside the road I run. So I don't dare pass this house before dawn. My mum then used to ask me that how will u do army officer if you are afraid of dead bodies? I reply by saying that mum, not every army officer are fighting at battle, please imagine the intelligent army department that only do for production of weapon, bullet and some officer are teaching at DSA and some are fightr pilot. Since I am type of man who have full of excuses, mum would surrender me.
Earlier day of March, my friend and I need to go Yangon for DSA exam. There is only one RTC car going to ygn from my home town. Actually even this car is coming from other town and we need to wait from the road so that we can aboard when it arrive. There is no official gate at my town. Usually this car arrive my town about 4:00am and I wake up 2:30am and make sure I am getting ready about 3:30am on the road. The road and my my home is 45min walking distant away and no electricity at that time. My brother send me there with two big bags, one for my dresses and another for my bed. My friend and I met at the designated place that car usually stop for a while. By this way we started our journey with this non-aircon RTC bus to yangon. Since time is summer and March suy makes us very hot on the way, we both enjoy ice-cream, watermalon, papaya, etc whenever bus stop for a break.
I never been Yangon before and my friend is just pass Yangon from Rakhine to my home town. So both of us don't know how to go in Yangon. He is Rakhine and speak with Rakhine assent. And I am a bit used to with big city life because I have been 2 years in Mandalay. So I am more experience than my friend. He also agree with me to follow me. Finally we arrive yangon on late evening on d same day we depart from our home town. We take a note of my friend's brother address and my aunt's address. As we plan, we got appointment with his brother who is guard soldier at paliament house on pyay road, opposite of Shwedagon pagoda. We went out of sawbwargyi bus terminal and follow people to road that has bus-stop. I take a note of bus no that was told by my frd's brother before we left from home town. We see all cars are full of passengers and unable to aboard. Because the time we arrive is peak hour and so many people are returning home from jobs. We have two big bags each and no spare wants us aboard. Finally we managed one Hilux car to aboard and spare asked me for fare. I told him that how much for a helvin stop? He disappointly told me that this car is heading to Mingalardon brothers. The I asked him to stop car and he say cannot stop anywhere, I have to wait until next stop. What a funny day for a villager like us? Other passengers also laughed at me and my friend. Next stop, we alight and change direction by the suggestion of spare man. This time we are in the correct lane and we rode so far and we started to worry about over riding. So I asked spare man repeatly that bro, I'm going to helvin naw,,,,then he reply yes I know I'll tell you just before we arrive there. After I asking repeatly, he feel angry and started to shout us. The time is around 8:30pm and we don't know where do we going and getting. What we feel is only afraid of wrong going. The car is so crowded and all around us are female workers. They seems never mind for touching each other. We are hesitating to touch them because we don't have such experience. Later I asked the passenger next to me if we already got helvin street. She kindly reply me that don't worry it's far away to ride, I'll tell you if we got there, she say she is going farther than we do. Actually she go to sanpya movie theatre and we intend to alight at helvin street. Finally we arrive helvin and spare man signal to us and she confirmed to us. So we both alighted and see each other means what to do next? We both are standing alone on the platform and see only fence and some trees and driving cars. Nothing to do but asking people for direction. I saw one traffic police who is doing his duty at the junction of Pyay road and helvin street to make it safe. I ask my frd if he go or I go and ask that police. He as usual ask me you do it. Then I asked him to take care of our property and leave him for police. I bring address and show police and ask where is it.
Police surprisingly star me and ask why you want to go this place? This is govt VIP house and no civillian are allowed to enter, he reply. I request that pls show me, we are relative to that high ranking officers. Then he sight and pointed out his finger at one building. This is what you are looking for my boy. Then I say thanks and return to my friend. We approach fence gate and ask for my friend's brother name. The duty soldier luckily know him and say he's on duty at main gate that is another side of current one. So we managed to get there and see him by introducing. In fact, my friend and his brother never seen before and so they need to intro each other by saying their family history. I amazingly see at them and the soldier open the gate and welcome us. We both enter the perliament house quarter and put down our heavy bags and take off our clothes due to very hot. Then prepare to eat dinner as we are already hungry. Immediately we heard some noise sound and some soldiers enter the room we are resting. And ask us who are you and what are you doing here by duty officer. My friend brother answer his officer's query and his officer seems angry and shouted at him. And they are getting ready to arrest by pointing their guns at our faces. We both are so scare seeing that view and what we can say is please, we don't know what are you doing, we are not enemy, we just come here to sit DSA exam. If you don't want we'll go out now...pls,,,pls,,pls". Meanwhile my friend's brother punched his officer face and they fighting. The officer is drunk and lay down to floor and I realise that the situation is bad to worse. So I urged my frd to go out and stay at some rest house/inn. He also seems afraid and ask his brother to let us go outside tonight. Then we both and his brother went to thamine army quarter camp with no.45 bus. We arrive there around 10:00pm and register at gate. The gate captain asked me to show 10th std finishing cert and I only can show copy of it. He demand original and I said no, i didn't bring along with me. He then accepted me to register and I question at him that do i need to take back that cert before exam? At that day, exam day is few days away from that night. If officer say yes, I could phone to my family and they can send it to me with next day bus. But officer say it's not compulsory these days because army needs a lot officers right now and loose a bit at its normal discipline. So I do not take it care seriously and take a rest at the designated camp.
Hooooooooooooooooooooo,,,,,,,,,I sight heavily and try to sleeppppppppp
In the middle of night, I started to feel stomach pain and later suffer for diarrhoea.
Because I overate roadside foods and fruits during my journey to Yangon.
My stomach keep pain and going toilet for the whole night.
Next morning I am significantly weak and go out for nearby market to find a suitable medicine.
I don't want to go army clinic that is located in the army camp compound because ppl rumourly say that they start to give counting our score and so I don't want to lose any point.
That's why I try to cure by myself by searching local medicine in the morning market.
I find it unrecover and feel worse and lost my appetite.
So within 2 days, I have lost my weight and started to worry about tomorrow entrance to Mingalardon camp. Then I decided to go to army clinic to seek treatment regardless of any outcome. Once I enter in the clinic, I met ordinary medical soldier and he asked my by shouting as usual.
He query me as follow:
staff: What problem do u have?
me : I have been diarrhoea.
staff : how long have you been?
me : about 2 days
staff : what are you doing then ?
me : I try to cure by myself.
staff: while pointing his finger at my face, shouted "you bullshit".
me: I don't think it is serious and I am used to take care by myself.
staff : you bloody hell, what do you think of yourself? that's why I can't see all candidates for army officer, even haven't become officer, you all are cross at my eyes.
me : a bit silence without talking anything
staff : why can you say that you have been diarrhoea?
me : I have gone toilet for several times as unusual.
staff: What is the color of your shit?
me : I can't see that because your toilets are being built on the flowing stream.
staff: how does it come out of your ass?
me : it's look like water flow.
staff: Do you know the meaning of diarrhoea(wan shaw) and .........(wan kite)?
me: yes I do
staff : diarrhoea is the kind of shit is flowing like water and wan kite is unable to pump out your shit from ass despite severe pain at stomach.
me : yes I know that
staff: he started to register me and gave me few tablets by mixing them quickly put in the plastic bag and saying this for morning, this for afternoon and this for night after meal at the same time.
me : I see them thoroughly infront of him immediately.
staff : why do u see like that?
me : I am afraid of wrong taking medicine.
staff : he angrily shout me "xx@#$%^&"
me : sorry sir, you didn't tell me properly and also didn't seperate the plastic for morning, afternoon and night. It make me confuse to understand well.
staff : you better get out of my sight.
me : alright sir, thanks for your kind help.
I come back and take a rest at my bed. Hmmm is it called army intelligent force?
Tomorrow I have to go mingalardon camp for final exam.
So I am very concern about my weight is at the minimum 120 lbs.
I am not worry about my height because min ht limit is 5' 2" and I am 5' 6" man.
The next day early morning my friend and I go to the morning market and looking for a weighing machine there.
My surprise!!!!!!! God,
I have only 96 lbs at the moment.
I have to go back if I am not 120 lbs this evening.
So I decided to buy bananas and myanmar medicine from market and return camp.
I don't eat army foods that day and buy from outside shop.
I told restaurant owner aunty that pls do not mind how much I eat today.
After I sat exam, I'll come back here and eat less while I am explaining to her about my weigh problem. She agreed with me and see me enjoy her foods heavily.
I took myanmar and english medicine to stop going toilet not only shit but also urine.
I eat bananas from morning till just before weighting at mingalardon camp.
At the same time I make sure eat table salt so that I can avoid vomitting before weighing.
Foods are filled until my throat and I felt uncomfortable, but never mind as I do want to pass this exam. I have prepared whatever I can do in advance by theory.
At afternoon about 2:00pm, we started to move from current camp to mingalardon camp by army lorry car. I am still eating banana on the car and drinking water a lot purposely.
Once we arrived on camp, the instructor asked us to align and gave us serial no and show our places to stay during exam time. After putting our property in place and we needed to gather again by respective serial no. This is the first test for weighing and measuring the height. The seperate all candidate to two groups called blue and red. I'm under blue group because this group for all fresher and red group for repeaters. I am trying this exam for first time and so I am put under blue. We need to send out our arm horizontally to front. And some staffs check our hands and the whole body if there are some defect or not. And another major attention is they check our ass carefully if there is hidden lead or not. Because some candidate are lighter than 110 lbs and they secretely put the lead inside their asses. At that time we need to wear only mini outfit. I mean only short pant and underwear top (swat kyae). So they can easily check our bodies if they are as it is or not. When it's my turn, one staff asked me if I can lift a gun or not by seeing my super thin arm size. I was so angry at his comment and I reply him immediately that this arm is not for gun holding, and I meant to drive a fighter oneday. He was very pleased with my respond. Then we need to go in one by one to a designated room in which there is a weighing machine and height measuring ruler that is fixed to that machine. There are some officers who are sitting infront of machine with the watchful eyes. One is holding the cane beside the machine. Candidate must stand on the machine and one staff shout weigh and another staff shout height. Some candidate are shorter than 5' 2" and they try to raise their bare foot a bit. At that time one staff with cane who is seeing legs would be hitting rasing foot. Then officer would say get out, you are not eligible to be army officer in term of your height. Rejected and he needs to go back to collect his property and go waiting lorry to return home. I was the last number of blue group. So I see all my exam-mates measuring and I continuously pray so that my 96 lbs surely increase to 110 lbs. I don't want to go back for this lousy weigh limit. I pray hard to all goddess to help me pull the scale index to 110 lbs crazily. Finally it's my turn, I know I don't need to pay attention to height monitoring officer, only attention to weight reading officer. He slowly read oneeee hundredddddd andddddd TEN. Oh my god, I was so happy to know that I have passed this first step and it's worthy what I did the whole day to increase my weight. Then I have to go and present another officer for verification purpose. I could able to give him all necessary documents except 10th standard original certificate.
officer : pls give me your matriculation exam cert.
me : give hime copy of this.
officer : I ask you to give me original.
me : I gave him original score sheet issued by La Thar registering office.
officer : Do u understand what I am talking about?
me : yes sir but I left my original cert at my division army office when I was going to collect my forms. And I thought it'ld be sent here together with my application form.
officer : Tell me you have or not.
me : No sir, but it's not my fault at all.
officer : I don't want to hear any excuses.
me : Since I can show my original score sheet of 10th standard, do i need to show matriculation exam pass cert?
officer : I don't know if you have been real pass or not.
me : How can I get my score sheet without passing this exam, captain?
officer: I don't care your problem, we are working with so many people who are coming from the whole country.
me : please forgive me for that, pls call and ask division army office if you don't believe me.
officer : We can't contact outside world from this special area.
me : Then I hope your mercy, Sir, pleaseeeee
officer : You have consumed a lot of my time and I have so many things to do. There are so many ppl waiting you finished.
me : Yes I know sir, but pleaseeee
officer : Pls take his attire off Sir (giving order to his assistant staff)
They took my dress off and I felt so upset and wanna cry for that.
But I control my mind not to allow my tear roll down to my cheek because all around ppl are men and they would look me down.
So I return to bed to collect my property and my frd curiously ask me what happened to me.
me: I have been the same problem like my first day in yangon.
my frd: Why, it's not your fault, may be captain test your mind.
me : I thinking my frd is right, imm may be you r right,
my frd and others: go again and complain to captain
me : yes it is a must
I go back the weighing place again.
guard : why do you come back here again?
me : I don't agree with captain's reject and wanna complain for that.
guard : cannot, u r not allowed to enter
me : why not? (I'm not afraid anymore for anything)
we arguing noisely and captain shouted at what's happening outside?
They reply that the boy come back for complain, captain.
The captain ordered them to let me in.
I bravely enter to his table and stand infront of him.
captain : Why do u come back?
me : I wanna complain for your decision with my cert.
captain : what did i do wrong?
me : it's not my fault at all
captain : Then sit down.
me : thanks
captain : by taking my fill up form with photo from beside the table, and asked me is it yours?
me : yes it is
captain : See thoroughly it while I am turning all pages if there is cert inside
me : yes captain
captain : turning slowly from first page to last
me: I seeing hopefully
captain : do u see any?
me : No
captain : Then go back right now out of my sight, a bit angry this time in his tone
me : thanks for your time
I again go back to me bed and tell all my awaiting frds abt my status.
And I return first camp with the lorry at the same evening.
That night, I slept at the army camp and next morning I permanently go out of camp to go visit my aunt's house.
By this way, I luckily avoided my chance of becoming army officer.
If I have passed that exam then I won't be here in singapre today and also
I will never become engineer as I dreamt since childhood.
Have a nice time.
God is fair and life is not as bad as we thought.
:D
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