About Our Time Together
A Ngal Lay and I first met nearly two years ago. The picture is of our first meeting, our shared moment in time. It was about a week before A Ngal Lay’s first birthday on January 1st. A Ngal Lay doesn’t recall our time together, but I do.
That photo haunts me. I’m in my twilight years, and A Ngal Lay is beginning her journey down her yellow brick road of life. In many ways, she reminds me of how Ti Ti changed my Weltanschauung. When Ti Ti and I first met, Ti Ti was intelligent and cute. Nearly a decade later, the only change has been her maturing into a beautiful young lady.
While I have never said this to her parents, I think Ti Ti acquired her IQ and good looks from my side of the family.
Than painted this picture of A Ngal Lay and my brief moment in time.
When A Ngal Lay and I met, I didn’t know her name. Therefore, I invented her nickname, which means the little one. She has obviously talked to Ti Ti and Snow because they call me PaPa Al. Fatty doesn’t use that name and insists on calling me Bo Bo Gyi, which means great-grandfather in their language.
This is a photo that Than took of A Ngal Lay’s aunt and uncle holding his painting. When things like COVID-19 and the coup settled down, they will deliver the painting to A Ngal Lay in Set Set Yo.
In the meantime, A Ngal Lay sent me a photo in which she thanked me for the painting of the two of us, which she will receive soon. She isn’t three yet, but she is bilingual. Now, I don’t want to offend her parents, but I think she got her looks and IQ from my side of the family. She parallels Ti Ti in that.
Along with the photo, A Ngal Lay had her father do a video of her. She was in a field looking for PaPa Al. I am not sure which of us misses the other more.
This is A Ngal Lay’s family.
When COVID and the coup subside, I will return to see my granddaughters, Ti Ti, Snow, and Fatty.
However, we will take our second family tour and revisit Set Set Yo to see A Ngal Lay. Actually, they could come to Inle Lake and have a New Year’s Eve celebration at our family’s favorite eatery, Nyaung Shwe Restaurant. Ti Ti, Snow, Fatty, and A Ngal Lay could sing Auld Lange Syne like my three granddaughters did two years ago.
Then everyone will have Bananas Bo Bo Gyi for dessert to celebrate A Ngal Lay’s birthday on New Year’s Day.
Talk about something about which our family can plan to do. That will truly be a joyful day because we are family.
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09/20/21
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