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While our mother was alive our financial condition was all right. Before Father died, his health deteriorated. He required medical treatment for a long time and what money we was almost exhausted on that. After Father died, we moved back to Tadahgalay Village.
"You and your brothers and sisters certainly had a tough time, didn't you, losing both parents at an early age," the Venerable U Nanda remarked with compassion.
Daw Tin Nyunt replied, "Yes, it's true, Bhante." She continued, "But it's as they say, the older brother in as the father, the older sister as the mother. Our oldest brother, Ko Ohn Maung, was like a father to us. He worked in the fields to support us. Our oldest sister Ma Ma Hsait was like a mother to us. After our father died, Ko Ohn Maung and Ma Ma Hsait fed us, looked after us, brought us up. Ma Ma Hsait always told Maung Mya Han and me to love one another."
"Do you remember stories about Maung Mya Han and yourself from when you were small? Whatever you remember, please tell," said the author.
Daw Tin Nyunt replied, "The two of us used to walk hand in hand under the mango trees in Kocheh Village. We would pick up the little mangoes and sell them. With the money we got we bought snacks to eat. There were reaping competitions in the village. The two of us would go together, hand in hand, and watch them. We would play tag and another type pf tag game called "tote-see-toe" with the other children. Before Mother died, she used to take care of Ma Chit Yu's three children and Granddad Kha's four children, I hear. While Mother was alive, we used to eat together on big trays with legs about the size of coffee tables. Four of us would eat all together of that one tray. After Mother died and we came to Kocheh Village we didn't eat like that anymore.
"Our grandfather (our mother's father), U Yit, wore his hair long and tied it in a topknot. He used to fix his grandson's hair in the same way. Before our grandfather died Maung Mya Han wore his hair like that. After grandfather died, though, our father gave Maung Mya Han a short haircut."
"Daw Tin Nyunt, of your brothers and sisters, with whom were you the closest?"
"I close them all, but I was closest to Sayadaw, of course. Maung Mya Han didn't ever scold me. He didn't raise his voice or hit me. Whenever Maung Mya Han had something to eat, he'd set some aside and give it to me. And he didn't bully others, or insult them. He avoided doing that."
"When did Maung Mya Han re-ordain as a novice?"
"He re-ordained when he was about fourteen. His older brother Ko Aung Kyi was his sponsor. After he became a novice, he lived in Kyauktan Village. He didn't return to Kocheh Village after that."
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