Chapter 8

On Dun's last day of leave, the three of them made a tour around the city to buy all the necessities ( art tool essentials) for Nobel Lin.

May Moe Madi, being the eldest sister, only picked new clothes for her two younger brothers. Being a designer and a little picky, it took a long time to finish shopping so the two brothers had to wait for her till they got all sorts of aches and pains. Nobel Lin had never complained about it. So Dun asked him if he ached and as expected, Dun was totally ignored.

Every now and then, Dun wondered why his mom adopted them. Is that because either he would get lonely or he was born to be tormented by them?

Having bought all the things they needed, they all returned to their home. At first, they planned to eat BBQ, but cancelled the plan as their tastes were quite opposite and went back home.

May Moe Madi carried as many bags as she could and entered the house. Dun had to move the container that included all the art supplies for Nobel Lin like a painting surface. Nobel Lin ‌also tried his best to carry the shoe boxes his sister bought with much difficulty. When they walked into the living room, there was no more room for them to even take a step. Also in the car, in order to have space for all the things, Nobel Lin managed to squeeze in all the way back home.

"I thought you bought the whole shop!"

Aunt Mya was talking and looking at the things they purchased at the same time. It was Dun who transferred these things from the shop to his car. And of course, the driver was also him. Nobel Lin and May Moe Madi, with their chest out, shopped around one after another. He swore that he would commit suicide if he said he would marry her.

Now, it had been a daily routine that Dun had to give a bath to Nobel Lin and so he attended to it. While Nobel Lin was bathing, it was somehow peaceful for Dun talking alone and asking questions which never had a reply.

Finally, it was time for Dun to go to work the next day so May Moe Madi was left alone to accompany Nobel Lin. She also had to resume her work one week later. She kept asking Nobel Lin if he wanted to come along with her and his answer, as usual, was a big 'No'. Her efforts bore no fruits so she gave up and returned to Mandalay.

Knock...Knock

"Come in."

It was Nobel Lin who stepped inside as Dun was changing his clothes to go to hospital.

"Speak."

Dun said it while he was tying a necktie neatly, and Nobel Lin replied,

"Breakfast ready."

Dun normally came down on his own to eat before. This time, he was stunned to see Nobel Lin calling him to have breakfast.

"It's strange. YOU called me for breakfast. Don't tell me you made it."

Without waiting for Dun, Nobel Lin headed outside the room. Did Aunt Nilar forget to teach him how to listen till the end when someone was talking to him?

"Come and sit, Dun. Your brother fetched everyone for breakfast he personally prepared."

"Oh, I see!"

Well, as he pondered over this, it's really hard to eat breakfast together. Because they had different schedules, Dun hastily used to grab a buttered bread made by Aunt Nilar and drive to the hospital. Because of Nobel Lin, they all got to sit and eat together around the breakfast table. Nobel Lin prepared spaghetti with tomato sauce and he made it sour and spicy. It was so mouth-watering that they all enjoyed themselves.

"You actually can cook. That was tasty."

Dun complimented Nobel Lin after he finished eating the noodles. Well, as Dun had cured a lot of patients, what they expected was to hear a compliment so he knew Nobel Lin wanted to be praised.

By the time Dun arrived at the hospital, he noticed a cute girl in a wheelchair. She was here for two weeks as she's waiting for a heart transplant. Dun knew as she was one of his mental patients who was suffering from bipolar disorder, which is called manic depression. When her disease flared up, she used to pull out all the hypodermic needles injected into her body and bump her head against the wall so at the present, her head was wrapped thickly with gauze. Sometimes, she was in tears for no reason. Other Times, she bursted out laughing heartily. She reminded him of Nobel Lin who was totally different from her. Nobel Lin knew neither how to cry nor how to laugh. When he lost control of his mind, though he didn't try suicide, he was capable of causing an uproar. Like he threw things out suddenly without showing his anger.

The girl was amiable towards Dun and told him about her randomly. And when he fished for the information about her parents, he knew they were not on good terms with each other. Moreover, they both seemed to have an affair. She also lost her will to live but Dun wanted to try his best to cure her. Wasn't a 12-years-old too early to die?

"MeeMee, did you take your medicine for today?"

(MeeMee is an endearment used when elders called little girls)

"Yes!"

"What a good girl! Don't forget to take one before you take an afternoon nap."

"Will you give me medicine to take?

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes!"

"Why not then! Nurse, come get me when it's time to give her one."

"Sure,Sir."

Dun assigned the nurse and left to start his morning duty. In the afternoon, he witnessed some nurses telling a story to the children with mental illness. Honestly, the story made people addicted. Thanks to it, some patients considered themselves as heroes while some were waiting for a handsome prince. There were those who folded the towel and breastfed it like an infant as well as those who called out the passersby.

He was gazing and when he noticed the stories, he said,

"Ah, right! A story ! But I don't know any story at all."

It was lunchtime and before the nurse came to call him, Dun headed to his patient called Shin Min Myat, who he had a conversation with this morning. Her nickname was Mee Mee.

"It's time to take your medicine."

"Doctor, she seems a little abnormal. She was crying a moment ago."

When the nurse recounted the girl's situation, he nodded.

"Hmm...I see."

He replied.

Dun slowly came by her. The girl bowed her head and was looking at the drawing.

"Mee Mee"

"U, Mom doesn't want me anymore."

(U is pronounced as u: in Myanmar and it carries the same meaning as Uncle.)

When the picture came into his view, it was a picture of a family of three. As far as Dun knew, it was her grandparents that admitted her to the hospital. Since she was here, her parents never came to visit her. Instead, only her grandparents, sometimes her aunt, paid a visit to her.

"Mee Mee, look at me. Who cares if they don't want you? There are many people who still need you."

"Who wants me?"

"Of course, your grandparents and your friends."

"But I have no friends."

As soon as Dun heard of her words, he immediately thought of Nobel Lin. The boy also had no friends. Did he also feel the same as her?

"Well, there are uncle doctors and aunt doctors. Both the nurse and I want you to be healthy and happy."

"Really? What if you don't want me anymore? Ain't I a mental patient?"

"Even if you are, there are still some who want them and put up with them even if they are bad."

"I don't get it."

" I know someone like you. Would you like to hear about him?"

"Yes!"

As soon as Dun said it, a certain person, who was well-loved even though that person had mental illness, popped up in his mind. That person was none other than Nobel Lin.