My grandmother, (Daw) Khin Myo Chit (writer), was born in the 1st May of 1915, at Sagaing, Upper Burma. She had 3 brothers and one sister, and she was the eldest. The youngest of her brothers died young, and the younger brother who stayed with his own family, and he cut contact with us after our grandma died. The other younger away from home for many years. He lived in Russia, China, and back home in 1991, stayed with us until he died. I wrote about his story in the book, ‘A Memory of My Grandparents’. (The reader might remember!)
(Photo – Grandma’s younger brother while he was living in Moscow, Russia in 1959. His handwriting on the photo says he stood at front of his home at Apartment Kutuzoff.)
We only had an old photo of grandma and her siblings. Grandma with old Burmese court dress with diamond ornament. Fourteen-year old grandma, twelve-year old brother, and eight-year old sister were at the novitiation ceremony (become monks) in 1928. It was her brother’s novitiation ceremony. Before his head shaved, wearing a princely robes, and his two sisters sitting beside him wearing a style of old Burmese court dresses.
(In 1928, in the style of the old Burmese court dress and diamond ornament, fourteen- year old grandma and her younger sister, and one of her younger brothers was sitting between them.)
(Grandma’s younger sister with her husband Major Ohn Phay, and their son.)
Grandma’s younger sister married in wartime, and their family lived happily. She died at her old age. I remembered she was short, and cute, and gentle. Her sister often visited to our house, and chat with her. Grandma did not say special about her. I know she loved her sister. I remembered when her sister died, grandpa decided not to tell about her dead to grandma. Grandma sometimes asked how was her sister. Grandpa’s replies were not quite sensible. Later, grandma asked no more. Maybe she noticed her sister’s long silence.
(‘A Memory of My Grandparents’ tells all the story of their lives.)
When my book, ‘A Memory of My Grandparents’ published in 2015, for the 100th Anniversary of my grandparents – U Khin Maung Latt and (Daw) Khin Myo Chit (writer), I received several phone calls from nearby friends, and some far old friends of my grandparents. Among them, very closed relative of my grandma, frankly let me introduce to my reader, grandma’s younger brother suddenly contacted us.
(Grandma’s younger brother U Thein Maung, he was now 97 years old, his noviation photo would be seen above.)
It was a very surprised call. We still did not know where he lived, or even we did not know whether he still alive or not. His daughter said he bought my book when he saw the advertisement in the newspaper. There was a phone number in the book, and they called us. He could not go anywhere because of the hard traffics in Rangoon. We welcomed his family ; our long-time-no-see relatives, and share our thoughts, and news. Good to hear that he was still in good health, and well. He was now 97 years old. He lived at near Tanyin township, Rangoon with his daughters. They lived happily, and well.