IT is perhaps a natural part of life that, as people grow older, they begin searching for someone to rely on. Long before reaching the age of sixty, Ko Kyaw Kha often thought deeply about the future. He frequently imagined a time when he might become too weak to take care of himself, when even carrying his own body might become difficult. Whenever those thoughts came to his mind, he felt that he should at least have a young girl, as his own daughter, beside him – someone who could support him in his old age.
Before continuing this story, a little background about Ko Kyaw Kha should be explained. He is an elderly man who has long been separated from his wife and has no children of his own. At one point, he even seriously considered adopting a girl from an orphanage through legal procedures, simply because he wanted someone who could one day become his helping hand and emotional support.
Fortunately, life took a different turn.
Ko Kyaw Kha’s niece, the daughter of his younger sister, had already passed her matriculation exam, but she could not continue her university education for various reasons. Around that same time, she accompanied him to Yangon to help him with some medical matters at a specialist clinic. When they returned to his town, Ko Kyaw Kha asked her to stay and live with him permanently. She was already familiar with his house because she had often come and stayed before, sometimes going back and forth between his home and her mother’s.
From the very beginning, her presence brought great comfort and stability into his life. His household became organized, and even his health-related difficulties felt easier to manage. He was genuinely happy. She was thoughtful, caring, and understanding. Gradually, she took responsibility for cooking, washing, and many household matters. Later, she even began helping with his tuition business, which was his main source of income.
Ko Kyaw Kha still remembers clearly that she came to stay with him at the end of May in 2016. Today, it is only two days before the end of May 2026. That means nearly ten years have passed.
Towards the end of 2018, as soon as she completed her final year examination at the University of Distance Education, Ko Kyaw Kha officially appointed her as a teacher in his tuition classes. Since she had a natural ability to teach in a way students could easily understand and accept, she quickly became successful. Ko Kyaw Kha himself is an English teacher, so he assigned her to teach English as well. He handled the Reading and Writing sections, while she taught Speaking and Listening. Together, they made remarkable progress, and the tuition business grew significantly.
Then, in 2023, Ko Kyaw Kha began training her to become an English writer. Since he himself had spent many years writing as a regular columnist for English newspapers, he knew exactly how to guide and nurture her talent. Fortunately, she was hardworking and intelligent. Before long, her articles began appearing in English newspapers. Seeing his efforts bear fruit gave him immense satisfaction and encouragement.
Ko Kyaw Kha trusted her deeply. He believed she listened to him, respected him, and understood his heart. His trust and dependence on her had become complete – almost one hundred per cent. At that very moment, however, something unexpected happened.
In January 2025, she suddenly became seriously ill with a severe stomach-related disease. During the treatment process, her health deteriorated badly. Her weight dropped from 118 pounds to below 100 pounds. She lost her appetite completely and suffered terribly from the side effects of strong medications. At one point, she looked close to death.
Even after she slowly recovered physically, her mental condition became unstable. They eventually had to consult psychiatrists because of the emotional and psychological difficulties she experienced. After many months, she gradually regained her strength. She could eat properly again, her weight increased, and since she was still only in her thirties, her recovery became faster with time.
And that was where the story Ko Kyaw Kha truly wants to tell began.
Somehow, without his knowledge, she fell in love with a man. He was not even from their town. Perhaps they met online. Ko Kyaw Kha does not know exactly how it happened. But once that relationship started, everything changed. She spent endless hours talking to him on the phone – day and night. If Ko Kyaw Kha happened to be in front of the house, she would go to the back to continue talking. If she still did not feel free enough, she would go downstairs. Whenever she had free time, she immediately called him. Sometimes she even talked to him while cooking. Ko Kyaw Kha gradually realized that she was finding emotional pleasure and excitement in talking on the phone with another man who was, in fact, a stranger to him.
Watching all this disturbed Ko Kyaw Kha deeply.
He began thinking to himself: “I have trusted this young woman for nearly ten years. Only a few months remain before completing a full decade together, and now she has suddenly changed like this. Ko Kyaw Kha could not help thinking that the young woman had been pretending remarkably well for more than nine and a half years. Only now, he felt, was her true nature finally revealing herself.”
The truth is, Ko Kyaw Kha had already emotionally decided that the final chapter of his life would rest in her hands. He trusted her that much. He depended on her that much. But now, seeing her searching for emotional happiness, affection, and attachment in another man, he suddenly found it difficult to continue trusting her in the same way.
What Ko Kyaw Kha wants to say here is this:
Whether related by blood or not, no matter how carefully we build trust in someone over many years, there may come a day when we finally see that person’s true nature and true priorities. When that moment came, Ko Kyaw Kha could not help asking himself whether he had been too naïve all along.
Perhaps no human being can ever become someone we can rely on completely.
After spending years nurturing her, protecting her, and helping her become successful, Ko Kyaw Kha eventually realized something very simple about human nature: once people become strong enough to stand on their own, they naturally begin seeking emotional attachment and support outside the nest that raised them.
What surprises him most is not her behaviour, but the fact that he failed to understand this truth earlier in life.
And because of this realization, Ko Kyaw Kha now understands that he must once again redesign the final chapter of his life, instead of following the plan he once believed in so completely.
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