I curled up into a ball, enjoying the natural lullaby of the rain splattering rhythmically on our rooftop while a small breeze squeezed through the cracks in the walls of our house and hit my face.
Every summer after I turned 15, I would help my mother with her work by sending off mango preserves that we made at home to local stores. Before that, I was a jewelry broker, visiting Bogyoke Market thrice a day to take the jade stones from the first floor and sell them on the second floor, making a profit by increasing the price as I climbed the stairs.
When I was younger, my mother would hold my hand and we’d run back and forth between these two floors of the market. When I turned 15, I believed I had learned the value of currency and hard work. I would jump on the opportunity to help my mother when school was closed.
“Wake up,” my mother cried as she stormed toward my room. “Than Thar, you promised me you would meet my client today. Get ready!” She pulled the blanket off me with the subtleness of the dawn. I groaned, thinking about my mission for the day; I had to be an unlicensed land agent!
The sound of my mother echoed in my head as I sat in the passenger seat of Mari’s car. We were heading towards the outskirts of the city where Mari, our client, was going to buy land to build a resort. “This is the jackpot; I’m going to buy you the newest iPhone if you can make this work. Make sure Mari buys the land.” Like all 16-year-old girls, I dreamed of flaunting my brand-new phone to my friends at school.
Mari was competing against an American. My job was to negotiate between Mari and the landlord, settling a price both of them could work with. Since I spoke fluent English, my mother believed I would be helpful in dealing with foreigners. Fanning myself on the way, I explained to Mari why she deserved the land more than anyone else and persuaded her to increase her offer price.
About Than Thar
- Age: 23
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Ripon College
- Bachelor’s, Biochemistry
- 4th Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a professor
- Travel to Madagascar
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $5,000
- Amount Left To Fund: $4,400
- Contract Duration: 12 years
- Status: In School
As the car pulled over, Mari’s eyes sparkled with greed; the area was perfect for her dreams of building a resort. I showed her around the small single-room house, She seemed convinced. The iPhone was at my fingertips.
My heart began pounding the second I saw a woman with a rose inside her small chignon; she must be the foreigner my mother mentioned. I greeted her politely and in the midst of our small talk, she said, “I am a kindergarten teacher at that school,” pointing at the tiny, old school beside the land. I could not hold back my curiosity and asked, “Why would you want to be a teacher at that school, especially at that dirty one?” Her reply still resonates with me: “The children are cute, reliable, and scary. Reliable and scary, because when you look at them, you are taking a glimpse into your own future. It is important to teach them to learn about their own habits, so they are aware of themselves and can become stars for the future but not gang-stars.” In the moment, I laughed awkwardly, but her pun ignited a bonfire of guilt within me.
This woman had flown almost 8,000 miles to teach children in a place even Burmese teachers would not wish to work. The students would not have the school if Mari bought the land. I lied to Mari that the land had no clear documentation of the owner, which forced her to abandon the quest. I bid farewell to the iPhone, letting the students have the school, an act that gave a satisfying feeling that affirms me on my worst days.
Written by Than Thar with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Than Thar
“The menacing civil war has degraded the way of life of Burmese civilians and stunted the growth of our country. I feel guilty to be applying for a loan when others from Myanmar are risking their lives to fight for justice.”
