Maung Ba’s nostalgia about the past revolved around his father and sister, the land and the paddy-field, and although he was satisfied with his job, he would still feel depressed from time to time.   His work at the office was getting to be somewhat boring, but he had to make a living, and, regardless of the monotonous routine, it served as a means of diversion from his otherwise harrowing thoughts at home where even the very walls seemed to be in mourning.

     On weekends, he would visit the Shwe Dagon Pagoda where he dutifully paid homage to Buddha. He did not forget his father’s instructions that one must attach oneself to acts of good deeds.  He kept up his contributions of rice and vegetables to the monks, placing these in their alms bowls each time he visited the monastery. At times, he would visit Maung Po when they would spend some time together.   Most of the time, Maung Po would be busy with the gardening and other domestic chores, or running errands for the Moncreifs, except in the late evenings when he would be free.

     While his job continued to provide him with the necessities of life in a big city, it spared him no social activities outside of his office. He was more or less friendless, except for the unswerving friendship of Tan.

      He thought of his old colleagues of the student movement, but was hesitant to contact them lest he might be asked to resume his political activities.  He considered it vital to shun politics for a while, in order to protect his standing with the company where he worked.   There was no way that he could betray Tan’s trust, for, if it were not for Tan’s special recommendation, he would have still remained unemployed.  There was no doubt that if his colleagues at the University knew where he was residing, they would have contacted him and pressured him to rejoin the group.  The fact that he was out of the political limelight did not entirely preclude the possibility of detection in the future, unless he would renounce his affiliation with the student body once and for all, and perhaps be considered to be a turncoat.