All went well as he planned, until one evening, after work, he saw an envelope on the doorstep of his house,  It was addressed to him.  He could tell at a glance that the handwriting was that of Ba Sein, the professed Marxist.  He wondered as to how his whereabouts were discovered since he had moved to his new quarters.

       Ba Sein’s letter stated that his presence at the next meeting, to be held at his house, was particularly important, considering a totally unexpected development that had arisen, which might help, if not accelerate their independence from the British.  It was scheduled to take place at 10 A.M. the following Sunday, with the utmost secrecy, nor must it be revealed to families and friends of participants prior to its intended consummation.

       Maung Ba was undecided about his participation.  He thought of his promise to Tan that he would relinquish his involvement in politics.  He feared that his participation might cost him dearly, not only in the way of losing his job but also his friendship with Tan.   Moreover, he could not at all agree with Ba Sein’s ideology of violence.  He approved the role of the monks in the struggle for independence through means other than violence, as well as their timely resolutions that they presented to the government on proposed issues. Their support of the nationalist movement was neither secretive nor suspicious, while their denunciation of Marxism resonated with the philosophy of non-violence, based on the tenets of Buddhism.  They were vociferous in their belief that freedom should be patterned along the lines of true democracy and not totalitarianism.

      For one whole week, Maung Ba was undecided. He could not concentrate on his work in the office. Tan noticed that his thoughts seemed far away.  “You don’t look bright and alert enough this morning,” Tan remarked. “Are you feeling all right?”

       “I feel fine,” Maung Ba replied, pulling himself together.

        “I know you’re all alone at home and need a diversion from this routine.  I am planning on going to Syriam next Sunday with a girlfriend.  Would you care to accompany us? There’s a nice public park there where we could have a picnic.”

         “I have another appointment,” Maung Ba said. “Perhaps, another time.”  He assured Tan that he was merely tired and restless because of a lack of sleep.