Summary

Leila Majnoun awaits a meeting with Colonel Zeya of the Ministry Department in Mandalay, Myanmar. Leila works as Director, In-Country, Myanmar/Burma for Helping Hand, an NGO, where she hopes to establish a program of scholarships and building infrastructure. While Leila waits, she thinks about her family, including her sister Roxana, her brother Dylan, her father who is a principal, and her mother whose health is in question. Leila also considers how she has been waiting six months for a shipment of medical equipment held up in Myanmar’s customs for lack of bribe money. Leila is told in no uncertain terms that the people in charge do not want her in Myanmar, and she does not receive her shipment or her meeting. Leila is annoyed by this, because she is only trying to help the country. She is also annoyed by how...