I Have Responsibilities

I am a grown up and mature young man. I have seen life from close quarters, I have lived on the roads, eaten from left-overs, enjoyed the affection of my companion, chotu the dog, I am saddened by rude remarks made by passers-by while I try to sell my stock. I make money and feed my aged mother, I can’t pay for her medicines but one of my uncles, I don’t know his name, had promised me that he would get some medicines, he took away all my savings. Now I know he has cheated me, but that wouldn't dampen my spirits. My strong arms will earn more, and I will be able to save my ailing mother. The doctor says she will live for a few more months, I don’t know what that means, where will she go after that, who will take care of her, and who will give us food to eat. I also have to take care of my two little sisters.

 I don’t know where my father is, last I saw him was when he was beating up Ma. She later bled and I remember she cried the whole night. Kalu our neighbour says my little brother who was in her womb that night died after the beating. I wonder where my younger brother is now, I would have called him chotu as well.

I want to study, I want to learn, I want to become successful like those who drive big cars and stop in front of our home, at the traffic signal, but I know I have responsibilities. My sister got bitten by chotu, so I kicked him out of the house, but he keeps coming back, Ma put some homemade medicine on her, I think it will work. Even Maya’s mother did the same and it worked. Maya doesn’t have a father, I think he left them.

Four boys from some other traffic signal came and beat me up today; they took all my earnings, my seventy rupees. I couldn’t run behind them.

I miss my legs.

I am, after all,  a seven-year-old cripple, but I must move on. After all, I have responsibilities.