Before
father’s death, our family used to be wealthy. But when he died of leukemia, we
were left with a few acres of arable land but with much debt which was up to
our necks. As a result, mother had to take the role of breadwinner of the
family.
I have
six siblings. At that time, my eldest sister just passed Matriculation
Examination. My two elder brothers also had to drop out of school. My two other
elder sisters continued studying. I, the last but one child, was then 7 years
old. My youngest brother was only 3 years of age. In fact, none of us was able
to stand on our feet. So mother was in tight corner concerning the future
prospects of her children.