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Two toffees a day - enough to feed this seven-year-old

Two toffees a day - enough to feed this seven-year-old

'My father drops me at the wagon stop everyday and gives me Rs12, I spend Rs10 on the fare and the rest on lunch.'

Raafay Awan February 05, 2013

My friend and I were eating a burger on a Saturday evening, when a seven-year-old boy interrupted us.

Boy: Bhai I'm hungry, please buy me something to eat.

Me: Allah ke hawalay! Khaaney do!

(For God’s sake! Let us eat!)

Boy: Bhai, I'm hungry!

Ameer: How do we buy you food? We are students, we don’t have extra money!

Boy: Bhai, at least buy me a burger?

Ameer: Haven't you heard what we said? Go away.

Me: Ameer, wait!

I took out a Rs5 coin from my pocket and handed it to the boy.

Me: Take this and go!

Boy: Will this be enough to buy a burger? I want to eat the same burger as you!

Ameer: I think I should give him my burger; I won't be able to eat it now anyway.

Me: Not a bad idea, you and I can share.

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The boy sat down next to us and started eating. We couldn’t help but be intrigued by him. We couldn’t resist the temptation of not knowing more about his life, and so we asked:

Me: Where are you from?

Boy: I'm from Rawalpindi.

Me: Oh! So what are you doing in Islamabad?

Boy: I come here and beg every day.

Me: You are not old enough to travel alone, how do you reach here?

Boy: My father drops at the wagon stop. He gives me Rs12 every day. I spend Rs10 on the wagon fare.

Ameer: What do you do with the remaining Rs2?

Boy: I have my lunch.

Upon hearing this, Ameer and I exchanged looks.

How can a person survive on such little money? Especially in a city like Islamabad, where a chapatti costs Rs5?

Me: What do you eat?

Boy: I buy two toffees.

Me: That’s all! That is enough for you? Is that enough for you to survive on all day?

Boy: Bhai, they are tasty, especially the red ones and the yellow ones. I can only buy two, so I get one red and one yellow every day. I eat one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Ameer: Raafay, I can't eat anymore.

We both stopped eating and ordered three cold drinks.

The conversation continued.

Me: Don't you want to study?

Boy: (Put the burger down, stretched his arms out, his eyes lit up!) This much; I want to study this much.

Ameer: Then why don't you study? Ask your dad to put you in a school.

Boy: I will one day, but not now. My father says "you have a certain responsibility".

Me: What responsibility do you have? You are so young! Your father should work and you should study.

Boy: (Grunts under his breath.) You rich people don't understand anything!

There was silence.

The waiter arrived and placed the drinks on the table. The young boy resumed eating.

Meanwhile, Ameer and I started talking amongst ourselves. We couldn’t believe that a seven-year-old could be this mature! It was fascinating.

Me: So, you beg and collect money? Give it to your father? Is that it?

Boy: Yes! We are a family of ten people, two of my siblings have died. They were ill and we had no money. My father wanted to teach us, but then he lost his job.

Got no job and had to beg. Simple as that!

Ameer: How much do you collect in a day?

Boy: Rs30-40.

Ameer: So what is the responsibility that you speak about?

Boy: We all beg and collect money. We give it to our elder brother and he studies in a good school.

Me: So how much do you all collect in a month?

Boy: We are hardly able to save any money for food after his fees, other dues, books and all that. But, one day, he will become a doctor and our lives will be easy. I just know it!

He had finished eating his burger at this point and started sipping on his coke.

I tried observing his facial expressions but there were none. However, his eyes continued to sparkle.

Boy: When I grow up, I will be Shah Rukh Khan, he is a don!

We all started laughing. What a cute wish, I thought.

Me: How will you go back, it’s getting darker?

Boy: I have this wagon that will stop here (he pointed at the stop.) It drops me near my house at around 9pm.

Me: You are a brave boy, you know that?

Boy: Yes I know, my mother says that too.

Ameer: Raafay, isn't he more responsible than us?

Me: No doubt yaar!

Boy: 'Mazay ka tha.'

(It was delicious!)

Boy: I have been watching people eat this burger for a long time now and today was my first time tasting it! It was delicious.

There was nothing more to say and there was nothing left to ask. We paid the bill and left.

Fate, I thought. What a funny thing it is!

This post originally appeared here

Read more by Raafay here, or follow him on Twitter @raafayawan

WRITTEN BY:
Raafay Awan The author is Pakistani living in Australia. He is an entrepreneur, mechanical engineer, traveler, blogger and above all, a cricket enthusiast . He blogs at https://raafay-awan.blogspot.com and tweets @raafayawan (twitter.com/raafayawan).

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (25)

MR Humair | 11 years ago | Reply good job !!

Raafay Awan | 11 years ago | Reply @Afran Have you ever been to Islamabad? If yes then you will know the concept of Markaz and all the sitting arrangements in F10 markaz? Secondly, we didn't plan anything whatever happened, happened. Why didn't we do this and that is useless. Thirdly, that is what that kid told us, we didn't force him to tell 10 rupees. He was just a kid.

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Afran Hami | 11 years ago | Reply Sorry Don't mind but it was totally made up and seems quite Fake to me! You are sitting in a hotel, and a kid begs you for money, in first place how come waiter or anyone allowed him to enter. Secondly if you were eating a Thelay wala Burger which would cost maximum 25rs to 30rs and you gave one of your burgers to the kid and you shared burger with your friend, just becauwse you are a student and don't have enough money to buy another one, but still you people manage to buy 3 cold drinks later on 20x3 = 60rs. So why didn't you bought another burger instead? Thirdly, Where can i get a wagon that would charge me 10rs. that would take me from Islamabad to Pindi or Vice Versa? and surely there are a good number of flaws in this article too!

ibn arastoo | 11 years ago | Reply @Sane: "Why not such cases are abundant in China, if this is a case of overpopulation" My dear Sane, have you heard of China's "one child policy". China enforces 1 child policy for all parents and this results in a population implosion (as opposed to explosion- in other words this should result in a reduction). Along with a one child policy China is a Communist country where her leaders like Mao had one goal : to westernize the country, to destroy everything old (like their old confucian religion) and to embrace everything new (like western dress and education and customs). The "new China" is here after making many many sacrifices over many many generations. Most of us hate the west, still embrace the worst practices of our religion, do not have any laws regulating population and certainly do not have people like Mao as our leaders. How do you expect to be like China? Why look at China anyways? they are just a reflection (like the moon is a reflection of the sun) so look at the real source : Russia, Europe, US and learn to LOVE what is good. It will take sacrifices but we pray that our journey is made easy and we do not have to suffer like China did for many generations.

ibn arastoo | 11 years ago | Reply This article was so depressing it made me cry. So many of our people spend so much on food and drinks and eat like pigs and elephants (and look like them) while so many other people just starve and live on two toffees and want to become "dons". This is really sad. It made me cry with tears and I am disgusted that my stomach is full and bloated now from the food I ate while this child is fasting and starving everyday and is most likely malnourished ! God where are you? @Uzair People will not stop reproducing without family planning because there are reasons behind this rampant reproduction. I wrote an article here : http://publicaccessarticles.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-high-birth-rates-may-indicate.html It lists how children (even if you cannot afford them) provide healing (health care! yes! they provide medical benefits to the parents who may be engaged in some kind of warfare), they provide money (this kid is begging isn't he? his parents are to partially blame for this but we as a society must provide universal health care to everyone so people don't have to have children so they can support themselves). This habit of having 10+20+ children and having one child go to a top school so he can take care of the rest of his father's children is an evil and old way practiced in places like Bangladesh and India and Africa. It has no place in our society. It should be unacceptable and criminal in Pakistan.

AmberHMK | 11 years ago | Reply Really Awesome One.. Thumbs up

Ms. Ras | 11 years ago | Reply It is saddening to read. PPL like us are probably doing nothing in comparison to the extent of poverty which is haunting the country.,.,,,,,,,,, Oh Allah please grant us the courage to do more.

Anas Tanveer | 11 years ago | Reply Superb narration. Job well done.

Naveed | 11 years ago | Reply there are a lot of questions and observations that arise from this discussion

why poor people maintain a family of 10 or more children; they are not in villages so dont need the extra hands for ploughing im sure there are a truckload of NGOs and benevolent individuals who are running "educate a child" programs across the country and would be more than happy to fund this child and his family. why not direct the kid and is family to them? is the money really only for their elder brothers education? what really is the future of this kid? he says he wants to be Don; i find that disturbing rather than cute. becuase at this young age he has learnt that money is everything and SRK's Don idealizes that thought perfectly. regarding the last line. nothing funny to be had here. if cant change the world, then we should at least try to change the people around us.

Sane | 11 years ago | Reply @Uzair: I am of the firm belief that overpopulation is the #1 reason for our country having no economic future, and why anarchy awaits. How naive you are! Hiding dust under the carpet and putting blame on population (means people themselves). My dear social injustice, lack of accountability, exploitation by powerfuls, incompetent governance is the main cause of misery of people....not population. Why not such cases are abundant in China, if this is a case of overpopulation.

Ayesha Pervez | 11 years ago | Reply :( Life is soo strange .... some people have everything and some nothing at all ... I believe Im one of the lucky ones but still I could have been born in anyyy family and in any condition. Life is its really sad and strange ... :-(((((

babar | 11 years ago | Reply very realistic !

Fizza Rizvi | 11 years ago | Reply Beautifully written. We rich people really know nothing. :)

Parvez | 11 years ago | Reply You'll missed a chance to educate him in the fact that a small family is better and no its not not too early for him to have understood that. Liked the bit in the beginning of giving him a burger and both of you'll sharing the other.

NF | 11 years ago | Reply Though this is a common story of our surrounding, but well narrated here by the author. In my opinion we all should come across such instances in practical or otherwise in our everyday life. This i believe will result in 2 things at the very least...... 1) We would all be thankful to out Almighty ALLAH/Gods for where we are today. 2) We would probably help the poor as well. Some of them are very vulnerable, even a smile sometimes make them happy. Yes, some might say that this itself is a industry these days and they are professional. But, not all of them.....and if they are what they are at this point.....have we ever done anything for them??? That's what we all should be accountable for!!!

ayesha | 11 years ago | Reply good read and very effective.

Ali | 11 years ago | Reply Useless inference at the end:

Fate, I thought. What a funny thing it is!

This is not funny Mr. Rafay, such differences are created to put human beings in a test by the Creator of the universe. It is not fun to put someone in pain. If one does not refer to the guidance sent by Allah (swt), he will have ;to make assumptions regarding such differences in our society, and unfortunately, your assumption is very funny Mr. Rafay.

Raafay Awan | 11 years ago | Reply It actually was the kid saying " Mazay ka tha " on the burger he had. I have asked for correction already.

Ameer Ahmad | 11 years ago | Reply @raafay awan a little correction, i remember in the end when he went i said "wesay bacha kafi zahee tha"

Uzair | 11 years ago | Reply Every single person, mullah, teacher, politician who speaks and/or acts against family planning is directly responsible and answerable for the millions of starving half clothed children who didn't ask for such a life. I am of the firm belief that overpopulation is the #1 reason for our country having no economic future, and why anarchy awaits. Sad really how a lack of BASIC critical thinking can destroy a nation, and cause easily avoidable suffering to untold millions

Ameer Ahmad | 11 years ago | Reply very well written and indeeed i remember that day @raafay awan

Ture Man | 11 years ago | Reply Looks Realistic! there are definitely a lot of guys with same stories. I extracted a result from above dialog that education should be free and each citizen should have right to approach school. There are plenty of hapless children go to work instead of school because their brother is studying and his fee are high. I know such victims personally.

Faraz | 11 years ago | Reply How do you remember every little thing that he said or did?

Sahrish | 11 years ago | Reply Very honest and well-written!

Aijaz Haider | 11 years ago | Reply Nicely written, effective, realistic.

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