“I’m not sure when I was born, but in my visible existence of over five decades, I can’t help but wonder what they did to deserve a life like this. See that’s the thing! Life feels completely unfair when you’re born poor. With every day being a struggle, it all seems like a vicious circle we’re trapped into.

Of course, this is not to say I haven’t had any happy moments. There were a few but it all came to an abrupt halt the day my husband became mentally disabled. This was thirty years ago when one evening, he got up and screamed at the ceiling. And that was it! No doctor was able to help him and I still remember standing outside the hospital helplessly, at the sight of three kids to raise. I wish I at least had the education to know what his condition was called.

Next came taking up odd jobs for a living but barely made ends meet. Seeing their mother toil day after day, my kids dropped out of school and even tried lending a helping hand. But here again, life didn’t want us to smile, for in a few years, it took away my son to Cancer in the genitals. He was just twenty-three and could have been saved had we had the money for an earlier diagnosis.

Now if the pain of losing my boy wasn’t enough already, what felt more devastating was not having the luxury to even mourn. Being the sole breadwinner, I had to resume work immediately, to ensure the rest stayed alive. Taking a break wasn’t an option.

So starting there, I’ve hustled throughout these twenty years as housekeeping staff to keep my house afloat. My daughters are married with one staying in our house to take care of her ailing father.

Then again with wrinkles getting deeper, the frowns are too, for there’s a new struggle awaiting us. I’m told I’ll be removed from work when I become sixty. And just the thought of it gives me sleepless nights, for my reality demands otherwise. What I wish for ultimately, is some color to enter this gloomy grey life of mine. I don’t want to exit this world the same way I came in- poor!”

#Poverty #Life #Hardships #Family #Support #MentalHealth #Struggle #Survival #HelpingHands #Motivation #Determination #Hardwork #Madras #HumansofMadras