THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HAWKER

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HAWKER

Points: Introduction – My father was very simple – His friends and relatives are jealous of him – They inspired him to spend lavishly on my marriage. Death of my father – Responsibility fell on me. I became a hawker.

Please don’t laugh at me because I am a hawker. It pains me to think that I should be looked down upon for no fault on my part. I am, as you all are, for I possess all the merits and demerits that a man does. The only thing for which you don’t like to count me as one of you because I am a poor hawker. But I have not been a poor hawker all along. Why I became a hawker? It is a painful story. If you permit me, I may relate it.

My father was a well-to-do person. He was very simple-ton. His friends end relations were jealous of him. They were determined to bring about his ruin. When I grew up in age, they prevailed on my father to get me married and spend liberally on the occasion. They pointed out that if he did not, he would be lowered in estimation of all and that they would jeeringly laugh at him. They also pointed out that money was as good as the filth of the palm and that it came only to be spent. It would, they emphasized, look extremely odd that he should spend like a miser on the occasion of the marriage of his eldest son.4essay.blogspot.com

My father was a simple fellow. He could not understand their evil motives. Following their advices he spent lavishly on the occasion of my marriage. My father had not only to part with he cash he had but also to run into debts. He lost all happiness and always thought how he would pay his debts. He had to sell the major part of his landed property. His health began to wreck and he soon died.4essay.blogspot.com

The responsibility of the whole family devolved on me. The ways of the world were not known to me. So we grew poorer and poorer and, at length; a stage reached when we could not have a meal every day. When I saw my poor mother, wife, brothers and sisters go without food too often, my heart broke and I wanted to be either a robber or a thief. But remembering the last advice of my father that I should lead an honest life, I could be neither. Nor could I earn anything as a laborer for I was not used to hard labor. After much thought I came to this town and took the profession of a hawker. You will be glad to know that my family members don’t starve now.