My elder brother is five years older than I but is only three classes ahead. He had started schooling about the same age as I had but it seemed that he did not want to hurry in the matter of studies. He believed in putting a sound foundation for this edifice and therefore spent two years instead of one in each class.
My age is nine years. He is fourteen. The fact that he came into the world earlier has given him almost the birthright to boss over me and to look after my welfare. and I am expected to consider his commands as law.
My elder brother is the studious type. One seldom sees him without a boo. The only time he rests his brain in perhaps when he is drawing pictures of sparrows, dogs, and cats on the margins of his book. I always wonder why he does that, but never can summon enough courage to ask him. after all, he is in the ninth class and i am only in the sixth. Even to try to fathom the meaning of what he writes would be considered impertinence on my part.
I can never put my heart into my studies for long. To read continuously even for an hour is an ordeal for me. At the first opportunity, I try to get out into the playing fields. But the joy of the play is always marred by my brother. the moment I return he asks, where have you bean I never can answer back and say that I was out playing. And my silence is taken as proof of my guilt. My brother starts his usual elder-brotherly lecture. if you study English like this, my boy, you will take a whole lifetime to learn it. it is not as easy as you think. if it were easy to learn Englis, everyone would learn it. it is not as easy as you think. if it were easy to learn English everyone would learn it needs all your sweat and your toil. look at me Have you ever seen me going out? I devote all my time to my studies and even then it has taken me two to three years to get through a class. You, with your habits, will never be able to pass. if you are so fond of playing why don't you go home and play? why waste father hard-earned money?
sometimes I start weeping at his rebuke. sometimes I even wonder if he isn't right after all about my wasting father's hard-earned money. sometimes it leads to a resolve to mend my ways. a fresh time table is drawn up and time is allocated to each subject according to its importance. But drawing up a time table is quite different from working to it. within a couple of days the enthusiasm wears off and the old habit of playing takes hold of me again. the refreshing open air, the green fields always inspire in me is irresistible. and this starts afresh the cycle of my brother's advice and rebuke. the result is that I try to avoid even his shadow. even my entry into the room we share is made as noiselessly as possible so that I may not attract his attention.
My age is nine years. He is fourteen. The fact that he came into the world earlier has given him almost the birthright to boss over me and to look after my welfare. and I am expected to consider his commands as law.
My elder brother is the studious type. One seldom sees him without a boo. The only time he rests his brain in perhaps when he is drawing pictures of sparrows, dogs, and cats on the margins of his book. I always wonder why he does that, but never can summon enough courage to ask him. after all, he is in the ninth class and i am only in the sixth. Even to try to fathom the meaning of what he writes would be considered impertinence on my part.
I can never put my heart into my studies for long. To read continuously even for an hour is an ordeal for me. At the first opportunity, I try to get out into the playing fields. But the joy of the play is always marred by my brother. the moment I return he asks, where have you bean I never can answer back and say that I was out playing. And my silence is taken as proof of my guilt. My brother starts his usual elder-brotherly lecture. if you study English like this, my boy, you will take a whole lifetime to learn it. it is not as easy as you think. if it were easy to learn Englis, everyone would learn it. it is not as easy as you think. if it were easy to learn English everyone would learn it needs all your sweat and your toil. look at me Have you ever seen me going out? I devote all my time to my studies and even then it has taken me two to three years to get through a class. You, with your habits, will never be able to pass. if you are so fond of playing why don't you go home and play? why waste father hard-earned money?
sometimes I start weeping at his rebuke. sometimes I even wonder if he isn't right after all about my wasting father's hard-earned money. sometimes it leads to a resolve to mend my ways. a fresh time table is drawn up and time is allocated to each subject according to its importance. But drawing up a time table is quite different from working to it. within a couple of days the enthusiasm wears off and the old habit of playing takes hold of me again. the refreshing open air, the green fields always inspire in me is irresistible. and this starts afresh the cycle of my brother's advice and rebuke. the result is that I try to avoid even his shadow. even my entry into the room we share is made as noiselessly as possible so that I may not attract his attention.
