It Is Never Too Late...

My name is Sonu. I’m 40 years old. I’m living happily with my wife and my children. I have a 12 years old daughter Meena and a 7 years old son Rakesh. They are loveable children. Shraddha is my wife, who is a homemaker and big support to me. She looks after our family income and expenditures.

A few years back, I was working as a clerk in an office. Though my salary was not fate, I lived satisfactorily with my family. But ill-fate started playing its game on me. In the vain hope of giving high standard education to my children, I enrolled them in a private school. But fees were out of my affordable limit. 

In order to meet this essential expenditure, I curtailed family food expenses. Sometimes I had to take a financial loan from my friends. Once I couldn’t pay the fees on time. The school management built pressure for early payment of fees through my children, if not paid duly the school management would send them out. 

I applied for a loan. I asked my colleagues to help me. One of my colleagues took me to the creditor. He agreed to loan me but with a condition that I have to pay back the debt within a year. I agreed and got the loan. With this, I paid the school fees.

After a few months, the creditor started reminding me to pay back the loan due on time. I worked overtime to pay back my debt. My wife understood my situation and went to work in a cottage industry to add to the family income. On seeing our situation, our children went to work with their mother. I stopped my children to go to work. 

I advised my children, “This is the age to go to school and not to work. We want you to study well. We will take care of our financial needs. Both of you concentrate on your studies.”

But, despite all these, I couldn’t pay the loan on time. Now I asked for help from my friends. They gave me money. One day, I accompanied my friends to the bar. I was not an alcoholic. But, my friends forced me to drink to forget the pains. First, I objected to their insistence. Then, I drank a glass. I felt good and drank more. That night, I went home drunken and staggering. 

Now, I started consuming alcohol on a daily basis to forget my worries. I became an alcoholic. And it did cost my job. My children got afraid to talk to me. My wife tried to stop me but in vain. She came to know about the liquor rehabilitation center and admitted me there. 

I underwent all the treatments given at the center. I took medicines regularly and improved gradually. When I was in the center, my wife came to visit me once a week. She told that the neighbors were talking badly and the creditor was pestering her for money. She worked overtime to pay the due. When I heard this, I felt ashamed. 

One day my wife came to the center with my children. When my daughter asked me, “Why did you drink Papa? You please put us in the government school. We will go to the government school, Papa. My friends are not playing with me and neglecting both of us.” I repented for my deed.

My neighbors had criticized my wife as a ‘drunkard’s wife’ and my children as ‘drunkard’s children’. My wife bore the pains. I felt handicapped.

After a month, I recovered completely and returned home. Everyone in our street looked at me differently and didn’t talk to me. 

My better half gave confidence to me. “Don’t worry. Forget your past. Let us do this cottage work together and earn our livelihood.”

I determined to work hard to pay back the debts. In a year, I paid back all the debts. And I got my job again as my previous records were good.

Now, I am again happily living with my family. 

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND. KEEP STRUGGLING.

NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU HAVE GONE DOWN THE WRONG ROAD, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO TURN AROUND!