“From the age of seven, I worked as a bricklayer. It was almost like slavery. Never saw school. I would sweat all day and hand over all my daily wages to my father who would in turn hand it over to his elder brother. We lived in a very big family you see. I remember, sometimes I use to earn three 50 paisa coins as wages in a day. But nothing remained with me. For 28 years, I gave everything I earned to my father. Everything. Never asked a single question to my father or anyone else in the family. The only thing I got in return was some food. I never could use my brain. You see, I am a very simple person. In this life, everyone I met wanted something from me and I never did say anything. It is not my nature to argue with people. So you see I have lived most of my life in oppression. Never wanting anything for my self. Never asking anything for myself. A life spent working for I don’t know what. I remember, one day I had asked my father for 200 rupees and I can never forget what he had said. “Why would a useless person need 200 rupees.” (Sano Bhai Maharjan. Baluwatar, Kathmandu) (1/2)