Sympathy? Empathy??

What difference role does money play in the formation and maintenance of sibling relationships?
How different and shocking is life of a gulf returnee? (Without his dinars and riyals? Eh?? )

A warm and windy day, no different from the previous day, after morning chores I decided to do some writing work, I was walking to my room to fetch my books and paper, tring tring there goes our phone, I was supposed to pick it up as nobody else was near the phone, I jumped down a flight of steps, picked up the phone, tried to mutter a faint hello as I was gasping for air and was feeling short of breath. On the other side was one person whom i didnt recognize. As he demanded to speak to my dad, I passed the phone to my dad and walked away as he sat there talking to the person. I dint stay to ask who it was. Later it turned out be one of dad's acquintance's son (uncle). He was to visit us in the evening.


I asked my mother about him who he was and where had he been all these years. He was normal guy, born into a family with 4 sisters (Elder) and a brother (younger). Because of financial difficulties he couldnt study. He had passed his Tenth (SSLC) and studied no further. He learnt some basic skills, and was sent off to Dubai (a.k.a gulf) where he was engaged to do odd menial jobs and was paid handsomely, considering the exchange rates, also he made it a point to send a large amount at he end of three months to his family. He was their sole bread winner for a while and all the matters rested on his shoulders and I guess he did a nice job of it. All his sisters were married off and "settled" but he waited till they were independent.

All the while he took care of his aged parents and their needs. He came visiting only once in every 5 years.

Then came his chance , he too got married but unfortunately it ended in an accident with his wife dying in a freak accident. After much contemplation he married again and was just about to start his life afresh, he was struck down with Diabetes ( Sugar in local parlance), and High BP and some Heart ailments too.

His condition was soo bad that he had to stop working and planned to pack his bags and return after staying in Dubai, for more than 25 years where he spent his youthful years to make a living and to fulfill the needs of those back home.

As news spread that he was planning to comeback and get homself traeted for his ailments, his sisters and others distanced themselves and are not in talking terms anymore.

As he visited us he mentioned that he is getting admitted this week to get himself operated and hopes to eke out a living by putting up a small shop.

He is on some 13 types of medicines and has a weekly dose of scans and tests.

Well... he has been admitted for a 4 days now and he is trying for loans and other local finances ("chitties").

Hope he gets better.

Wishing u all a HAPPY NEW YEAR