Jatin Dwideli
Jatin is a fourteen-year-old boy. He and his family lives in a shelter in India. He is skinny and shy. He has brown skin and is average height. He is thoughtful, determined, respectful and polite. He is very good at swimming; and an experience 2 years ago would have you believe he is brave. He saved his cousin’s life. His 5-year-old cousin was caught into the flood. Jatin saw his cousin under the water and dove into the water to save her. He didn’t listen to his mother who was asking him to stop, and ended up saving his cousin. Jatin’s aunt and mother both cried. His cousin died with cancer 5 months after, just like the death wanted her.
Even though he is a brave boy, he is very scared of wars. He is afraid that wars would start where he lives and he would wake up to gunshots one morning.
His family isn’t rich. He had three brothers, a sister and a mother. His father was killed by a rare disease when Jatin was ten years old. Although it was only four years ago, he couldn’t remember his father’s appearance.
His mother was a busy teacher. Because of her husband’s illness, she spent her time taking care of her dying husband.
After Jatin’s father died, his mother sold Jatin’s twinborn brother, Jargon, to a child labor factory. The two reasons for that were Jargon had a birthmark which looked like a ghost. Their family is Buddhist. In Buddhism, ghost is not a good sign for wealth and luck, and they need money for supporting. Jatin is now scared that his mother will sell him to the child labor factory just like his twinborn brother. His mother hasn’t gone to work for a while after, because she had to take care of her new baby-Jaime. Now, Jatin has two brothers and a sister. So, Jatin now is the eldest boy in his family. Jatin’s younger brother is Jag, and his second younger brother is Jevons.
Jatin is now a high school student. He studies hard every day, in other words, he is a good student. His father told him that he could be a rich man when he grows up if he works hard and studies hard.
He likes sitting still and trying to remember his father’s appearance. He likes to walk in the big mall alone, and looking at the surrounding jewelry, food, shoes, clothes and so on. He always imagines that if he was he could buy himself good things. Also, he always spends much of his time at the library after school. He really treasures his book which his dead father had given on the birthday at the year of his father’s death. He misses his father very much every night. He can feel the love of his father, even though his father is in heaven. Jatin loves his life, because he remembers his father said that there always would be sunshine after the rain; also, he believes his father is watching him, loving him and thinking about him all the time!
The First Day of High School
It was the FIRST day of HIGH school. Jatin was very excited about it. He could not fall asleep at night. He kept looking at the clock on the wall, hoping to fall to sleep.
It was six thirty in the morning. He jumped up and organized his bed in only one minute! New Record!!! He put on his new, oversized uniform shirt. Then he headed to eat breakfast.
Jatin’s mother said softly, “Today is the first of your high school life. Behave for your teachers!”
Jatin thought, I always behave for my teachers, but he still nodded respectfully. “Okay. Bye mother,” Jatin replied.
“Bye sweetie. Have a good day,” his mother said.
Jatin checked the route to his NEW high school yesterday afternoon. So he could go to his new school all by himself. He imagined his high school’s appearance. He also wondered what he could do in a high school.
It only took fifteen minutes to get school. As he arrived, the school bus arrived. Many students rushed out of the bus as the bus door opened. Most of them were using cell phones and MP3s. Jatin was admired for the high techs.
There were seven buildings in his sight. There were many bushes near the school buildings.
He compared his old elementary school with his new HIGH school. There were a lot of people chatting loudly at his high school. There were only few in his old school. His high school was clean and has many plants. His old elementary school makes feel dark and sad.
He tried to find his old best friend, Daniele, but he wasn’t there. What a pity, he thought.
After the bell rang, he squeezed into a strange building with a lot of people.
He found his locker on the fourth which is the highest story. He organized his belongings into his locker. As soon as these were done, he went to his classroom and started studying.
The teachers are mild mannered. Some students were napping in class. Some were paying attention. This made Jatin think about university. He also determined that unless to be the good ones who doesn’t sleep in class. He wondered why the teachers would let the students sleep in class. He got an answer after – The teachers couldn’t do anything useful, and they were too disappointed to the students. The teacher didn’t want to teach them anymore. So the teachers just let them sleep, and at the end of the school year, they could kick them out of the private high school.
At recess, he went outside and got some ‘fresh’ air. He breathed deeply, and he could smell freedom! He had never felt so peaceful and happy, because it was the FIRST day of high school. You can never realize, to him, how necessary his new high school is.
He had a very good lunch at the noon. He enjoyed the food that his high school has supplied. He had a bowl of rice with meat and vegetables. Many other students brought their own lunch. It is very fun to look around, at the people’s lunch.
In the afternoon, Jatin still hasn’t got a friend yet. He was a bit worried. As he was thinking about making friends, a boy came and sat beside him.
The boy grinned, and said, “Hey. I am Stan. It’s nice to see you. What’s your name?”
Jatin hesitated, and stared at Stan for a while – He is skinny, has a mouth of white teeth. He looks plain and homely. He has the same height with Jatin’s. He was about thirteen years old…… His size doesn’t seem like a bully.
“I am Jatin. Nice to meet you.” Jatin responded as a very gentleman.
After they chatted for a few minutes, Jatin knew that Stan doesn’t have and doesn’t care about money. Also, Stan is a very directly boy who is in the same grade with Jatin, and Stan is new to this high school too.
Anyhow, they became friends after.
In the afternoon, the two boys found out that there was a horrid person as a bully in this school. He is wealthy. He was fifteen. He always wears his golden thick necklace. His neck is as thick as Jatin’s lap.
Jatin and Stan saw the bully bullying a small boy in the washroom with their own eyes. They were in the washroom. The bully, his friends and a boy came in. Jatin and Stan ran away, because they were too scared. The bully threatened that Jatin and Stan would be the next victims if they told.
Jatin felt sympathized with the boy.
After they finished their school, they went home together. Jatin’s mother was very proud that her son made a very good friend at the first day of high school.
Jatin and Stan chatted for a long time. He realized that he was exhausted after the whole day. He also felt lucky about his new best friend. Anyways, he thought that was a good beginning of his high school life.
Stealing
Jatin is a good boy, but - no one is perfect - he has done something bad. Stolen.
Jatin’s mother lost her job two weeks ago. She was a teacher. She has been teaching for years. Currently, she was fired, because, the school was about to go bankrupt. So they had to fire people to earn enough money to not go bankrupt. She was very upset. Jatin’s family doesn’t have enough food to eat. Jatin was worried as his mother. Jatin’s mother even Jatin tried to find a job, but there were too many people finding jobs. There were no spaces for people who were looking for jobs. Jatin and his family can’t live without food. They don’t have other ways to survive without a job without money. His mother was so upset to her tiring life.
However, Jatin never gives up. He could feel faith of hope surrounded. He could feel his father was with him. He could smell his father’s scent that he usually has when he was still alive.
Jatin tried to think about some ways to help his family. Jatin- a kind, helpful and excellent boy - really wants to do something useful for his family. He wanted to be like someone…… a hero! This is a very good chance to prove his worth.
Jatin thought about stealing. How about just a little money? He thought. No, it’s not good, he thought, but…… this is the only way to get money without doing anything. “No, no, no, no……I can’t do that.” He said to himself. He promised to himself that he wouldn’t steal.
The next morning, when he was walking by his wealthy classmate, Katie’s house, he found a key under a rug in front of the gates. Also, Katie was on a trip to Australia with her family. Jatin looked around. While nobody was watching, he picked up that key and ran to school. He thought that was a gift from the god.
He didn’t feel good all day. He felt everyone was staring at him strangely.
Jatin decided to steal something from Katie’s house at night, but he didn’t feel comfortable about stealing. “But this is the only chance to get money to survive.” He said to himself, “I can do it, and I will do it.”After he braved up himself, he couldn’t feel neither peace nor justice. Wicked ideas filled up all of his spirit.
He jumped over the fences, used the key to open the front door. Katie’s house was a three—story house. There were many art pictures hanging on the wall. The stairway was facing the front door. He walked upstairs.
Upstairs, it was much darker than downstairs. The doors were all shut. He didn’t know where bedrooms, kitchen, washroom were. So, he opened and walked into a room randomly. That was Katie’s bedroom. The room was painted purplish. There was a wooden shelf with a bunch of books. There was a pink bed in the corner with a Hello Kitty doll on. Jatin couldn’t find any money in Katie’s drawers. It was probably taken from Katie with her to Australia. Fortunately, he found a golden bracelet.
The bracelet was so brilliant. It was shining under the moon light.
Jatin was amazed by the bracelet. He didn’t know how long he stared at that. He put the bracelet into his pocket, got out of Katie’s house quickly, and put the key under the rug where he found it.
He hopped to home. He kept whispering to himself, “Oh my God! This is awesome!!! I got a free bracelet!!! WOW~ I am rich now!” His heart beat faster and faster, not because he was scared, because he was so excited. Of course, everyone becomes happy when he gets money for free. Jatin got a beautiful golden bracelet for free! How could he not be happy!?
The next morning, he felt regretful. He thought he did the worst crime in the whole world. He kept comforting himself, “this is all for my family. I saved my family. I am not doing the bad thing. I am just using weird ways to help.” However, he couldn’t feel any better.
At school, Stan noticed that Jatin was unusual – He didn’t talk much. He didn’t eat much. When Stan waved to him, he just ignored Stan. Stan was anxious about Jatin. So he asked Jatin to tell him the problem, but Jatin refused.
“Tell me. It will make you feel better.” Stan said tenderly.
“I can’t.” Jatin still refused.
“Come on~ tell your best friend the problem. Maybe he can help you.” Stan said and laughed.
Jatin was still that serious. He tried to tell, but his words were stuck in his throat. Then, he told Stan everything.
“Oh my God! You stole things from others!?” Stan answered madly, “How dare you! You are not the Jatin I know! How could you steal!? You disappointed me!” Then he walked away quickly.
Jatin tried to tell him that he had no choices, but Stan disappeared already. Jatin was shocked. Stan has never been so mad before.
Jatin felt even more terrible. He thought, I shouldn’t tell Stan, I shouldn’t steal, I shouldn’t find the key accidentally, and the world shouldn’t have poor families or rich people. Yeah! Everyone should be equal! Life is unfair! How unfair!
Now, he wasn’t just sad. He felt angry about the world. Why would I steal!? That’s because I need money to buy food, to survive. If everyone was equal, there wouldn’t be people dying with hunger, fight with anger, working unpleasantly, the world would be peaceful and the people were free. This is a so unfair community! It’s not my fault to steal. It’s the world’s fault! The world made me to! He thought.
He felt more angers flowing through his blood to every corner of his body, spirit. He felt his face was becoming hotter and hotter. He felt his muscles were growing tighter and tighter.
Stan hasn’t talk to Jatin for a few days. Jatin hasn’t sold that bracelet yet.
A few days later, Katie was back from Australia. The second day, Katie was unusual too. Katie is from Australia. She has three sisters. Her father has a company in India. So her family moved to India. She is very open, friendly and thoughtful, but that day, she kept her mouth shut -- She becomes not talkative.
Jatin overheard that Katie was very sorrowful, because she lost her bracelet. She didn’t want to tell her parents that she has lost it, because her parents are harsh. They would be very mad.
Also, the bracelet was very special to her family. It is their heir mood. It was from her great great great grandmother. It was found in a very strange cave. The experts told them that it has a history of 150 years.
Katie said if anyone found it, please return.
He has never known that bracelet was that important to her. Jatin was guilty. Stan noticed, and stuck a small envelope with a letter inside on Jatin’s locker.
The letter said,
“Jatin, I know u r guilty and regretful. Return it. Then u will feel secure. Trust me. Just tell her that u found that near her locker. U shouldn’t use a bad way to receive money. U should find a job. U r not that kind of people who has ‘stealing talents’. Return it. I know u r not born to be a thief. No one will know the truth. The bracelet is like a curse to u, right? U can’t live with it. U can’t hide forever. So return it. Also, if u return it, we can be friends again if u like to. J
Underneath, it was signed,
From Stan
Jatin didn’t know what to do. Stan was right. He did think about returning, but his family really needed it. Friends or Family? Which one is more important? He thought. It is a very important question. Family is more important, he thought, but I can’t use stealing things to receive money. Is there any other ways to get money? Oh yeah, there is! I can work for people!
Awesome!
Jatin went to Katie’s house an afternoon. He returned the bracelet, and lied, “I found it near your locker. Katie was grateful. Katie was going to give Jatin money as rewards, but Jatin refused. He said he couldn’t receive money without working.
However, he told her that his family did need money, and he really needed a job to earn money by working. They talked about a small business – Jatin mows the grass for Katie’s family. Katie asked her parents and they allowed. Jatin was very happy. He could get one thousand three hundred and ninety piece of Indian Rupee (thirty dollars) a month (three times)!!! That was a lot of money to him.
Also, as Stan promised, Jatin and Stan were friends again.
Jatin has given the money to his mother. His mother was very proud. She used the money to buy food and supplies. Jatin felt like…… he is a hero.
Yeah!!! Happy ending~
