Heart breaking story
I would like to pass on interesting news about one of our Anbu Illam boy who had found his family after many years. It’s a heart breaking story.
The boy Manikandan
The boy is called Mani. More than three years back he was brought by some people as he was crying and starving in the moving train. He had parents and a younger brother. As his father is drunkard, he ill-treated the family and used to beat the children and the mother daily. When the father comes home the boy used to run and hide himself in neighbour’s house. Due to the family situation the boy was not able to study well. One of the monthly exams he failed in all the subjects and he was asked to bring the parents and as the father heard this ,got angry and beaten him thoroughly. The boy was not able to bear the beating and decided to run away from the family.
He took different trains to escape from the family and reached Andra state. He was so hungry and not eaten for days and crying all the day. Middle of the night he got down from the train and took another train which was coming in the opposite direction thinking that he would reach home. But he doesn’t know where he had started and not able to tell the exact address of his home. Seeing the boys condition one of the passengers enquired him, gave something to eat and drink. As the train was passing near our Anbu Illam Kavarapattai rail way station the person had decided to bring him to our home.
As the boy was timid and afraid, he took some time to reveal his story. He learnt Tamil our local language and he was sent to the nearby school to continue his study. Slowly he became the best and brilliant student in the school. He grow up with good values and we realised that he was so responsible, affectionate, friendly, cheerful, and ready to do any work for the house. Month of April he had appeared for 10th STD government exam and got very high mark in the school. He got 460 out 500. His ambition is to become a doctor.
The promise comes true and reunion after many years
I used to spent lot of time with this boy as he was feeling lonely. He was so free with me in sharing about his past history and the suffering that had gone through. One day after having the Holy Mass on the feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus (last year) I told the boy….. let us pray that you may meet your family within a year. After a year exactly on the same day I took this boy to my home town. While talking to him he shared and gave some hint about his aunt who lives near my home town. His mother used to bring him there during the holidays. With that I was able to trace out the aunt and from her we were able to get the parents address who are living in Karnataka. The parents rushed to meet the boy. That was the heart breaking scene. Whole time crying and hugging the boy…… the mother said that ………we thought that you had died and gone………. we are happy to see you……and you are safe in the hands of a priest……. hereafter we will not miss you…….
Visit of the family to Anbu Illam
After a week the whole family came to visit our home. They met me for hours talking about the past and the future of Mani. The boy was going around telling everyone that he has his family. The parents decided to take him home and the boy agreed. Regarding His father stopped drinking the day the boy had left the home. They spend lots of money to search him. The father repented and has got a decent job. He cried for days after been reunited with his son.
Though we are sad to lose the best boy, but the other way we are happy that he is with his family. We wish him all the best.
fr.majella