10. Summary

The lesson 'My Childhood' is an excerpt taken from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography 'Wings of Fire'. Kalam narrates about his childhood in Rameshwaram. He was born in a Tamil Muslim middle-class family. His father, Jainulabdeen, was a ferry driver and was humble and self-disciplined. His mother, Ashiamma, helped in taking care of the house. Kalam was born with three brothers and a sister. His family lived a very simple life. During the Second World War, Kalam used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them for one anna. His brother-in-law Jallaluddin updated him about the details of the war, and Kalm also learned about it from the newspaper. When the trains were not stopped in Rameshwaram, Kalam's cousin Samsuddin appointed him to catch the newspapers thrown from the train, which was his first job. Kalam's friends in school were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan, all of them being Hindus. When Kalam's school teacher discriminated him asking him to sit in the last row, Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest, condemned him. Kalam fondly remembers his Science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, who never discriminated against him, fed him in his home and motivated him. When India gained Independence, Kalam moved out for higher education with his father's blessings.