Page 3 - MODULE- MY CHILDHOOD

I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every day, but I am
quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of
our own family put together.

APJ‟s mother was also generous and kind hearted. Every day she used
to feed a lot of people. She fed a greater number of people from outside
than the total number of the members in their family.

I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished
looks, born to tall and handsome parents.

undistinguished: ordinary or common

Abdul Kalam had many siblings and he describes himself that he had
short height and common looks, he did not have any exceptional looks.
On the contrary, his parents were very tall and handsome. They were
good looking. APJ did not inherit their physical qualities.

We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the
nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone
and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Pucca House means a house made of bricks, cement and limestone.

APJ Abdul Kalam‟s ancestral house was very old. It was built in the
nineteenth century. It was a pucca house, which was made of bricks and
limestone. It is located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or
clothes. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both
materially and emotionally.

austere: simple, strict and severe
secure: safe
Materially means in terms of things like clothes food, medicine
emotionally means in terms of love and affection.

APJ‟s father was very simple but he was strict also. He wanted to live his
life in a simple way and he used to teach his children not to waste
money on unnecessary things. APJ says that his father used to avoid
any kind of inessential comfort and luxuries. He provided them all the
necessary things like food, clothes and medicines. APJ says that his
parents fulfilled all his needs - whether it was any tangible thing, or their
love and affection. This shows that he has the quality of gratitude. APJ is
thankful to his parents for whatever they did for him.