My cousin came to live with us when he was just 5. I  do not remember the circumstances that surrounded this transition to our house. However, I remember he got enrolled in a school nearby. He was a likeable fellow and was never tired of running errands. He was good at chores and would outsmart everyone at tidying up the house or doing the dishes. He loved dancing and could tell tales everyone enjoyed listening to.  He was creative and entertaining. He was very good at negotiation. He was popular among his peers. He was playful, lively and jolly.

At around the age of 8, my cousin’s bed-wetting habit began. He would  wet the bed 5 times within an 8-hour sleep. With him, nothing worked. From bed-wetting, my cousin started stealing. He would steal from his friends, school, neighbours and people he did not know. He began stealing just for the fun of it. My cousin w stole things he needed and things he didn’t need. He stole a box filled with keys one day and he did not know what to do with keys of different sizes! (more…)