Burning Nike

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It was payday for eight year old Laxmi. She gave 100 rupees to her mother and went to the daily groceries shop. A fat man was shouting at people to get them to organize themselves in line as he greedily peered over them and accepted payment to go the backroom of his shop. There they got to watch television.

Laxmi liked the world on the television, it was so different, the children got to play. They had books with colorful pictures and they did not have to sew shoes for 10 hours. The local school had been converted into the shoe making factory, and there was no escape.

On the TV, a man was speaking passionately. In the background Laxmi saw a clean house with a garden and his children laughing. Laxmi wanted to play with them.

The man was carrying his shoes in his hands. Laxmi giggled. Then, suddenly the mad men set fire to the shoes. She looked at the faces around her. They seemed bereft. The man had just burnt 2 days of her childhood.

That's when she decided she won't make shoes for the evil man. She did not go the factory the next day. She just found a stick and hay. Using them she made an effigy and burnt it.