LEAVING BY M G VASSANJI

Analysis adapted from  Anyplip on 18/01/2021

Posted by Masingi RP

There used to be five of us and Mother, but now it’s just Mother, me and Aloo.
Mother wanted to have a better future rather than work at the store. So one day, she
closed the doors of the shop for good. Aloo, the youngest, was in his last year of school.
He began to dream about going to America to further his studies. Aloo was very clever,
perhaps the smartest one amongst the siblings.

Aloo began writing to universities in America. Mother did not take his plan too
seriously. Aloo was actually offered a place at our local university but they offered him
to study agriculture. Aloo wanted to study medicine. Then one day, a fateful letter came
for Aloo. The California Institute of Technology gave him a scholarship to study at their
university. Aloo was over the moon.

The three of us sat down at the table, drinking tea. Mother was silent for a while
after she was told the news. “Mother, Aloo needs to only take four hundred dollars
spending money with him,” I said. “That’s about three thousand shillings.”

Mother felt enraged. “Where will we find such money?! How are you going to pay
for the plane tickets? Why do you want to go so far away from us? What kind of son are
you?”

Aloo was hurt. “Why did you let me write to them, then? Why you let me hope
when you’re against it?” Aloo had never spoken against Mother before. He was shaking.

We spoke no more of the subject after that. But, Mother was not all heartless.
She suggested we go see Mr. Velji, the school officer. Maybe we could get some advice
on this matter.

Mr. Velji had a look at Aloo’s papers. He said very seriously. “Aloo is right. This
is a good university. But America is a far place. He will have a good education but you
will lose a son.”



2

Aloo was angry on the way home. He thought it was not fair. Mother was silent.
That night, Mother said to Aloo, “Bring me the prospectus. We’ll see how this university
looks like.” All three of us sat down together to have a look.

Aloo could not contain the excitement in his voice as he explained to Mother the
classes, the buildings and the structure. “They even send rockets to the moon.” Aloo
said. “And what will happen to me if you go to the moon?” Mother asked.

Mother was in deep thought. I have never seen this side of her. This human side.
Mother never remarried because of us. It was hard bringing up five children on her own
after father died. She worried a lot.

Finally, Mother said to Aloo, “Promise me if you go you won’t marry a white
woman, and you won’t smoke of drink!” Aloo was in tears. “Mother, I promise.”

A week after that, we received a letter from Aloo. He was in London visiting a
friend. He wrote that London was a beautiful city with its buildings, fields and great
gardens. Mother was pleased. She looked to the future.

Vocabulary:
-agriculture: the science and art of farming
-scholarship: a grant or payment to support a student’s education
-prospectus: a printed document that advertises or describes a certain facility,
e.g.: school or college
-over the moon: extremely happy
-for good: forever, permanently

A) SYNOPSIS

The story describes ambitious Aloo who lived in a less populated area called
Upanga. He wanted to go overseas, especially America to further his education. Aloo
was smart and perhaps the smartest among his siblings. Aloo’s former teacher, Mr
Datoo, who just came back from America was the one that inspired Aloo to further his
studies in America. His mother, however, was not too happy with the idea of him
leaving home. This became a conflict between mother and son. They must find a way
to sort things out.