I would say my early years was lived in poverty. I didn't really know it then. I mean, I knew we were poor, but I wasn't consumed by it or anything.
Who needs toys when there's ample outdoor playtime. Either climbing trees, playing in the stream, or when I moved to the city for school, the beach and the playground.
As for food, I didn't even know of fast food, and eating out was a treat. Besides I wasn't the biggest eater, so that was kind of a non-issue.
I believe my Great Grand Parents from my mother's side had cows and lorries. But it was all lost in the war. Apart from a picture, I don't know anything about them. My Grandmother never really spoke about them and my Mother didn't really get to know them for they passed away when she was very young.
My Grandmother ended up being a Single Mother of 4 by the time she was 19 and to leave a complicated situation out of this FreeWrite, she had another 4 kids by 25 but had to take care of all 8 on her own.
Even though she didn't have much, my Grandmother agreed to take care of me and then my brother when we were ready to go to school. Mum thought it would be better to go to a school in the City compared to the small town she lived in with Dad.
My parents too weren't doing well, barely making ends meet and so didn't really give anything to my Grandmother to take care of us. Granny never really complained about it though. She did what she could in her capacity.
How poor were we?
We did have a roof over our heads. It was a Government initiative for the poor where you are loaned a flat with very low rental until you are in a better place to move out. It was around 500sqf with one hall, one room, a tiny kitchen, toilet and balcony. At one point we had 11 people living there and at night, you had to be careful not to step on anyone because we would fit ourselves in any available space to sleep.
For food we alternated between porridge with eggs and/or anchovies and rice with Rasam (Indian Soup) with eggs and or /anchovies and veggie. Some days we had fish like Selar Kuning (Yellowstripe Scad). Meat was for Christmas and maybe a birthday... depending. I didn't mind, I love Rasam... til today.
We were the recipients of our Church's tithe. I remember my Aunty would go collect our allocation once a week. In school, we were part of the Food Aid Scheme where we were given a chip to exchange for food during Recess. We walked 4 miles one way to school and then back.
We got one new attire a year, usually for Christmas. My brother and I traveled by bus to visit my parents during the school holidays. No luxury of worry to send two kids 500kms away, on their own and on trunk roads too. I used to have Motion Sickness and just had to deal with it on my own.
With my 5 minutes almost up, I will wrap it with saying, that I wouldn't change a thing. It has shaped me to be who I am today and there's a certain pride to knowing that I overcame the challenges in my early years that prepared me for the challenges in my adult life.
My Aunties and Uncle. My mother is on the right. My Grandmother is sitting with me in her lap.
ps: I was a precocious child, pampered by my parents in the early years and it was tough living with my Grandmother and Aunties who didn't like me very much. But today, I realize the challenges they themselves must have had having this child they couldn't get along with live with them. So, I just want to say here, that I am grateful for their kindness especially my Grandmother who worked carrying bricks and tar to build roads to put food on the table but took me (they loved my brother) in anyways.
This is my 5 minute FreeWrite for the prompt poverty. Thank you 
Thank you for dropping in and reading my FreeWrite.
Cheers,
sh33la