12 year old "housekeeper"

 After the religious observance the gate was opened. The late comers entered one by one, heads hanging with the weight of guilt. Dinesh was among them. I was surprised. The cleverest, most obedient, enthusiastic student in the class.
"Look Dinesh is also among late comers!" I pointed out to one of my colleagues nearby
"Why, haven't you noticed? he's always late." She said.
" Really? Only today I checked late comers. but it can't be. He's a good boy- for what I've seen in two months"
"Yes, He's a good boy. That's why the principal doesn't punish him"
"What? He doesn't punish for that fault?"
"Dinesh is allowed."
"Why? It motivates him to come late. Delay is not a good habit."
"That's true, but can't help, he has many responsibilities."
"What do you mean responsibilities? he obviously doesn't have kids to look after does he?" I said with a tone of humor
The expression on my friend's face remained unchanged, thoughts of humor disappeared from my mind
"Yes he gets up early in the morning, makes tea for his two younger sisters and father, cooks breakfast and lunch and  prepares lunch packets for the four of them. Then he readies his two sisters, one for the school, the other for Montessori. After that he takes his youngest sister to Montessori. The teacher comes at 7.30am. He has to wait until she comes to handover the sister. Then he comes to school with the other sister. First he drops her off at the primary section. Then he comes to the senior section. The time is almost eight then. The school... "
"enough! enough! I can understand" I closed my ears with both hands. My head was spinning. How much of a  load can a child bear on his little shoulders while doing his school work so perfectly?
" Why? can't you bear his story? Most of the students here are like that. They bear more loads than a normal child could"
"What has happened to his mother?"
"She's abroad. a housemaid in the middle-east"
"Why doesn't his father do the household chores and free the poor child?"
"He's a laborer. He earns, spends more for drinks, a few for the family. How can a drunkard  look after children- In fact he beats them. I think his mother has gone to escape him."
"It's unbelievable! A 12 year old boy looking after himself, his siblings and father, and smiling through it all!"