8. Explanation of paragraphs 7 - 13

After the passing of the hailstorm, the family had a sorrowful night. The family members exchanged their sad thoughts while Lencho listened.

One of the members pointed out how all of their efforts have gone waste. This led to another member stating that there was no one to help them, which lead another one to remind the others that they would all go hungry that year.

So, one could see the remorse behind the three exchanges. The spoken words reflect the thoughts and fears of all of the family members. An hour of hailstorm had likely caused the family to starve to death. With no money and no help, the family would be devoid of food for a year. This, otherwise, means that they would die eventually.

At this stage, one is often reminded of the perils that farmers face. In India, we have heard stories about how farmers had resorted to extreme measures such as suicides.* Such an extreme measure is taken when they are driven by hopelessness. Similarly, one could see that Lencho's family was reaching a point where they were driven by sorrow and hopelessness.

However, hope managed to find it's way to their hearts. The narrator explains that there was a single hope in the hearts of everyone who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley: God.

They believed that they would get help from God, even if there was no one to help them.

Lencho asked his family not to feel upset, even when the situation seem hopeless and a complete loss. He reminded everyone that "no one dies of hunger".

The narrator then comments, "that’s what they say: no one dies of hunger".