完形填空

　　I was 9 years old when I found out my father was 　　1　　．It was 1994, but I can remember my mother's words as if it 　　2　　 yesterday：“Kerrel, I don't want you to take food 　　3　　 your father, because he has AIDS．Be very careful when you are around him．”

　　AIDS wasn't 　　4　　 we talked about in my country when I was growing up．From then on, I knew that this would be a family 　　5　　．My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone．For a while, he could take care of himself．But when I was 12, his condition worsened．My father's 　　6　　 children lived far away, so it 　　7　　 to me to look after him．We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him, and 　　8　　 Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn't 　　9　　 buy food for dinner．I would sit 　　10　　 feeling completely 　　11　　, the teacher's words muffled as I tried to figure out 　　12　　 I was going to manage．

　　I didn't share my burden with anyone．I had seen how people reacted to AIDS．Kids 　　13　　 classmates who had parents with the disease．And even adults could be cruel．When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was 　　14　　 weak to feed himself．I had known that he was going to die, 　　15　　 after so many years of keeping his condition a secret, I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days．Sad and 　　16　　, I 　　17　　 a woman at the non-profit National AIDS Support．That day, she 　　18　　 me on the phone for hours．I was so lucky to find someone who cared．She saved my life．

　　I was 15 when my father died．He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me．He didn't want to call attention to 　　19　　．I 　　20　　．