The Beginning

Some call it poverty, some say the struggle for me its the chains. The chains that have puppeteered my life.
My mother had four of us, three girls and I being the only boy out of the four. Many mornings I would wake up to help my mother to get the goods she needed for her stall, a box of cigaretts, half bag of icymint , half pound of cheese , a bag of bulla, and a box of Prestige donuts. A shine fity-cent coin would be placed in my hand that was to suffice me for the day, 20 cents each way for the bus, leaving me with 10 cents for the day. Many days I longed to taste the goods on my mother's stall, the scent of the donut still lingers in my nostril, that scent somehow gave me the drive to do well in school. I wanted to be able to eat what I sold. My shoes worn on the opposite sides gave a sure stature to my walk..POOR, STRUGGLE, POVERTY---CHAINS. I did well in the All Age school I attended because I knew my mother had it hard. Four of us , no father- One room - two beds. The chains, that drove me to be consumed by the drive to make it, make money. UNCHAINED. Mommy found out from a friend up the street that being a political ginnigog could actually help her at least pay our school fees as my sister and I had upcoming common entrance exams and were expected to go to High School.

Mommy would wash her feet and lotion them with whatever dripping of cooking oil we had left in our oil bottle and head up to the headquarters. Elections were coming up and so was common entrance!

My khaki's were always fitting as there was never enough money to buy new uniform every September and my sisters always got the preference because ''mommy neva want dem ketch man''. I didnt mind because I had one aim, to beat these CHAINS.



One evening Mommy told me to follow her to the Headquarters because they had jobs for the young men in the neighbourhood and I would be able to earn some well needed money. This began my transformation

Dem did want we fi white wash people sidewalk fi $5 and since a only 50c a day mi did a look pan. Mi jump pan dat fass... spring cudden ketch me

Me, Pigin Toe, Ballie and Clyde, get di likkle work and we wash side walk till we see bare $5 dolla jus a dance so.

One day now after we done, Ballie dem did walk gone up and me tek di short cut chew 66 fi cut cross Swallow, n cross ova go a Ville fi go home. Me did well want my mada cook me a good plate a food and mi did want a box a donut. Ina mi short tear up khaki wid di pocket dem a hang out mi a skip to mr lou a go home. Common Entrance did a come up and everybody did a go Mr Abrahams extra class. Maybe mi cudda all pay fi one or two satdeh outa it.

When mi mek fi cross is a Escort mi see pass n splash mi up di whole a mi money did wet up. Chew di pocket did a heng out and ting.

Di cyarr reverse and mi see one a di big man dem from up a Headquarters a look out an tell mi sorry him splash mi. Mi did waa tek up some a di white mark n tear him eno but di mi did want dem call mi back fi di likkle work agen so mi jus play it off. Di big man gi mi a card and say anything mi want mi can jus give him a call and if any problem a school mi can jus call him. Common Entrance did a come, Abrams class.. mi say yeah
 To be cont'd