The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

I met him at the South Beach pools. This is his story.

“I keep telling myself not to give up hope to be brave and stay strong because I believe there are people out there who will believe in me and will help me through hard times. When I look back over my life. I believed I would never amount to anything. As a child there was never a positive role model in my life. My mother whose family is well off was disowned by her parents when she got pregnant with me at the age of fourteen by an eighteen-year-old high school dropout.

For all its worth I believe I was born under what is called an unlucky star. From birth I was off to a rough start. My dad left my mom shortly after I was born. Up to this day I don’t know who he is. After being kicked out by my grandparents, she moved in with a cousin and from there on it was a downward spiral for her. Shortly after giving birth to me she got hooked on crack and was in and out of relationships with lots of men. Resulting in her having five more children. One each year for five years. I grew up in a neighbourhood where anything goes. And being exposed to drugs, alcohol and illicit sexual activities at an early age it was not hard for me to become a product of the environment. It all started at the age of ten with me stealing foodstuff from the petty shop to feed my brothers and sisters. It all seemed so easy so I started shop and housebreaking and at a very young age I was sentenced to prison. Prison is no place to be and after I was released I promised never to go back. But that promise was short lived because once you’ve been to jail people treat you like you’re nobody.

No one wants to give you a job and if they do once they found out you’re an ex they either fire you or put on pressure that would cause you to quit. So I wound up going back to prison for petty theft. So you see why there are so many repeat offenders. I don’t care what no one says once you’ve been to jail the only ones that accepts you are people whose lives are the same as yours. Well not everyone, but the majority. They will tell you that’s not true, but I know better. Why do you think me and my girl is out here with our princess picking up bottles. Do you believe we enjoy doing this? We get two dollars a case barely enough to put food on the table. But we have to eat ,as you can see both my girl and our daughter is handicapped. But you know what I’m not going back to prison because I believe there is a God and I believe my ship is going to come in and once it does I’m going to take my mother and my brothers and sisters out of that environment. I have a job interview next week. This might be the break I’m hoping for. Please pray for me.”

I haven’t seen him in awhile but he used to be on South Beach by the pools with his child who is handicapped along with his fiancée who is also impeded with a limp from birth collecting bottles. I’m praying for them, praying that job interview came through for him. Will you please pray with me.

ANTHONY PRATT

Nassau

April 6, 2019