(Jamaica Observer) Ten-year-old Sean throws a fit whenever he misses his imprisoned father.
Sean met his father, who is currently serving 35 years for murder, last year at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre where the latter has been living for the past five years.
Sean’s paternal grandmother *Lucy told the Jamaica Observer recently that he has been receiving counselling at his primary school in Trelawny. However, she said he still acts up from time to time.
“Sometimes when the pickney dem at his school touch him, him get ignorant and so. Since him see him last year him get calm but there are certain times when he wants to see him. Him get angry when him waa see him,” Lucy told the Observer, during the Christmas Family Day event for spouses and children hosted by the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica (Kingston Chapter).
Lucy, while noting that Sean is allowed to visit his father two times per year said she has become a scratched record, assuring him that his father will be home soon.
“Sometime him say ‘Grandma, how mi father take so long to come?’ Mi tell him say him soon come man, a so the teacher them tell me say to tell him,” she explained.
In the same breath, she said her grandson is doing well in school as she watched him colour a Christmas card under a tent that was transformed in an art village by Kingston Bookshop before he was allowed to visit his father.
“Him come first in his class, him head good man,” she reasoned.
Like, Sean, Lucy too has been in distress.
The tall and slender woman who had not seen her son in 10 years said she has lost a lot of weight.
“Mi cry everyday, everyday,” she said.
“Mi hope fi see him and know say him alright and thing. I hope him alright she said,” as she listens for their names to be called.
At the same time, she admitted that her daughter has been visiting her son following his brush with the law.
Even though the 55-year-old woman was anticipating seeing her 35-year-old son, she believes that she might die before he is released.
“I hope me live fi see him,” she expressed.
Meanwhile, chairperson for the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica (Kingston Chapter) subcommittee, Colonel Mills, told the Observer that the aim of Family Day was to get children, wives and relatives in touch with the inmates.
The programme has been running for eight years.
