(Jamaica Star) Romeo Reid, who was deported from the United Kingdom in 2004, says he hates Jamaica, citing the island as an “oppressive state… [which] suppress and depress the people.”
He firmly believes that living in Jamaica is a shame, as the view held by tourists of a paradise is just a facade, as the island is an eyesore with streets littered with garbage, faulty infrastructure and high levels in crime.
“If I could, I would sell Jamaica for PS1 million. I hate Jamaica, with a passion. It’s so hard for me to change my mind,” Reid said. Since being deported, he has been searching relentlessly to find a job, even trying his luck in the music business going by the moniker Turnasaw. But he said 2020 was very hard for him, as he was unsuccessful in expanding his latest venture.
“I sell boiled eggs in downtown Kingston every day. When I try to apply, I don’t have any guarantors, I can’t get any. I don’t really have any to help me, but that loan would really help to move me forward honestly. I can do a lot from my business,” Reid said.
The Westmoreland native said he started the egg business a year ago, selling 80 eggs a day pocketing $4,000. However, he has not been able to expand due to his expenses.
SMALL BUSINESS LOAN
Being granted a small business loan, he said, would help him purchase more eggs for sale, which would increase his profit margins. He also would like to have his own store, so as to reduce the time he spends in the sun.
“When I walk in the sun all day, it really slow me down because I have high blood pressure and I shouldn’t be in the sun. But getting that loan would really upgrade my business, trust me,” he shared. As for his music career, he believes being a deportee makes life harder for him to find his rhythm.
“I think about suicide sometimes and people see me and they say ‘you shouldn’t be selling eggs, you should be singing’ and I just keep smiling. It is really hard, but I won’t give up,” he said. Hence his positive attitude for this year.
“I want something good to happen for me in 2021 so I can keep smiling. I would like to wake up in the morning and be comfortable. Being a deportee in Jamaica has really affected me,” he said.