“I really thought I was going for better, you know. It was like I was stifling here because I was not working and it was like I was going around in circles, nothing happening. So I take the opportunity to go but I tell you I regret it.
“In this life you must really be certain before you jump on a plane and say but you going for a better life. For me it was a life of misery and I just happy that I get to come back home. I come back broke but I am here now.”
These were the words of a mother of three who decided to travel to a Caribbean country on the encouragement of an acquaintance. She believed at the time that she had a set job and this was her opportunity to improve her life.
“People tell me it was too good to be true but, you know, I believe that some of them did not want to see me move up. I honestly believed it was God’s way of helping me to make a better life. But it was not to be,” she told me a week after she returned to Guyana, having spent a few months in that country.
“I don’t have minor children so as soon as I hear about this job I just up and go. I tell me children that is me time and I going to see if I could do something better. But looking back now, I shoulda been wiser because with COVID and all of that them places don’t really have no kinda jobs, especially for people like me who didn’t really go far in school.
“But I get up the money and so and I buy me ticket. I was going. I went and quarantine and everything and thinking this is it. Lo and behold when I go, the job I had selling was not even enough to pay my bills. It was a struggle and as soon as I reach I had no time to settle in, right away I had to start paying bills.
“It was soon after I really realise what was the plan. The COVID make it hard fuh nuff people and like this woman she lose she job and she need help to pay she bills and so she invite me to come knowing that she didn’t really get a job. But her intention was like for me to live a life where I get involved with men and then make money.”
“I tell you it took a while for me to understand what was the plan. But you know she always encouraging me to go out with this friend and that friend and telling me how I need to see the place. I went out a few times but it was always when she was there. I had no intention of going out with nobody by meself.
“And then it was like she had a problem with the way I was dressing, asking me if I didn’t come with no going-out clothes. I tell she I think I was dressing properly and that me is not them partying type and me ain’t really want to go anywhere. I show she that I was there to just try to work and get money to do something better.
“Well after she see like I really not bothering with she and going out nowhere she started like telling me how a friend buy something for me and he want I go for a drive to collect it. The first time she tell me, I was not feeling good and I tell she I not well. And then she come with it again and it was then like a fool I get to understand wah happening. I just tell she I am not going and that I don’t want no gift. You see after that, this girl attitude just changed and she and the woman I use to work with start making my life miserable.
At home it was like walking on eggshell, every single thing was a problem. And then the woman at the shop would tell me today or tomorrow there is no work and when she do that it was hard for me to pay me bills. So you could imagine how frustrating it was getting and I start stress out. Sometimes I did feel like I was going mad.
“Looking back now, I see like they was trying to force me into a position where I woulda had to do what they want. You know, get this man and that man to get money. Big old me, they want put in that position. Within a month and a half I did done know that I had to come back home but the problem was getting a ticket to come back.
“At first I was thinking, you know, that maybe I woulda just try to get another job and move out. But then where I woulda get a job? Life hard for everybody and then I was afraid that they would then report me because I had no work permit and even though I know I not illegal because I coulda stay up to six months, the people didn’t give me permission to work. So I had to get rid of that idea and the next best thing was to get out.
“And you know I get in contact with somebody that I know, a older woman than me and she tell me that I could come and live with she and the bills would be less. But you know what she encouraging me to do is to find a man. She tell me I could look for a big man and how I don’t have to like he, but he would help me with bills. Well girl I was so shock because this is a big woman and I wondering if she mad, but it is like so it go,” she said, still sounding a little shocked at the proposal she was given.
“I know then I had to get out and get out fast but it was like I couldn’t believe it. Is like, I know that people does do them things but I expect young women, you know, not me in me forties with adult children. Is like, I could not believe that this is what this girl tell me to go there for. Basically for me to be a prostitute. Yes it was not like standing up on the streets, but the life they want me to live is just like that, having sex for money. Like in all me life I punish and I never think about doing something like that. I would do that at this age?” she asked, sounding incredulous.
“I just glad that I get help to buy the one-way ticket and come back to Guyana. Even before I coulda tell them I leaving, the one tell me that I can’t work with she no more. Well if I not working then I couldn’t pay me bills so I had to move out and go by the same lady who tell me about getting a big man, and stay for a few days.
“You see when it was time for me to hop on that plane you would not believe how happy I was. It was like I was free and I was just so happy to come back to my home. And as God would have it I come back home to a job and I just working and trusting God.
“I just want to say to women out there, especially young women, to be careful who they trust and don’t believe all the nancy stories people tell you. If I didn’t have my head on, is a whole confusion I woulda end up in and is just so a young woman would follow them and thinking that they want help she and before she know it, she deh from man to man. So be careful and listen to advice because if I been listen I woulda stay right here. That is why I decide to tell you about this because I want women out there to know these things no matter how old or young they be.
“Now I am just working and living. Once there is life there is hope.”
I am happy that this sister managed to extricate herself from what sounded like a very sticky situation. It is always good to take counsel and ask advice. It might save you some hardships. And when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
