“It is hard to find a place to rent in this country when you single and have children. Sometimes I does wan know what people expect you to do; like give away you children suh you could get somewhere to live?”
Not expecting an answer, this mother of three, who is in her early 30s, started to chronicle the difficulties she has experienced over the years attempting to find a comfortable place to call home for herself and children. She is separated from her husband, who has since moved on, and she works day and night as she attempts to provide for her children. Often, she seems to be losing the battle but she has never one day thrown her hands in the air and given up.
“I don’t work for much but it is still a sure salary at the end of the month and the first thing I does do is pay me rent,” she said. “If we have to eat nothing sometimes, at least we have a roof over we head. Where I living now, I had to settle for it because I didn’t have nowhere else to go.
“I was looking for a place for months and as soon as people hear I have children and I single is like I didn’t have a chance. I had the money to give a lady right away but she tell me come back the next day when I go back only to see somebody done move in the house.
“Sometimes fuh days I walking and I would go to them house but is like I too low to get some house. The people not saying anything but you know that is how them thinking. And worse yet when they hear I is a security. This place I living the house ain’t even done make properly. Is a downstairs, but is like the landlady didn’t pay nobody properly to make the house. But I had to take it because is she alone was open to renting me she place.”
She said while she has had no issues with the landlady she believes it is time she moves because there have been no attempts to rectify the many faults in the house.
“I was happy fuh de place yes, but nothing the landlady promise to do, she doing. Is not safe and is only God alone keeping me and me children them. Sometimes when I leave work in de morning, I does be scared because anything could happen to me children because the place not secure and nobody ain’t really living around there. Is me and me children alone sometimes,” she told me.
“Sometimes I does wonder how poor people does make it in this country. Is like why we can’t get land to build we own lil house and suh. That does be me dream most of the time, just to get a piece of land and build a house. But I does think it nah guh happen with me but maybe with me children I don’t know…”
“Now is months I trying to find a better place. I can’t really pay a higher rent than what I paying now but I still hoping and praying. You see when it rain it really hard, because the road wah we gat to walk in does be full a mud, it is just hard. Then the house deh really far from where you gat to get bus. It does be a struggle everyday but I don’t really like complain. I does get up and just do what I have to do,” she continued.
“Two weeks ago I thought I find the right place, good area and close to catch bus and so, but I didn’t get it. Don’t ask me why, but I could only say is because I gat children and is a security
guard. The man say call back the next day and he would say if I getting the place or not. Well he never answer the phone because I call till ah weary and then next thing you know I pass and blinds up in the house,” she said sadly.
“Now is back to the looking and I praying I get something soon because living there is getting overbearing. I know the landlady might not be too happy when I tell she I moving out… She can’t complain about me because I never late with she rent and I always pay me bills. And you know I say she is not a problem is just that the house deh too far and in a lonely place and then she not looking it after. It deh just like when I move in even though she promise that she woulda do some work on it.”
I asked how she managed in the pandemic with the children being at home all those months away from school.
“Well it was not easy but somehow we mek it. I had to go and get internet, which was more money to pay when the month come. But they had to get the schoolwork and so. I does work six days a week so I hardly home, but them try. I get help with phone and tablet and them use to get work. Now the big one, she back at school every day but the two small one they home most times.
“It was hard for everybody I guess and I just thank God you know that we mek it this far because some people ain’t mek it. I went to work almost every day and I didn’t get no COVID and me children didn’t get sick either so I thank God fuh that. Some days we hardly had anything to eat but we still survive so I not complaining. I was just happy that I still had a job and even though it don’t pay plenty at least a getting a money when deh month come,” she answered.
“Fuh me is just how people does look at you because you is a security guard and you don’t have a husband. I not thiefing, I making a honest dollar. And you know, I was married; it didn’t work out. Wah ah must do? Throw away me children to mek it in this life? Sometimes I does really feel like giving up but then I does remember that once there is life there is hope. I does happy fuh the support I does get and I still young and strong so I looking to de future.
“I will work and send me children to school and I can only pray dey tek in them education and turn something better in life. I didn’t get the opportunity to finish school and I not looking back. I looking to mek sure me children finish and become something in this life.
“I want people to understand that people like me is human and we just want a chance in this life. Don’t just look at me and think that I can’t do this and that. I is a honest person and I just want a chance in this life. Right now a chance to find a better place to live and maybe a chance to own me own home in the future. That is all,” she told me.
I can only pray that someone gives this sister a chance and she finds somewhere safer and more comfortable for herself and children.
