A Dancehall Story Book 4- ( Editing)

The Guardian

Mel's POV

I met Garrick Senior when I was 18 and from the day he took me out of my mother's house, he did not allow me to look back at my family. My mother died and I could only attend the funeral then he took me back home. I got pregnant with Garry when I was nineteen and those were some of the hardest days of my life. I never got to enjoy my teenage years because that man robbed me of everything I hold dearly to me.

I suffered abuse in every way possible.  I was not allowed to have friends. I had to hide so I could see my family. No one was allowed to visit me. I couldn't work or even go on the road by myself. He was always there, making sure I did just as he said.

After I had Garry one night he beat me to sickness because he came home and my neighbor was coming out of the yard. I tried to explain to him that the lady wanted some sugar to make some tea. He did not want to hear it, he said I wasn't working anywhere to be offering sugar to anyone.

"Senior she just ask me for some sugar" I said to him as he pulled his belt out of his pants. I knew what he was going to happen to me.

"Tell you already me nuh want nobody a me yard. You working somewhere to be giving anyone sugar? Her man deh bar a drink every damn day, nuh want dem over here" He said.

He gave me a fine piece of beating that day. For days I wasn't able to see out of one of my eyes. His sister came to the house twice and i had to hide from her because I was so embarrass to let her see me like this.

I stayed with him and endure more beatings for the simplest of things. I suffered two miscarriages without his knowledge and I had to nurse myself both times because I couldn't tell him because he would just beat me and said it was all my fault for losing the babies.

My neighbour saw my sister in the market and took her number. She placed it in a note with a letter saying she was leaving for overseas and she don't know if she will see me again. She said her mother was sick and she sent for her and she had to go. She gave me two numbers where I could reach her just incase I ever escaped Senior.

I found out I was pregnant when Garry was seven years old and I could not take anymore abuse from this man. One day when he left for work I packed some clothes in a bag for myself and Garry. I beg a call from a lady at the shop to call my sister. I told her  where to meet me.

I met up with her and she followed me to me Joan, Seniors sister, so I could give Garry to her because I knew Senior was only going to abuse him. I begged her to take care of him and I will be back for him as soon as I could.

I stayed with my sister until I had baby. Senior could not find me and Joan said he told her he was not going to help her with Garry so she told him not to come back to her house she would work and take care of him.

I tried doing little work here and there to take care of my daughter but it wasn't enough. I went to market and saw Senior walking hand in hand with a woman. We made eye contact and he started to chase me through the market like a raging bull. I had to run and duck under stalls and keep doing so until I thought I got away from him. I jump onto a bus, I didn't even know where the bus was going.

I got off the bus and call my sister to tell her what happen. I told her I didn't want to come home because I wasn't sure if Senior would find me. I told her I was in Waterhouse, so she called a friend and ask her if she could put me up for couple days and she did. I was staying there for some time but the girl was trying to pimp me out and I just didn't want that life.

I remembered I had a number for my neighbour Lisa. I called her she told me I was lucky because she just had baby and was coming to Jamaica to build her house. She told me her mother died leaving some insurance money that made her a very rich woman in Jamaica.