My name is Michael Francis and I’m a Jack-of-all-trades.
I live Sydeham Avenue, St Ann’s. But I really grow up in St Dominic’s Home. Was at least about 20 in the St Dominic’s family, or it could be more. When you grow up in them place, you get to know people piece by piece.
I’s do plumbing, masonry, tiling, putting down blocks, planting, fishing, growing thing. I plant melon, pumpkin, all kind of thing. But right now is dry season and I don’t have too much of thing in the garden.
I spend about 12 years in St Dominic’s Home, through my family. Alcohol, nuh. Disputes. We was small. Say about six. The next brother was five. The big one, Kevin, coulda been about ten. Is through when we get big we get to understand the situation. I learn trade in there. Tailoring, all kind of thing.
Is a helluva thing to grow up in a home. I fight it until now. No prison, no trouble anything.
I will take my little drink. The pastor in St Dominic’s say a little bit of wine is not a problem! I will never forget Father Girod! And Father Pantin. Is them show me to go up in acolyte.
I know the boys from my time in St Dominic’s still. Who in the army, who is police, who is vagrants.
I was a acolyte in St Dominic’s Home. They couldn’t take we as Mohammed in the home, so they baptise me everything in there.
You can’t rush time. You just have to take your time.
I plant a lime tree from baby and it taller than the house now. And it ent hambugging nobody. When it bear limes, I put it in a bag and make a dollar.
I have a daughter named Crystal Cardinez. She is about 15 years now. She coming good in life. I try the little I could do and leave it like that.
I like true life stories and war. History station.
Life is speeding very fast now. And everything get permitted now. No restraint on nothing.
Everybody does pray and nobody know who we praying to. They say it have a God so what we go do? Try to prayer little bit.
I live natural on my own and fight my life on my own, too. If I need a little help, I have people I could go by who could programme me.
In life, everybody fall in difficult. The other day, a lady was in real trouble. I take $5,000 and give her. “Every month,” I tell her, “you will give me a thousand”. Up to this day, I never get it back. I leave it to the father. You call them corn people, corn attics. I learn from that: I ain’t saying I wouldn’t help but I better give it free and done with that. You will get blessing.
When you was a baby, you was born with your hand closed in a fist. When you dead, your hand open. Think ‘bout that one!
I never had no big set of education but life is one long learning experience. And you never finish learning. Till you dead. If you lucky.
Long time we didn’t have computers. Long time, we had a for apple, b for bat, c for cat. We didn’t know ‘bout computer. We know ‘bout plasticine!
I living bachelor and I never idle. Always find something to do: fix a little fan. Repair a stereo how my pardner show me: take out the capacitor and put it back.
The next problem is young mother and father. I hear a young girl, 15 years, pregnant. I know she going primary school. Everything they learning in the school now.
Everybody rushing to buy flat screen TV. I have a TV there 18 years, he working good.
The best part of being a Jack-of-all-trade is to earn a honest dollar. I believe in working. I never wanted to stay with one thing. I quicker learn six or seven thing: keep my mind focus.
Don’t social yourself with bandits and thief. If you lime with bad company, you end up same way.
A Trini is somebody who would take holidays every day, if they get the chance. If the government put more holidays in the year, they taking that!
Trinidad is sweet. How much they raise up the money for drunk driving? I sure police catch man driving drunk already and give them a chance!
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