Leaving Hartford School was quite an ordeal for me. I was filled with mixed emotions. I was sad in away. I will miss the children my little friends. It is my last week at school and some of the children, mainly the boys will go to Ascension Island to work. Some will stay on St. Helena to fish and farm, maybe even get married and have a family.
The girls on the other hand will leave the island for domestic work in the UK. The bright ones might stay on the island and become nurses, teachers or get married. I really do want to find my mother. I don’t know what I will do. I can’t even tell the time. I will probably gather firewood to sell. I will just have to be very careful as those evil boys are dragging girls into the flexbushes for sex.
I stand outside Hartford School fence looking in and deep in thought. I call into Mrs. Kathy Duncan’s house and she gave me rock cake and a cup of tea. She tells me not to worry and everything will be alright.
A week later Mrs. Murial Peters tells me that my grandma is very sick and is talking gibberish and isn’t well. A few days later my gradmother died and I am alone so to speak. I became 15 years and homeless.