‘Me caa live right now without har’ - Father of missing UWI student desperate to get her back

It has been almost two weeks since 22-year-old Jasmine 'Maya' Deen, who is visually impaired, has been home.

The international relations major at the University of the West Indies (UWI) went to school about 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 27.

But after 9 p.m., Jasmine's worried, younger sister told their father Lloyd Deen to call and check up on her.

"Right a way me call her ... She say 'Daddy, me deh pon a taxi.' She never really said where she was ... anyway, my credit done," he recalled.

Shortly after, he told his son to call Jasmine again.

"Him call her 10 minutes after that, she answer and she seh 'Me deh inna the taxi','' he said.

When Jasmine didn't return home that night, it was painful. Now it is even worse.

His life is crumbling around him and he's trying his best to be strong for his three other children, as he's the only remaining parent. His wife died 12 years ago.

"Me caa live right now without har. People caa gimme no soothe right now! From the first night she missing, me caa sleep, enuh! When me cook, me caa eat cause ... a four plate me normally share! When me fi share food, a da time deh me feel it," he said. "Dem man yah need fi tell me weh me pickney deh! If dem even do har nothing, shub har out suh me get her."

Deen said that he always told Jasmine to avoid taxis. She would usually take the state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses to get home in Bull Bay, St Andrew.

"Me warn har because me nuh know fi find a taxi man. When she take the JUTC bus, you can go to the company, find who drive the bus that time ... you can find the driver," he said.

Jasmine returned to school in October, one month later than scheduled, because her father was having problem with finances.

"Me pay the first semester boarding fee, but me couldn't pay no more. She wah go a school ... A she work her way up fi go school. She do everything! She send out her thing dem to Ministry of Education looking help," he said. "Me seh to her, yuh a go school same way ... don't worry."

Deen went to UWI and watched the security footage from the night of his daughter's disappearance.

"One hour and 16 minutes she stand up deh (bus stop) fah, 9:16 p.m. a she alone deh deh cause everybody gone. This juice man siddung behind her bout four feet away. Me only see when a black car just come and park right in front of her. Me know when somebody come fi people!" he said. "We a nuh fool! The man just come and park in front har and the juice man just hold har and lead her to the taxi door and put her in the front of the taxi. Just watching and seeing, me see like seh a set this set."

He said that though he sees the police working hard, he still thinks they could show more urgency. Despite everything, he is still hopeful that his daughter will return home safe and sound. "Me nuh have no doubt ... me believe seh she deh somewhere ... dem have her somewhere under some form a lock up and tie up. Me will mash up this fi my pickney, enuh!" he told THE STAR.