90-y-o needs a helping hand

Upon hearing a female's voice, 90-year-old Ezekiel Thomas quickly threw on a jacket, took up his two walking sticks and made his way to his doorway.

He smiled broadly before stating that he had just returned inside after 'stretching' his legs in his yard. He then told THE STAR that he would like if a message was delivered to the relevant authorities -- his house is in dire need of repairs.

Thomas said that the board and zinc on his one-room dwelling have been rotting away for some time now, making his living conditions uncomfortable. He said the situation has been made even worse by the heavy rains associated with the recent passage of two tropical storms, Zeta and Eta.

"Mi would like when mi girls come to visit, the place not leaking. The place stay bad, and if is even three pieces of zinc, some nails and some ply board mi would want," Thomas said.

The elderly man, who lives in Robertsfield, a distract not far from Mavis Bank in rural St Andrew, said he spent his youthful days working at the forestry department.

Thomas' house is located at the bottom of a hill. His children, he said, live in other parishes, but he has other family members in the community who ensure that he does not go to bed hungry, while attending to most of his other needs.

Stressing the need to have his house renovated, Thomas said that he has not been getting enough visits from his female friends because of the condition of his place.

"Is young and old women come check mi sometimes, but mi don't like how the place look. Them hardly a come again, so sometimes me have to walk go up the road to look at the women when dem a pass," he said, while maintaining a straight face the entire time.

"Right now, me naah see di girls dem because COVID a guh round, and my age group must not be on the road," he said.