Clarendon senior living in shambles

When one walks into the yard at Coco Walk, Wood Hall, Clarendon, where George Thompson resides, at first glance you might assume that no one lives there.

The run-down building is without windows in one section, and the rest of the house looks like it should be demolished. Thompson, 79, spends his nights in a battened-down room.

"Most people fraid fi go inna dat [room] but a strong heart mi tek and guh lie dung in deh when night come," he said.

Thompson's only steady source of income comes from burning and selling coal. He occasionally gets handouts from kind people and a food package from the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC). He said that his coal trade is a dying one and his days of doing stonework are now over.

Thompson said that he has had 'bad luck' during his life, including being sentenced to 36 years in prison for a murder that he said he did not commit.

"Is like say some people did a keep a dance a Spanish Town and dem rape smady a one nearby riverside," he related. "Dem [police] have mi whole night inna mi mesh merino a drive up and dung sey dem a look fi rapist," he said.

Thompson said that the following morning, he was collecting used bottles in the dance when he heard a loud explosion and realised he was being shot at. He said he was later charged for murdering a man.

"Mi nuh know di man whey dem sey mi kill," he said. Thompson was convicted and sentenced to serve time at the St Catherine District Prison [now known as the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre]. But he served only 12 years before he was released.

During his incarceration, Thompson said he never had any visitors as his now deceased mother was abroad at the time. Pointing to several graves in the yard, he said that all of his immediate relatives are now dead. He said the others are buried at New Longville in the parish.

"A long time now dem [well-wishers] nuh carry nutten come. Di last bottle a oil mi have now a use. A round three months no one nuh check," he shared. Thompson said that right now, the only thing he needs is a proper house.

"You nuh see a river I live inna. If you notice nuh top nuh deh pon dis. When rain a fall, a water run dung from up deh suh," he said pointing to the ceiling.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Toshane Young, parish organiser for senior citizens at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, said that Thompson's case was referred to her by a social development community officer.

"His hearing is extremely poor. The state of the house is deplorable. He mentioned being wrongfully imprisoned and is now picking up the pieces after his release. He has benefited from NCSC where food packages and care items are concerned," she shared. But she said that the agency cannot do more as Thompson has very little documentation. All he has is an expired voter's identification card.

"Without the documents more help cannot be rendered. He is an inspiration because despite his awful living conditions, he continues to work ardently for his daily bread," she said.

Though he does not have a phone, persons wishing to assist Thompson may call 876-776-6060.