In CURSE YOU FATHER, YOU HAVE SINNED, I take you through my journey from the day my mother abandoned me on the doorstep of a room in a tenement yard, in Kingston, Jamaica, approximately a mile from Trench Town, the place where reggae legend Bob Marley, lived. I was just 18 months old. Rain started pouring, and a lady rescued me from the elements, but delivered me into the hands of her common-law husband, who took great pleasure in abusing me—both physically and mentally. My story begins with the abuse and shows how it affected my mentality, the grit and determination it took to deal with the almost-daily beatings, which started at about 5 years old, and the bullying from ghetto bad boys.

 

When I was 11, I was wandering on the compounds of a nearby Catholic Church and ran into a priest. But instead of offering me solace, he subjected me to the worst kind of abuse, and then had the nerve to pray for me afterwards. I turned to another priest for spiritual nourishment, but he fed me dirt, then violated my body. Later in life, I was sexually abused by a Jehovah's Witness overseer and swindled by some elders. These same elders conspired with a female member to file rape charges against me.

 

I invite you to walk with me through this life of abuse. Also, please join me as I reflect on the failures of the Catholic Church in her mission to protect the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society; the mental anguish I suffered as a Jehovah's Witness; my deadly encounter with the police; my stay in mental institutions; the loss of my wife and family, and how the Church denied me full compensation for my years of pain and suffering, thereby robbing me of closure.

 

This narrative is one of resilience and resoluteness and shows how a person can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to eke out an existence, and offers a window into the universal quest for meaning. There is no doubt that I learned my lessons along the way. These lessons have shaped who I am today. And were it not for my relentless pursuit of education, I would not be able to write this memoir. I'm hoping to inspire and connect with other victims through the power of shared experience. Each chapter is unique in itself and brings us closer as we trod on the thoroughfare of human endeavors.

 

Writing this memoir has been therapy for me, in that it has helped me to sleep better, and I am better able to deal with the voices in my head. This catharsis has also alleviated my depression and anxiety, and my agraphia is not as bad as it used to be. This ailment adds to the challenges I'm striving to overcome in life. Notwithstanding, I'm attempting to face each obstacle head-on as I continue to write my story—one chapter at a time. 

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Dive into a raw memoir that exposes life’s toughest trials. A must-read for anyone facing life's struggles... Read More!