EIGHTY-three-year-old Eric Patterson could not predict the life of hardship he now lives from his one-bedroom wooden structure in Bowden, St Thomas.

Patterson, known to many as ‘Tall Man’, believes his once pulsating life has been reduced to nothing.

From his crude zinc-roofed structure, he sat gazing as vehicles, though scarce in number, passed by. A small pot filled with bananas and diced dasheens sat atop a coal stove mere metres away from the entrance to his house. He was preparing dinner.

The Jamaica Observer North and East team had noticed pockets of smoke coming from the odd-looking structure, completely surrounded by woodland, on our way back from the old Bowden Wharf and decided to stop. Patterson was alone.

“You know, I have mi children dem and dem grow big and deh all bout and overseas, and them naah pay me nuh mind,” he said when asked why was he alone in such a desolate place.

He continued: “A nuff you know; 12 of dem. One dead, so that is 11 — five boys and six girls.

”Mi shame fi tell you di truth; mi shame fi deh here. Dem naah treat mi good; the last time when mi sick and nearly dead, one of dem come give me $7,000, but that was it.”

The former Duckenfield sugar worker explained that it was only seven years ago he moved to Bowden after the death of his eldest daughter who cared for him.

Five years prior to that, Patterson was still employed at the Duckenfield sugar factory.

Now retired, he told the Observer North and East that he collects $1,500 monthly for his pension. With that, he explained, he cultivates dasheen as well as bananas, some of which he eats, while selling the rest in Morant Bay.

“Mi have ground enuh; yes, mi have ground weh mi farm.

”Mi cyah use all of it because it too much, so mi sell it. But through di drought dem dry down now, but that is how mi survive,” Patterson said chuckling.

Despite being able to crack a smile and being able to somewhat provide for himself, he was despondent.

Patterson told this

Observer North and East that he desperately needs some assistance.

“Mi used to name ‘Tall Man’, mi can’t make it again,” he said with his head bowed. “Mi hope unuh can help mi.”

He explained that along with his pension, the money earned from selling his crop was used to hire a carpenter to construct a proper dwelling for him. However, despite paying over the money, his shabby shelter remains unchanged.

“Mi give one man di roof fi fix enuh, and di man nyam off di whole a di money. And when mi lef and gone, dem come and thief weh di whole a di board weh mi buy. That’s why you see di house stay suh and all di talk mi a talk di man nuh come fix it. Believe mi young girl, you know seh this place cost me nearly $60,000? One man come here and I ah give him $2,500 just to look pon it and him do nothing else,” Patterson lamented.

Added to that, he said he remains in the dark, without electricity periodically, out of fear that he might end up in prison for stealing electricity.

“Mi cyah put up di light a day because you will see the public service man dem come and you will see them put up something and see all who a thief the light. So, some nights I put it on and some nights I leave it,” he said, adding “Mi hope you can help mi…please.”