KINGSTON, Jamaica — Some dreams and academic goals had to be put on pause following the passing of his grandmother. Now, at 26-years-old, a windshield wiper under the Three Miles bridge along Spanish Town Road in Kingston has built a reputation for himself with over two decades spent in the streets.

On Wednesday, the wiper, who did not give his name, told OBSERVER ONLINE that he has been working the streets since 2001. This means that at the age of six, he had to begin his hustle for survival.

Like many who take on this job, he did not get to finish school.

“A tru mi granny did dead and certain thing and some likkle thing gwaan, suh mi never get fi attend back to school cause mi did fi go back ah school,” he shared with our news team.

When OBSERVER ONLINE visited the area, only a few young boys were observed working the streets. However, the wiper noted that there were several more of them.

“Yuh have some likkle one out yah, a true dem nuh come out yah yet. We only work pon di morning shift and yuh have evening shift and yuh have night shift,” he explained, adding that he only works for short periods.

“Like how mi come out yah now, mi nuh really stay out yah long… Mi come out yah by 8 o’clock and by 12, 1 o’clock mi gone.

“Ah nuh seh like mi nav nobody weh a give mi money, mi have mi people dem weh a gi mi money…so mi nav fi spend di whole day out yah like di rest ah dem,” he continued.

The hand that life has dealt him has not left him bitter, because as one of the oldest among the batch, he takes on the responsibility of encouraging the younger ones to attend school during the days.

“Yuh have some weh come out 8 o’clock, some weh come out 9 o’clock and some weh come out all 12 o’clock. So, you see di likkle youth dem now, dem come out like all 2 o’clock when school over cause dem cya come pon di road now.

“Some of dem go ah school but some of dem nuh go ah school. Sii di one dem weh nuh go a school now, dem nah go come out yah suh cause dem know we a guh run dem,” he explained.

Noting that all sorts of people turn the younger ones away during school hours, the wiper said: “Cause dem a seh dem fi deh a school and it a go look bad fi seh we as di bigger one weh nah go ah school and dem deh yah how long, dem a go seh we a uphold wid dem.”

The wiper, who had just started his “shift” said he had already made $1300. He said he uses his money for different things.

“[Mi] cook food and dem ting deh a mi yard. Mi nah fraid fi tell yuh, mi bun weed and if mi feel fi drink a one dragon or one magnum, mi buy it. But mi not a drinker,” he shared.

“Mi do progressive things wid di money. Mi come a road come hustle cause mi want a ganzee fi buy, mi buy a one ganzee, a suh mi do it. 

“Anytime mi come a road, di people dem haffi look out for me cause dem see weh mi a do wid dem money. Suh when mi come out yah now, mi show dem seh ‘mi boss a dis mi buy wid di $100 weh yuh gi mi wah day. Mi show dem all a brand new pants wid a tag pon it and seh yow a dis mi buy. A nuh like di rest a people dem weh a tek dem money and nah do nothing wid it,” he continued.

But life in the streets is not a bed of roses and not every day is a good one.

“Police run we offa di road. We get all lock up, wul heap a thing happen fi di road. A jus to how di ting set,” the young hustler said.

He added: “The street deal wid wi good and sometimes it deal wid wi bad. It depend pon how yuh deal wid di people dem in the street.”

Related Story: No back-to-school for some child windshield wipers