PORT MARIA, ST MARY — As Val Thompson sifted through the rubble of what was once his one-bedroom house in Cox Street, St Mary, he mumbled a few words of advice to himself.

“Look like me haffi start praying more,” he said, his voice filled with awe at the destruction around him.

On Tuesday he narrowly escaped death or, at the very least, serious injury, when a neighbour’s retaining wall fell on top of the building he had called home for more than 34 years.

“Everything that I have gone. I have a brand new four-burner stove, bunk bed and when you see me divan bed you wouldn’t believe it,” he said as he pointed at what was left of the once-prized bed.

Despite losing his belongings, Thompson is grateful to be alive and he is convinced that fate and a bit of luck made that possible.

According to him, his 18-year-old daughter was to spend Monday night at his place as they had plans for Tuesday. He is relieved that he listened to a gut feeling that she should spend the night at her mother’s house.

Thompson told the Jamaica Observer that in the wee hours of Tuesday morning his neighbour’s son gave his parents an unusual message. He said God told him Thompson needed to get out of the house. It was in delivering the message that they noticed their retaining wall was moving.

“I don’t normally answer to anyone’s first call. Anyone know mi, you haffi call mi two times; but I moved towards him on the first call. We a look pon di wall and him a show that the wall a move; mi just think say the dirt a set. Then just inna slow motion mi see the wall go down pon mi house. If they neva call mi out, a dead mi woulda dead,” said Thompson.

Shocked, he watched helplessly as his house collapsed.

He is staying with neighbours but he does not intend to do that for long as he does not want to wear out his welcome.

“Right now I need some help with material and getting somewhere different to live,” Thompson appealed.

As he spoke, his neighbours, whose retaining wall fell on his house were moving out of their concrete and board structure, worried there may be further damage because of persistent rainfall.

Thompson’s friend Kemar Wallace believes in karma and is optimistic that he will get help. He described Thompson as someone with a big heart, someone on whom neighbours can depend.

“Me a tell you that a the goodness weh him do that saved his life. He is one of the first responders whether hurricane or flooding; a him that — always a try help people, never say no. If him get to relocate me know that nuff man inna the community would give him strength,” he said.

— Ingrid Henry