Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

This is the final in a two-part story of a St Catherine man, who is determined to find his two-year-old son, who 'disappeared' with his mother.

"I left Old Harbour in early march for Discovery Bay, where one of my brothers-in-law and sister bought a property and wanted some work done. When I got paid the very first time, I called my child's mother and told her I was sending some cash for her and the baby. Yes, I called almost every day during all this time. I called very often to check on them.

"I have a friend who works for an insurance company and I called him to find out about getting an insurance policy with my son as the beneficiary. He said no problem, so I called her and told her we needed to get the child registered.

Two dads

"When I told what I was doing she responded by saying that he was already registered. I was like, 'you're joking, right?' She hung up and sent a text message to me. Lemme get it for you exactly as it is.

"'Pleas I need u to understand, but the first time I wos with you I wos pregnant, thas the reson y I wos ignoreing u when I wos pregnant, but u pushed it too for a'm sorry pleas fagive mi. U have been good to him, but I don't want him to have two dads, am sorry man.'

"I flipped; I called her back immediately and she just laughed. This was about 10:45 a.m. I used every cent I had to get credit and we argued right through the day about it. Then she sent a next text saying, 'Am asking u if you love (him) and want what is best for him, let him go, but if u don't want what is best for him do whatever you want.'

"I kept asking why she was now saying this and she said she wanted to tell me all along, but never knew how. She did not want to tell me. After this she refused to answer my calls. I got a female lawyer friend to call her. When she called her and told her if she did not take the baby to see me I was going to the police and take her to court.

"She called me saying I have my woman bothering her. I just laughed and told her I was serious. I told her I was going to Old Harbour the next weekend and I wanted to see (the baby). She said she was not in Clarendon anymore, as she was taking care of one of her grandmothers, who had a stroke.

Paternity test

"I told her we had to do a paternity test, to which she refused. My (lawyer) friend called again and told her to get all (the child's) papers for scrutiny. She told her (the child) was not registered and he did not have an immunisation card because of this.

"After much pressure from me and my friend she eventually agreed when I told her to meet us. She then found an excuse not to meet. I told her okay then, if that's the case I was going to make her the most famous mother as was I going to have her and (the child's) picture in every print and electronic media on the planet. She called me one day crying and said I was pressuring her and she was going to kill herself. I told her to do whatever she wanted. She sounded hysterical so I calmed down and told her okay, but we still had to get the issue of his paternity sorted out. Up to this time she refused to tell me who 'the father' was.

"When I asked she told me he wasn't around and she hadn't seen him since before we met. She then told me she had a serious kidney disease and had to go overseas to do a transplant. I told her go ahead, but (the child) stays here. She cried and begged.

"On the 11th of May this year, she sent me a voice message. She started out by saying, 'I don't know if you going to believe me, but I have cancer in my kidneys and have to go overseas for an operation.' She stated that I should not mention it to anyone as she did not want people feeling sorry for her. She said she wanted both her sons with her that if anything happened to her then at least they'd be there.

"Well, I was fed up by this time and told her to do whatever she wanted. I asked to talk to (the child) and she gave him the phone. I told him daddy loved him, and no matter what happened I was going to find him.

Tried calling her

"I talked to her next son and told him to take care of his brother. That's the last I heard from her. I tried calling her during the next week but she was forwarded to another number. A man answered and when I asked for her, he said he did not know her.

"It gets even much more interesting now. As I said I did not care where she went or whom she was seeing, as long as my son was okay I was good. I went to the police and they told me I had to take her to family court to sort it out. I told them I needed their help in finding her as she had moved from Rock River and I didn't know where she lived.

"They did nothing, so I took it on myself to find her. Unfortunately, every time I went to where she lived no one is there. She has a sister who still lives there. I have no contact for her so I can't talk to her anyway.

"I got some feedback through a police friend of mine who is helping. He told me a few days ago he had a colleague call her number, and someone answered and said she was not there and was in Las Vegas to undergo a kidney transplant. I told him that was a lie.

"I called her number twice a few minutes later. I got a please-call-me message from it. When I called again she answered, pretending to be someone else. I said, 'Where is my son?' She said she wasn't my child's mother. I was laughing, not out loud. She went on to say how (the child's mother) was in Las Vegas at her sister to do a kidney transplant.

Fed up

"I said, 'Fine, then where is my son?' She wanted to know who I was. I said I was the child's father. She said no, because she knew his dad. She continued to try to convince me so I told her to give it up because I knew it was her. I kept pressing her, but got fed up and hung up.

"I don't sleep enough. I spent more money on phone cards than I used to on him, just to keep in touch with people who are trying to help. I get like an average of eight hours of sleep during the week. On his birthday, I spent the day looking at stuff I would have bought him.

"All I want is to find my son, get a paternity test done, and get this over with. Also to highlight the plight of so many other men in Jamaica who had this same scenario and gave up just because 'dem cyaah badda'."

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com