Life of a Jamaican Girl
by Marlene Ricketts
Category: Drama

From the simple paradise of mango and guava trees in the tropics of Jamaica to the fast-moving, unfamiliar streets of New York, Sandra's life took a change that she couldn't control. When she and her brother Kevin were swept away from their grandmother's rural home by a father that had been absent for as many years as they could remember, it was supposed to be for the best. However, an abusive stepmother and a stepbrother with hands that wandered made Sandra's life a living hell. Forced to find ways to dodge the bullets of the life she'd come to know, Sandra constantly struggled with the crushing blows of a shattered self-esteem, and a father who hid so far in a bottle of booze that he was indifferent to his own flesh and blood. Deep in the pit of depression, Sandra sought the ultimate out, suicide. In the hospital, Sandra learned that the prison she'd desperately tried to break free of followed her. Her own guilt of her circumstances and the resulting self-loathing had become worse than any bars could have ever been. Prescribing more than medicine, Dr. Russo gave Sandra a healthy dose of something she hadn't had since those long ago days in Jamaica, care and concern. With new scenery, and a determination to take control of her life, Sandra learned that living with others required trust and compromise. She also learned that the people who cared the most were the ones who were patient enough to allow her to find herself.