Last Wednesday is a day that would be etched in the memory of Crystal Roxborough and her family, possibly for the rest of their lives and not for a good reason.
“I had an incident with my son’s father and I needed to go and report the matter in Western Police Station and while I was making the said report I received a call from my neighbours bawling, stating that a tree now fall and crush my room that I am staying in,” she said.
“Now I am traumatised by the situation and do not want be here anymore,” she expressed.
Unfortunately, she has nowhere to go and no money to pay rent so she still resides in the only corner of the house that was not caved in by the fallen tree.
Three years ago the mother of two fled from where she lived with a close male relative and came back to her childhood home, a place that she said was abandoned for years.
“It take a whole toll on me that I had to come back to this life I left but I had no choice,” she said.
She told Guardian Media that she made the room where she stayed a home comfortable enough for her, her teenager and toddler. Roxborough said the disaster caused by the fallen tree was something they just did need.
“We (sic) is not coping too fine, you see my lil room was set up enough so that we could have still cook something, do something and based on how it is now we cannot function and do nothing…I have to watch over my son making sure the stuff that continues falling down after this happen to make sure nothing doesn’t damage him,” she explained.
They have not eaten or slept properly since. But they have gotten assistance from the Ministry of Social Development in the form of 10,000 dollar voucher for furniture and 1,000 dollars for clothing.
While Roxborough is grateful for that assistance, there is just one problem—Roxborough has nowhere to put it.
“I need to set up myself and get back on track,” she said.
The Diego Martin Regional Corporation gave her a letter to take to the Housing Development Company which she did on Thursday but she is asking for urgent placement since she said she and her children should not stay where they are for one more minute.
“We would really like them to look into the help for us to be removed from this incident,” she said.
Roxborough said rebuilding may be difficult as she does not own the land.
Anyone willing to help can call 307-2330 or 264-3429.