2005 And Me Chapter One: From South Jersey To The Covenant House

The year 2004 wasn’t kind to me to say the least. It was a far cry from where I was a year prior in 2003. I had graduated high school and it seemed great things were on the horizon. What a difference a year makes. My mother and I got evicted from our apartment in the Bronx, NY. Late rent and high bill payments took their toll so we were forced to leave. Our neighbor was nice enough to let my mother and I stay there for a while.

I stayed for a couple of weeks until one of my friends let me stay with them. I ran through 3 different jobs that whole summer and things ended up not panning out well. We had a falling out and I remember leaving late one night in September and going back to the Bronx. One of my Aunts lived in the Bronx at that time and she let me stay with her for a night or two in Forrest Projects on Tinton Ave (The South Bronx). Which ironically wasn’t to far from the apartment building that I got evicted from.

I couldn’t live there because if management found out my aunt could get in trouble because my name wasn’t on the lease. So I called my grandmother and asked her could I come stay. She said that I could. Hearing about me living with my aunt my mom asked me if I wanted to come to Florida, where she was planning on moving. It sounded good, but at the time I wasn’t ready to move out of the New York yet. My grandmother lived in Millville, NJ at the time, in South New Jersey; it’s about an hour away from Atlantic City.

I remember riding up there that day. It was a cloudy day. The clouds reminded me of a scene from the movie "Friday". When Debo turned to Red and said "What Bike?" It was as if the clouds looked at me and said "What Sun?". It was a long ride I left my aunts house in the Bronx about 12 in the afternoon and I didn’t get to my grandmothers house until about 9 at night. I had to take two subway trains just to get the Port Authority Bus Terminal, that took about and hour and a half, I waited for the Greyhound which took another hour and a half, and I took the Greyhound from NY to NJ which took about 3 hours. When I finally arrived in Atlantic City I paid for my NJ Transit ticket, waited for the bus which took about 30 minutes, and took that bus to Millville which took another hour and a half.

I felt like I had been kidnapped and stuffed in a trunk for the last 8 ½ 9 hours without food. My legs were sleep, I was hungry, thirsty, and tired. My only goal in life once I got to my grandmother’s house was to eat and go to sleep. The good thing about the senior citizen complex she lived in was that it was on the main street. Which ironically was Main Street. The bus stopped a couple of feet from her building. I had one big bag that I put under the bus because it wasn’t big enough to fit in the overhead bin.

Once I got off the driver got off with me so he could open he could luggage ben so I could retrieve my bag. I grabbed my bag, threw it over my shoulders, and walked towards my grandmother’s complex. It was nighttime so the street- lights were lit up. Walking down that street at night has always reminded me of a car going down an expressway or highway at night. The way the bright light shines on the cars as they pass. It’s always been intriguing to me.

About 10 minutes later I finally walked into to The Jaycee Plaza Senior Citizen Complex. There was a security guard at the entrance. He was an older gentleman and he recognized me from previous visits. “Hey young man, how are you?” He asked while standing up to shake my hand. “I’m good, I can’t call it.” I replied with a smile while extending my hand to shake his as well. “ You’re grandmother told me earlier that she was expecting you to get here a little late.” “Oh ok. It’s a long ride to here from NY from my aunts house I took two subway trains, a greyhound, and the NJ Transit to get here.” “Wow!” The security guard said. “Man I lived in South Jersey most my life. I couldn’t even imagine living in a city as big as NY, let alone doing all that traveling. That takes a lot.”

“Yeah it can be a lot a times, but I love to travel so it never really bothers me.” I replied. “Well I’m not going to hold you young man, all I need is you’re signature, and you can go head up stairs.” The security guard said as he handed me a pen so I could sign the visitor’s log. “Thank you sir.” I replied as I signed the visitor log. “You have a good night” “You do the same.” I replied as he gave me the head nod and I got on the elevator. My grandmother lived on the second floor, on the right side of building, in the the third of fourth door down. I made sure that I was quiet getting of the elevator so that I can respect her neighbors.

I knew that they were sleeping at this time of night so the last thing I wanted to do was wake them. After one knock she answered the door. “Hey my baby!” she said as she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Hey mom!” I replied as I walked in the house. “How are you doing? You Hungry? I know you are after that trip.” Mommy said after I put my bag on the couch. “Yeah ma I’m starving I haven’t eaten since I left Aunt Kats house.” I replied. “I made some tuna fish earlier and I have some chips up there on top of the refrigerator. Go ahead and sit down and I’ll make you a plate. While I’m doing that call Kat and tell her you made it here safe so that she won’t worry about you.” Mommy said as she went in the fridge to pull the tuna fish out."

I grabbed the phone and called Aunt Kat to let her know that I made it to mommy’s house safe. We talked for a few minutes before we hung up. Mommy then bought me my plate and I started digging in. That tuna was on the money. Mommy’s tuna fish was great as always but it was extra good this time because I was real hungry. I hadn’t eaten all day and it had been awhile since I hadn’t this kind of tuna fish. “So how was you’re trip?” Mommy asked. “Awhh man ma, it was long. You know I had to walk toward back a couple of blocks toward the number two train at Prospect Avenue. Those stairs are something else especially being that I had this big bag. I took that to 59th Street Columbus Circle, got off and transferred to the A Train to 42nd Street. I had to take escalators all the way down stairs to The Greyhound Station to purchase my Greyhound ticket.”

“Jesus” Mommy replied “You know I forget how big New York is sometimes, and how much traveling you have to do to get certain places.” “Yeah” I replied. “You don’t really know until you step away from it for a while how much traveling you have to do to even get around the city, or to get to another one. So anyway, I waited about a half hour for the Greyhound and that was a three- hour trip. Once I got to Atlantic City I still had to pay for my NJ Transit bus ticket. I then waited another half hour for that bus. I enjoyed the ride, but it just made so many stops. Now I’m here.” I said laughing.

“This trip felt like a eight hour roller coaster ride.” Mommy and I both laughed. “Well I’m glad you made it hon.” Mommy said. “Me too mom.” I replied. Mommy and I disagreed a lot sometimes, but at the end of the she had my back and that has always meant a lot to me. I call her Mom although she is my grandmother because she raised me. My birth mother and I were raised like brother and sister so we have that type of relationship. We are very close and she has never felt any type of way about me calling my grandmother “Mom”. That has always made me feel good. Growing up people would ask me “If that’s you’re grandmother then why do you call her mom?” I would tell them its because she raise me.

My mother was 15 years old when she had me. She was very young. At that age you are still a child yourself and there are a lot of things that you don’t know about raising a child. A 15 year old girl is still going to the mall, hanging out with her friends, starting to like guys, trying to get good grades in high school, going to parties, and still trying to figure her life out. My grandmother practically raised her siblings so she had a lot of experience and knowledge. She brought me to South Jersey in about 1990 or 1991. I stayed there until September of 1998 when I moved back to New York. My mother and I stayed in the shelter system until 2002. We got our first apartment in the Bronx, NY. I finished high school in June of 2003 and we were evicted about a year later in 2004. Coming home to an eviction notice on your door is probably the most painful experience someone can go through.

I thought about the journey I’ve had to take to even finish high school and go certain situations that would of made a lesser person throw in the towel. It made me a stronger person and I wouldn’t have it any other way. After mommy and I spoke for a while she went to sleep and I turned in as well. I was tired and it was a long day. As I laid down on my grandmother’s couch I knew that I needed to figure out. I also and I knew that I had time to relax, but I knew that I needed a plan soon. I knew mommy wouldn’t mind the company, but I also knew that staying there to long would get her in trouble because my name wasn’t on the lease. As these thoughts raced through my head like the Indy 500 they started to make my eyes heavy. It was Almost like a heavy cloud was on my eyelids. They soon turned to heavy snores as I drifted off into a heavy sleep.

A month went by of trying to get jobs, going to the food stamps office to get assistance, and just not having much success. One day as I laid down deep in thought as I began to cultivate a plan to move back to New York. I thought about it long and hard, and I decided to go back to "The Covenant House" but before I made a decision, I wanted to discuss it with my grandmother first. As I fixed the blinds to her window from the sun peering through the living room, I heard mommy on a phone call in her room, while the TV was on. "Bye Bye Baby!!" Mommy said as I walked in the room “That was Ms. Dawn” Mommy said laughing after she got off the phone. “They are so crazy! She said those Dogs are always running around this house like they pay bills. She said they always barking up these trees they need to bark up some money! Pay mamas light bill! I hollered” Mommy said. “Oh the dogs are barking huh?” I said with a slight smile of my own. “They are friendly dogs though. They will let you pet them until the sun goes down”

“They are!” Mommy replied. “They are like kids to Dawn and Moe so they get fussed at too.” “I can’t get mad at that.” I said shaking my head and laughing simultaneously. “Speaking of paying bills and living here mom I want to talk to you about something.” I said segueing the conversation. “What’s on your mind Sy” Mommy said as she turned the TV down with the remote control. “I have been thinking about this for a long time. I’m going to go back to NY and live in the Covenant House and let them help me.” “Ok. Is this something that you’re sure about? You could get a job here, go back to school here if you choose to, and if you wanted your own place you are paying less rent money. NY is a beautiful place to visit, but very expensive to live. I know you don’t want to live with you’re aunts or try to stay with different people if things don’t work out.” Mommy said with a concerned look on her face.

“Nah ma, I get it. I’m not going to do that again. I looked up Covenant House on the computer and it’s a shelter that helps kids my age with a place to stay while they look for jobs and go back to school. “ I said trying to convince mommy of my decision. “It’s a shelter for runaways, kids without a place to stay, and people from different walks of life. I also know that I can’t stay here to long because this place is for elderly people only, and I don’t want you to get in trouble.” I said stating my case. I felt like a lawyer who chose to represent himself to a judge. Which shouldn’t have been the case at all. Mommy was just looking out for my best interest and giving me other options. She was just letting me know that I didn’t have to go back if I didn’t want to. This was not a trial for my life and mommy was not a judge. She wasn’t going to “lock me up” or “arrest me”. Her job was to show me different paths where I could see none because I was inexperienced in this thing we call life.

“I could ask them to put you on the lease until you get on your feet. They can’t kick you out of here if I tell them that you’re my grandson and you’re helping me.” Mommy explained. Now at the time I didn’t understand what leases were and how they worked, nor did I understand the concept of a Live In Aide, So in my mind I still thought mommy would get in trouble. “Nah ma I still don’t want you to get in trouble. This is a nice place and I want you to be able to keep it.” I said humbly. “I think I need to prove to myself that I can do this on my own.” “I still think it would be a good idea if you stayed here, but you are grown and you have to do what you feel is best for you. The only way that you will learn anything in life is if you get out there and live.” Mommy said. “I know ma.” I said reassuringly. “I wouldn’t have made this decision if I felt it wasn’t a good one. I’ll be ok I don’t think this place can be any worse than any of the other shelters were.” “Well alright. I’ll miss you. When are you thinking about leaving?” Mommy asked. “Well I’m thinking Monday. If I leave here early then I can get a bed early. It’s December and it cold. The sun is going down early, so I want to get there early enough so that I can get a bed.” I replied. “Well that’s how I would do it you know what I mean. You know you get there early and get you a bed so that way you don’t have nothing to worry about.” Mommy added.

“Yeah when I looked them up it said it was on a first come and first serve basis. So the earlier you get there the better.” I said. “ Well alight baby you got it figured out now you got it figured out!” Mommy said smiling and laughing. “Yeah a little something.” I replied laughing and smiling as well. “Ma what ever I don’t need I’m leaving it here so that I won’t have to drag a big bag down there. I don’t know anybody there, so the less stuff I have the better.” I said while opening my luggage bag.“ I don’t blame you that is a good idea. I wouldn’t go up there with that big bag.” Mommy replied. “Well baby like I said momma will miss you, I know you will land on you’re feet when you get back there.” Mommy said cheerfully.

“Yeah ma The Covenant House is right downtown so I’m right in the middle of everything. I mean it wouldn’t matter if it was in the Bronx or any other borough because it’s everything everywhere, but I can walk places to search for a job.” “You right about that” mommy said in agreement. “You can save your money when you get a job. So you won’t have to take the train as much. Set money aside just incase you want your own apartment or you might want to come back to Jersey. Keep you’re mind and options open because you never know how you may feel in the future.” Mommy said. Mommy was definitely right, and I did keep that information as a side note.

I definitely needed to get a job and save money. Moving back to Jersey never crossed mind. My immediate goal was to get back to Covenant House, get a bed, and get a job. As long as I had a job I would be ok. By the time Monday came around I was packed and ready to go with my plan in place. I said my goodbyes to mommy and headed back to NY. It took me a shorter while to get back because I left earlier and I wouldn’t have to travel all the way uptown to the Bronx which takes up a large amount of time. The NJ Transit buses and the Greyhound moved relatively fast. I left at about 8:30 AM that morning, got to Atlantic City about 10:00, and I was at the Port Authority Bus Terminal at about 1:30 in the afternoon. This is perfect timing actually because everybody is out working for the day and I’ll have a chance to speak to the intake specialist personally.

As I walked from 42nd and 8th Avenue to 41st Street and 10th Avenue, where the Covenant House is located, I started to think about the interview in my head and some of the things that I was going to say. I also thought of this as my last chance to get things right. I didn’t want to come all the way back to NY and bomb. I told my grandmother that I had a plan and I wanted to stick to it no matter what. I didn’t want to give up, I didn’t want to make any excuses, and I didn’t want to run back to my grandmother’s house just because things were going according to plan.

I wanted to get it right and make the right things happen. There was another reason that I planned on coming back to NY that I didn’t tell my grandmother. I actually had been to the Covenant House before. So I knew as long as I was still under 21 they would still take me in. I was still attending Drake Business School at the time right before we got evicted from our apartment in the Bronx. I bounced back a little between my Aunts house and my next -door neighbors house before I decided to go. My mom told me about it because she had stayed there briefly when she was younger. She said it was a place for young homeless people, young pregnant mothers, young people who just got out of jail else to go. After she told me about it I thought about it and decided to go. I went, but it was short lived.

I was just going through so much at that time. I was just evicted, I lost all of my belongings in that apartment, business school was going down the drain because I was skipping classes, my friends weren’t around as much anymore, and now I had to go to a place where I wasn’t sure about anybody or anything. At the time I had been talking to someone who said they could help me, and they did for a couple of months, but me being me I walked away from the situation because I didn’t see it as beneficial to my future.

So now almost a year later I’m walking down 41st Street finding myself right back in the same situation. With all these memories coming back to me like an failed marriage, I didn’t even notice that I was so close to the building. Covenant House was a big building. It was split into two sections, a section for the boys and a section for the girls. They also had a section for the young ladies that were pregnant and for the young ladies who already had children. When you walked in they have security check you’re things at the front door, once they are finished they take you to intake. Once at intake they ask you why you’re here and then they tell you if any beds are available.

They also explain to you that if you are unemployed you have to attend job training if you haven’t attended a job training class already. At the time I stayed at Covenant House they had Right Of Passage program, which was a 24 -month program. This program helps young people find jobs; they work closely with social workers, and help young people develop skills that will help them real world situations. It can be a very helpful program if you have patience and you let people help you. A lot of young homeless people benefited from being in the Covenant House. The used the program and went on to get great jobs and graduate college. There were also a lot of people didn’t have the hunger to really want better for their selves so the jogged in place.

Now being that I’ve been through the process before I got a bed pretty fast. My social worker was a young lady named Alice. She was a short African American lady, with short curly hair, and she wore glasses. She was an attractive older woman. A lot of the young guys would try to talk to her, but she would smile, be nice, and politely tell them where their focus should be. She was a very intelligent lady, but she was definitely stern. She wanted all of her people to do better and want better for them selves. “Hello Mr. Sakoli is it?” Ms. Alice said as she called me in her office for our intake meeting. “Yes” I replied as shook her hand while walking towards her office.

“That’s a very unusual name, are you from her originally?” Ms. Alice asked as she closed her office door. “Yes I’m from here, I’m from the Bronx to be exact.” I replied with a slight smirk. “Oh Ok.” Ms. Alice replied. I’ve never heard that name before, very original. Is this you’re first time staying here at The Covenant House?” She asked as she took out her pen to take notes. “No” I replied. I stayed here for a couple of weeks last year during the summer.” “Why did you leave?” Ms. Alice asked. “Well I thought I had a more stable living situation somewhere else, and I was for a while, until it fell through. I should have done more homework on it to make sure that it was a solid place, but I didn’t and now I don’t have anywhere to go.” I said shaking my head while looking down on the floor.

“How old are you?” Ms. Alice asked as she continued to write in her notebook. “I’m 19” I replied. “Did you graduate high school or do you have a GED?” Ms. Alice asked. “I graduated high school 2003” I said with a slight grin. “Ok.” Ms. Alice said. “That’s good, I’m glad to hear that. What high school did you attend? She asked. “I attended The Heritage School it’s located on Lexington Avenue between 105th and 106th Streets in Spanish Harlem.” “Ok I know that area. Some of the young men and women that were my clients lived near that area. I’ve been over there a couple of times myself. They call it "El Barrio!” Ms. Alice said with a smile on her face. “Yeah I miss it over there.” I replied with a smile of my own. “I have a lot of memories of that place.”

"Most definitely.” Ms. Alice replied smiling and nodding her head in agreement. Ok, so Mr. Norman have you attended job training and do you have any work experience?” “Yes I’ve attended job training before.” I responded. “I attended the Stanley Isaacs Center Youth Employment Program. The program lasted about a month. I learned job interview skills, how to dress properly for a job interview, how to answer job related questions on an interview, what a resume should look like, and how to fill out a job application properly. I also worked summer jobs through the Youth Employment Program, and I’ve had a couple of other jobs with Target, Wallbaums, and Elite Security.” “Oh ok young man.” Ms. Alice said with a impressed look on her face.

“You have some traction under you’re feet. Do you have proof that you’ve completed job training and do you have you’re high school diploma? “Yes I do” I replied. I went into my bag and pulled out my high school diploma and my job training completion certificates. “Ok this is good.” Ms. Alice said. “This will go a long way toward helping you. I’ll make copies. Do you have a social security card, State ID, and birth certificate? If not its ok we can help you get those things.” Ms. Alice said in a sincere tone. “Yes Ms. Alice I have those things also.” I replied as I went in to my bag, pulled out a manila envelope, and put my birth certificate and social security card on her desk. I then pulled out my wallet and grabbed my state ID and put that on her desk as well.

“Wow Mr. Norman you are a well prepared young man. Ms. Alice said. “It makes the process a lot easier when you have everything together.” She had a copy machine in the room so she made copies of all of my documents and handed them back to me. She told me more about the program and explained the process to me. She said the faster I can get a job then I could get transferred to a halfway house with less people. She then told me they had a bed ready for me and that she would send me upstairs so that I could get settled in. “Thank you Mr. Norman thats all I need from you. I’m going to send you upstairs so that you can get settled in. One of the aides will come get you and take you to you’re room.

They will also explain the floor rules and regulations to you. The dorm rooms were upstairs on the fourth floor of the building. The security guard brought me up and introduced me to one of the staff members to help me get settled in. His name was Andrew. He was a tall guy about 6’2, a African American brother, early 40’s, and he wore glasses. “How are you doing young man, what is you’re name?” Andrew asked as he stuck his hand out to introduce himself. “My name is Sakoli” I responded. “Nice to meet you and I appreciate the opportunity! Thank you for letting me stay here.” “Not a problem Mr. Sakoli” Andrew replied. “I hope that we help make you’re situation better, and I hope that you will stay long enough to let the system work for you.”

“I will do my best Mr. Andrew.” I said humble and confident. “Now we do have a few rules and regulations. You get up a six in the morning every morning, breakfast is served by 6:30am, and you’re out no later than 7:30am. Dinner is served at 6pm. If you’re shift exceeds this time than we will have the cafeteria save you some food. Curfew is no later than 8pm, unless you’re working a shift. If you are working past that time then we will need a copy of you’re work schedule to prove it. If you decide to stay out multiple days at a time without the approval of you’re social worker and staff members than you’re considered A Wall. We will then give you’re bed away and you will have a limited amount of time to pick up you’re belongings.

They will either be thrown away or handled accordingly at the managers discretion.” Mr. Andrew continued to explain. “Every night before bed you have to help do chores whether you are sweeping, mopping, wiping windows, or helping with the trash. It is tenants responsibility to help keep this facility clean.” Mr. Andrew said as he opened the door to my room. “Alright Mr. Sakoli you can put you’re bag here in the closet Do you have any questions?” “No not right now Mr. Andrew I pretty much understand everything right now.” I said as I put my bag down in the closet. “Well dinner is a couple hours away and you have some time to enjoy the peace and quiet during the day.” Mr. Andrew said jokingly.

“If you have any questions or comments I’ll be in the office. Welcome were glad to have you.” He said as we shook hands and he left the room. I sat there for a minute like wow I can’t believe I actually followed through with my plan. I was proud of myself. Normally I would of just cast things aside and did something totally different, but for some reason I knew that things would work if I stayed focused. I thought about my grandmother and leaving her. I knew that was a safety net for me. Mommy would have let me stay there longer than I needed to, but the thing with South Jersey was that it was so spread out. You can’t get to things fast like you can in NY.

Buses don’t come as frequent and a lot of the places that you really need to go are not in walking distance. Downtown Manhattan is the mecca of everything. You can walk 100 feet in on direction and be at a grocery store, clothing store, subway station, bus station, deli or bodega, music store, and you can look for jobs. Which at this point was the place that I needed to be. I was blocks away from Times Square one of the top tourist attractions in the world. If I couldn’t get a job down there than something was wrong with me. I called mommy to let her know that I’d made it safe and that I had checked in. I talked to her for a little why and then since nobody was in my room yet I decided that I was going to go sleep.

At that point it was close to 3pm and I had been up for a while. I didn’t really get a chance to sleep on the Greyhound because I was so anxious to get to Covenant House. I went over details I my head and I wanted to make sure that I had everything that I needed to ensure that I would get a bed. So all of these things tired me mentally and I just wanted to relax. The rest of the night was a breeze I got up later that evening, ate, and I sat down with the rest of the guys in the living room. I introduced my self and helped with the chores as Mr. Andrew said I would have to. I went to bed that night thinking that I would make this situation work no matter what. Everything that I been through prior to that moment I knew was for the better I thought as I drifted off into the dark abyss.

My time at the Covenant House was very memorable. I saw things there that made me happy, sad, think, and understand life on a different level. When I was there the nickname for it was “Baby Riker’s Island” It was called that because a lot of the males and females that came there came straight from Riker’s Island Prison. There was a lot of gang affiliation there as well, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. I never ran into any problems because I never tried to be a tough guy or act better than anyone else. I remember guys you to slap box each other, wrestle each other, fight, smoke weed and cigarettes, in the bathroom, crack jokes on each other, rap battle, cypher, and talk crazy. In my opinion this is just the NY way.

This is how we live. It’s never easy for anybody else to understand because they aren’t in that life. Some of the young fellas that I hung around use to tell me stories from their time in prison and their experience in the streets. It was definitely an eye opener and a learning experience. I wanted to make sure that the actions that I took didn’t lead me down that path. I wanted to do better for myself and I wanted better for myself. So hearing those stories of drugs, sex, violence, and survival made me want to be a better person than I was. Although my past was similar to my counterparts I didn’t want to be defined by it.

I ended up finding temporary work through a temp company called called The Source Temp Agency. It was a temporary work company. They were able to find me a job at Barneys. It was located a little further downtown on 7th Avenue. I did warehouse work. I moved boxes to and form the truck, moved clothes to different sections of the store, cleaned the warehouse, and everything else in between. I remember working out there in the winter- time and my hands being so cold that I couldn’t feel my fingers. Try lifting boxes while you’re hands are that cold. Man listen!!!! It felt like a hammer hit my hands sometimes picking and lifting up those boxes! But hey! In those situations you do what you have to do to get where you need to go! There were times during the week where I didn’t have enough money to take the train or bus so I’d have to walk home! Let me tell you! Barneys was near 16 and 17th Streets. So in the wintertime having to walk from 16th and 7th Ave Street to 41st Street and 10th Avenue was a long walk.

I got through it and it paid off. After about a month of working there the year 2004 had finished and it was the beginning of January 2005. It was the first week of the year and it was a normal day. I’d finished work and came in my room to relax. My roommate was still at work so I had the room to myself momentarily. I heard a knock on the door and I got up to answer it. It was Mr. Andrew. “What’s good Mr. A?” I said as I greeted him with a handshake. “Hey Sakoli how are you man” as he reciprocated the handshake. “Good news young fella we found you a halfway house in the Bronx, and you’re leaving this week on Thursday.” Mr. Andrew said with a smile on his face. “Oh snap that’s dope! I said in excitement. “Its called "Promesa" and it’s located on Boston Road and Prospect Avenue in The Bronx.” Mr. Andrew said while looking through his paperwork. “Oh ok I’m familiar with that area, it’s not to far from where I used to live.

Promesa was similar to Covenant House, but it was a lot more intimate. The space was a lot smaller, and you had more freedoms. There were also less people and a smaller staff from what Mr. Andrew explained to me. Only people who had jobs were eligible to move in that particular space. So being that i had the job at Barney's for a good amount of time, it sped up the intake process.

It’s actually in good walking distance.” I replied nodding my head in agreement. “That’s good so you should be alright up there.” Mr. Andrew said in shaking his head in approval. “Yeah most definitely” I replied. “Thank you Mr. Andrew” I said in appreciation. “No need young man. You worked hard and you deserve it.” He replied. After he left I immediately called my mom and my grandmother and told them the news. They were very happy for me because it proved to them that I could do something on my own and follow through with it. I had a plan and I stuck to it they could definitely respect that. This was Tuesday so those last couple of days couldn’t move fast enough.

Once Thursday morning arrived I got up early and packed my belongings. The car that was taking me there was leaving at around 10 or 11am so I wanted to make sure that I had everything. The craziest thing was in the midst of me moving I had landed a job with Duane Reade and I was going to start the very next week on Monday. It was cool that everything was coming together all at once. After I packed my things I said goodbye to some of the guys and I checked in with Ms. Alice. She was happy that I stayed and that I followed through with my plans.

“Not bad for a months work huh.” She said smiling as she shook my hand. “Not at all Ms. Alice. Thank you for letting me stay here I appreciate it.” I said as I gave her a handshake as well. “No problem young man just keep this same attitude and you will make it far. Remember what you’ve learned here. You have to work for everything you get and nothing is given.” Ms. Alice said as she took copies out of her copy machine. “I will Ms. Alice. Take care of yourself.” I said as I turned to walk back through the door. “You too young man. Be good.” She said while waiving goodbye as I walked out the door. As I got into the car I smiled with pride and conviction because I knew that I was on the right path. I knew this was only the beginning of what was to come and I was happy and excited. Driving down through the city that day I visualized each stoplight as a struggle or set back and each green light was the blessing that got me past it. I knew "Promesa" would bring new challenges, new struggles, and new lessons and I was ready. Fourty five minutes later I pulled up to that white house on Prospect Ave.