Andrew Wildes, Gleaner Writer

EVERY NEGATIVE thought swamped his mind as he awaited the results of an x-ray.

All the responsibilities, all the payments to be made, how the girls would go to school, the thought of being unable to provide for his three daughters, was a far greater concern it seemed, than the ugly, old, carving knife that had just pierced the palm of his hand.

Eventually, the doctor returned with the news: none of his bones had been injured, none of his veins had been severed. Relieved, he got up and left.

The very next day, with his wounded hand covered by a bandage, he was back at his furniture shop - hard at work.

Treasured qualities

Danford Henry's commitment and sacrifice are just two of the many qualities that Jodi-Anne, 15, Georgia, 14, and Judene, 12, treasure when they speak of their father's love for them.

"We have to thank God for him, because without God's grace and mercy, bwoy, I don't know what we woulda do," Georgia said.

"When we grow up, is a must that we help him - to pay him back for what he has done. Not just to pay him, but to make him comfortable and to remind him of all the good he has done for us," she said.

For the past eight years, Henry has single-handedly raised his three children, as the girls' mother left the house when the eldest girl, Jodi-Anne, was only seven years old.

"Our father is actually our mother, because he plays the role of both," Judene remarked.

With a smile, Georgia chimed in. "When I was little, daddy combed my hair to go to school. Our father cooks for us. Everything he does for us."

"Yes! Daddy cook good," Henry's eldest daughter said.

The girls say their dad is a chef par excellence, when it comes to soups, ackee and saltfish, and rice and peas with baked beans.

One attribute of the man, the girls consistently, without prompting, spoke of, was the shouldering of his responsibilities.

"He takes these very seriously," shared Jodi-Anne, "because some fathers wouldn't take on the role of taking care of three girls.

"In Jamaica, and not only in Jamaica, you find some fathers molesting their children, but our father stands up for us and tries very hard so that we don't stop from school. He always tries the best for us," Jodi-Anne added.

Henry works as a furniture maker in May Pen, Clarendon, where the family lives. The trade has been depreciating in its appeal for sometime with the proliferation of low-cost, mass-produced furniture.

But Henry's woes have been compounded as, over the years, he has had to sell the bulk of his personal equipment to cover a number of his daughters' expenses.

Everyday struggle

The upshot of it all is that though Henry works every day, it is a struggle to make ends meet.

"Mi did have a little thing down the road, a little business like and … mi haffi get it and bring it here (to his home).

"Come here now, me hardly a get any support, cause people seh our area is violent. So yuh hardly find anybody from outside come in - the people not coming," Henry said.

The girls are not hidden from the harsh reality of poverty. They say they now need many essential items, but the struggle makes them love and appreciate their father even more.

"Sometimes we cry to see life - with our father alone, how him have to struggle with us and things," said Georgia.

Nonetheless, with all the pain of poverty and the daily struggles of fatherhood, Danford Henry's ability to speak with intricate detail about each of his daughter's test scores, about each girl's strengths and weaknesses, indeed, the pride with which he shares Judene's GSAT results, speaks volumes about his commitment to his daughters.

"He's always there for us, no matter what; always there to tell us things that are good, things that we must be careful of doing, things that we must avoid. He has all the characteristics of a good father," they all agreed.

andrew.wildes@gleanerjm.com

Corporal Garfield Brissett and Corporal Lloyd Bloomfield are two active fathers in the Jamaica Defence Force who have mastered the art of taking care of their children while fulfilling their military responsibilities.

Contributed
Corporal Garfield Brissett and his youngest son Garfield (Jr).

An armourer at the Support and Services Battalion, Corporal Brissett is the father of five children - four boys and one girl. But he really understood what it meant to be a father when he lost his wife and was left to take care of four young ones.

"Initially, when I lost my children's mother, it was very difficult for me. I had to make sure that I cared for them even more, as I had the task of also comforting them, especially my daughter, who was very young at the time. The most difficult part of taking care of them is when I am on duty," he shared.

Duties usually last between 24 and 48 hours and whenever Brissett is on such duties, he tries to monitor them by leaving specific instructions for them to follow and by putting the older ones in charge.

One can see Corporal Brissett, who resides at Up Park Camp, scurrying in the mornings to take his young son to school. Brissett wakes up very early to iron their uniforms and prepare their breakfast. It would be safe to say that the Jamaica Defence Force helped him in that department as he would have learnt this skill in Newcastle back in 1991 when he joined the army.

Corporal Brissett enjoys being a father. His children are his pride and joy. Not only does he love to be a father, but his children are happy to have him as their dad.

"He is a very honest, nice and fun-loving dad, and he shows respect to all of us," says daughter Keneisha, who is 15 years old and attends St Hugh's High School.