AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is James Leid and sometimes I don’t feel like a Trinidadian.

I would say I come from Blue Basin, Diego Martin. My family is maybe larger than some: mother Lisa, father Sean, sister Ariel, older brother Tristan, younger brother Daniel and myself. And I have nine uncles and aunts. I hope to have a family of my own one day. We lost our grandmother on our father's side, who we lived with, a while back and also an uncle about a year ago now, which was very sad.

I grew up in a two-bedroom apartment next to a bakery – we ended up having a cockroach problem – on the St Ann's main road, where the six of us lived until I was seven. Then we moved to live with my grandmother, where we still live today, even after she passed away. Blue Basin is quieter than St Ann's and it’s up in the bush so we see a lot more wildlife.

My girlfriend Felisha Mohammed is my best friend and partner.

My great-great-great-grandfather, named James Leid, came from Scotland to Grenada. Where he had a son named Samuel. Which is also my middle name.

I went to Holy Name Prep. For every kind of celebration, they would hand out lollies. They must have them stockpiled somewhere there.

It was only after I left Fatima College that I really appreciated teachers that cared and students that looked out for each other. Hearing stories from other schools, I realised I really had it good at Fatima. I believe that the name-calling from other schools is just misplaced anger and envy. It’s terrible that not all students can have that same experience I did. I made a lot of great friends there.

I did not do any sports, apart from fond memories of the Fatima Sea Scouts. I was disappointed my time in it was shortened by lockdown. I tried to watch a few football games but it never stuck to me.

For the most part, I liked school and was good at it mostly. At CXC I got all ones and twos except add math, which I got a four in. But I wasn't a fan of that anyway so no tears were shed. My favourite subjects were math and technical drawing.

I was raised into Catholicism and still believe in heaven, hell and purgatory. I used to go to church with my family up until covid. Although we still practise from home through TV and online masses.

I'm not sure why a loving, omnipotent God could allow his children to suffer but I think that the easiest explanation is that there is a “bigger plan.” It could be more that God leads people down a path and, when someone goes off path, it’s corrected. So this “bad thing happening to a good person” might just mean that God's plans are different from theirs and this “bad thing” might lead them to something more fulfilling. I'm not completely sure about this and I feel like saying any more about what I don't know enough about will just get me in trouble.

I like to listen to music and zone out. I don’t mean becoming mindless. More so I find myself just thinking deeply. I recall fondly early memories of whatever rock or metal my father had playing around the house. My favourite band right now is Nirv