Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

Last October, The Sunday Gleaner published a series of articles exploring the issue of 'jackets', not those of the sartorial type, but the children whose mothers have knowingly or unknowingly given them to the wrong 'fathers'. This practice is universal, and there seems to be no end to it, and to the embarrassment that it is presenting to the purported fathers.

One of the articles, titled, 'When paternity is a fraud', written by yours truly, discusses the issue from the perspective that women who deceptively gave their children to the wrong fathers might have committed fraud. Paternity fraud cases are many in the United States, but this legal phenomenon is yet to be tested in the Jamaican courts.

However, on Monday, June 9, THE STAR's front-page lead read, '16 years of 'jacket' money'. The essence of the page-three story is that Leonard McBean went to pay his daughter's examination fees, only to find out that the child was not registered in his name. When the mother, Deon James, was told of the 'discrepancy', she altered the name on the child's birth certificate. She was charged and convicted for forgery and uttering a forged document.

Seeking compensation

But the issues of paternity fraud and restitution also came up, for the story says, "McBean told the court he would like to be compensated for the 16 years of child support that he gave to his 'daughter'." It would be interesting to see how the matter plays out in court should James be charged for paternity fraud, or if McBean sued James to recover his money.

The jacket debate was about to go on to another round, but the 'Patois Bible' decided that it too needed some of the spotlight. But I am waiting to see how the writers of the patois Bible dealt with the subject of the Immaculate Conception, since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. Did Mary deceive Joseph? No! Christians will say, as it was simply a matter of divine intervention.

But, Leonard McBean feels that he was hoodwinked, and is hurting, as the report further says, "He said it is hard to know that he was deceived for so long and now he has nothing but pain." Yet, he's not the only Jamaican man feeling the pain of deception. Many more are still feeling the squeeze, and are suffering in silence.

A twist

In a conversation with a friend, he told me that his father had recently discovered that he had a jacket, and that his 'sister' was not his sister. The father, whom I shall call 'Free', sat down with The Gleaner to talk about his struggles with a jacket that was squeezing him to death, financially and emotionally.

Free lives in one of Kingston's bustling inner cities. His son proudly refers to him as a 'gallis', but this womaniser of a man has been in a paternity pickle for the last 12 years. But when you have read the twist to this tale, you will see that it might have gone back to as far as 21 years ago.

'Jackie' and Free broke up while she was pregnant in question because of Free's philandering way, but he supported her during the pregnancy and after the baby was born. But, she took him to court for more money. At one stage they got back together, but it was a miserable life.

Court hearings

They separated for good, but Jackie would bring Free to court, at times demanding exorbitant amounts of money that the court would reject. Free made it clear that he was not delinquent. And all that time, Jackie made no effort to forge a good relationship between Free and the child.

For months, sometimes, Free did not see the child, and when he did, the child was invariably rude to him. But he has always been suspicious about Jackie's refusal to let him see the child, and he has often wondered, in that case, whether the child was his. One Christmas, when he insisted that the child come to see him, Jackie told him the child had better places to go.

The man who wanted to bond with his daughter so much was denied his right to be with her, yet he was expected to support her financially, until last year when Jackie sued him for over $370,000. Free retained the services of a lawyer. And to put his suspicions to rest, he requested that a DNA test be done. It cost him $30,000.

In February, when the results of the test were revealed, he was not the child's biological father. There were mixed emotions - happiness for getting Jackie off his back, and anger to know that he was given a jacket for which he was harassed and dragged through the courts for 12 years. "It hurts ... (especially) to know say I end up a jail because of the mother ... she brought me to Half-Way Tree court and I plead not guilt and they say I have to stay over until the next day ... I think I was deceived," he said in retrospect. At times he even contemplated about getting back his money, and he said he would put things in motion to do so, but only if ...

Yet, Free is not so free after all. Something is on his mind; for his jacket dilemma has taken on another texture, gender and colour. There is a certain young man, aged 22, according to Free, who is the splitting image of himself and his son. That young man, Free claimed, is his son too, and he is dying to get into the boy's life, to let him know that he, Free, is his father. How come?

Due to circumstances

When Free was 21, he left for the United States, leaving an apparently pregnant girlfriend. In his absence the girl moved on with her life, and as such, another man, of a different height and colour, was given the child. He has been back in the country for years, and cannot help recognising his own when he sees him.

When Free approached the child's mother about the matter, she told him that he must not say anything because he wasn't in Jamaica. "Although a big man, mi want to give him mi name ... mi want talk with him ... right now mi know say the pickney a fi mi ... mi woulda really want that youth in mi life still," he said. And the name he wants to give to the young man is a very famous name. Anywhere in the world you go, that name is synonymous with Jamaica.

The woman has a daughter whom Free, a taxi driver, used to take to school. When the woman realised that Free was getting too close to the family, she stopped using his service. She is afraid that one day Free is going to reveal the truth to the young man. Right now, Free wears a chain that belongs to the young man around his neck, hoping that one day links will be forged between them both. And to prevent a jacket from being a millstone around their necks, an obviously embarrassed Free is saying to Jamaican men, "Save the money and do the DNA."

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com