Against the Odds

by Elizabeth Cooper

I chose to write about my my mother’s best friend, Ceola Canty. She is an African- American, born in Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn. Micheal is fifty-three, and her youngest brother, John is now fifty.

When Ceola turned ten years old her father had to relocate his job, he was in the army. They moved to Atlanta, Georgia. The family lived there for about two years before things became rough for them. Ceola was 12 and her parents had many problems in their relationship, they decided to get a divorce.

After the separation the family faced many difficulties. Ceola’s mother worked two jobs, because her father didn’t give them any support. Ceola brother and herself were sad because their mother was never be home anymore.

Ceola has a great amount of responsibilities. She had to wash clothes, prepare breakfast, dinner and baby-sit.  Ceola took her spot as being a mom at home . " My brother , Micheal, who was 11 at the time of the divorce, also started stealing from stores , and robbing people . He hung around the wrong type crowd. Micheal turned 13 he was caught sticking someone up and he was arrested sent and sent to a juvenile prison. My" my youngest brother, john was 8 years old. He would sleep all day. Many times he would wet the bed. John felt that my parent's divorce was his entire fault. He would say if he wasn’t born my parents would still be together."

Ceola’s mother would worry about bills being paid . The lights would be cut off at least three times a year. Ceola’s mother couldn’t make it to open school night for her kids or any other activities that she was invited or needed to attend. She started to drink alcohol. Ceola dropped out of high school when she turned sixteen to help her mother. This job helped the family back on track. Bills were now being paid on time, food clothes were also brought. Years later Ceola’s mother remarried. "This gave me a chance to catch up in school. I received my G.E.D and I later went on to college. Micheal came home at sixteen, however things did not change for him. He was sentenced to life imprisionment for murder. John graduated with honors from high school when he was seventeen. He also received a scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C." She feels that hard work helped those in the family who succeeded.