UNCOVERED ISSUES

UNCOVERED ISSUES GIVES OUR VENDORS AND WRITERS A VOICE. IT IS A CHANCE FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES — AND CONNECT WITH YOU, OUR READERS

BEING ON MY OWN

BY: MARIA JAMES

Being on my own is a great experience. I can live the way I want and have freedom. If I make mistakes, it is my mistake, and I can acknowledge and accept it, then fix it too. I'm more responsible and I'm an adult. I am making more decisions and doing more things that make me a better person than I was before. Sometimes I wish I had more friends, but there really isn't a lot of time for that. So I find myself just chatting with people I meet during the day, when I am working or grocery shopping, or even at the bus stop. Sometimes I exchange numbers if I really enjoy the conversation. My favorite "me-time" activities are relaxing, cooking, and making jewelry. I enjoy exercise too, but I am usually too busy or too tired by the time I have finished my work and chores. I hope to have my own business one day — a jewelry store. I think I would do well and enjoy it very much. My favorite foods to cook are pineapple cornbread, seared pork loins, and vegetables. I'm always looking for healthy new ways to prepare them. I want to say one more thing. Thank you to all of my customers who are so dedicated and show up regularly to support me. Thanks for caring and thank you One Step Away. Sincerely, Maria James.

A LETTER TO MY ONE STEP AWAY SUPPORTERS

BY: RICHARD "RAM" RAMSON

I’d like to start off by saying a big THANK YOU!!! To all our supporters! Without you One Step Away wouldn’t be possible! You all give us life and the encouragement to keep moving forward. Speaking for myself I can especially say that I love you! You have become the family I never had. You support me and you care for me. Love is required for support and care to exist, so I thank you for loving me, loving us. We just celebrated our ten year anniversary! A wonderful decade of lives being changed because of the people! The everyday people. Many different walks of life, but they all support us! Which is a phenomenal thing! I’ve been along for the ride for 8 years! February 22nd of 2012 is when I signed up to be a One Step Away vendor! Because of One Step Away I received housing last year! Giving stability to me and my daughter Symphony. As we move forward in this new decade of vision, we need your support more than ever! We need you to tell more people about us. About our fight for ourselves! And how you help us to continue fighting to change our lives into one of stability while we maintain our integrity with diligence, hard-work, self-sufficiency and will power. As vendors we stand on the principles of faith, perseverance and determination. We don’t give up because of the hope and optimism you give us! We need you to speak of us in your communities and workspace! Tell all your family and friends about us so that we can expand, grow and continue to represent what it looks like when people help those who want to help themselves! I received housing last year because of all you supporters! You’ve helped me to experience and know what family support, love and care feels like. I never received it as a child, so I subconsciously searched for it my whole life. And 8 years later of being a One Step Away vendor I can honestly say I’ve experienced it now. You’ve been consistent and have never let me down. The support you give me and us vendors is tremendous! You all are such beautiful human beings! A true blessing. Let no one tell you different. I will continue to represent myself with dignity, honesty and integrity. LOL, I sit here trying to think of a name for you all instead of just saying supporters, which, you are but you mean so much more. I will call you my, “OSA Family.” I thank you and love you with all my heart OSA Family. Sincerely Yours, Ram

JOVANA

BY: SLOBODAN MRKOJEVIC

My name is Jovana. I am not a camel, I am Jovana. I am a lonely, ugly woman who gives away love freely and desperately. I am standing in court in front of a jury and to my choice, I have no counsel And do not need it. I plead I am guilty without a doubt. I ask to receive the harshest punishment they are able to give me.

The only person who loved me was my mother. Everyone has been looking at me like I'm a monster because I have a harelip, and was born with a hump on my back. As well they all think I'm hideous—and I feel the same way! You're right, I'm ugly.

I went to school a lot, I loved to read...

Then through puberty, my hideous form only grew worse—the hump on my back become larger, and everyone started to call me a CAMEL. I started to hate school. I stopped going to school. Then I went back there by force. I did not finish anything, only five classes.

My mother died. I was left alone without anybody anywhere. I was not brave enough to kill myself, so I continued to live as wretched. Something has to eat.

I found a job at the bus terminal restaurant; cleaned the floors, toilets, and urinals—in them, I emptied ashtrays. People are strange when drunk, I was often asked whether I would give love to them, which would not have made me.

I am a woman.

So I became Juca Kamil. To love everyone with a big heart. Well, I just could not be alone.

Some men were very kind and gentle. One gentleman gave me a gold chain. Here and there it is said: better you than her. I acknowledge that it is nice, down from a ruby tear to my tears.

I have friends.

I went to school with him. His name is Lalala, always was a good man—he only called me Jovana. Everyone knows him, he lives in that house with a park full of birch.

Many times I sat there with him, telling each other fairy tales. Our dreams.

He is like a gemstone, always claimed special.

After them, I formed you. He was a sculptor. I know that he is my only friend.

At one point I became pregnant. I do not know who the father is! In front of everyone, I have to hide while my stomach is growing, clutching him. I did not want to see.

I was afraid of what you would say. I was afraid of everything, I was afraid of laughter.

Do you know how it hurt? Juca Kamil, and it's all gone.

So finally came the day. I gave birth there at the railway terminal, in the bathroom. Then everything came to an end.

Baby is crying. Boy, my baby, he kept crying. I covered his mouth with my hand. I put him under a coat to bring him home so no one would see him when I got home.

I see that my baby is dead. I killed my baby, my son. I washed it, dressed in clothes that I bought all in pink. I love pink and I thought it would be a girl. I'd bring it to the park and put it under a birch tree. They're so nice. I killed my son. I laid beside him and cried...There is where I was found. I want to die.

My name is Lalala, I am a sculptor, I love rock.

Jovana was released by court decision on Friday at 6 o'clock in the morning. Immediately went to the tomb of his son. Put the flowers and returned to my garden, hung on birch where we are together. Once upon a time it told a different tale. Then to the grave I put two stone hearts on each one. The magnitude that I asked for a form of life in stone—now I wander the world alone.

Though knowing my country, they are in power. People, which they named Juca Camel, and destroying love.

Let them. The world is such a whole.

My name is La-la-la. And I now live closed in the black world in my skull. In a corner collected, scream people with love: Jovana wonderful woman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Slobodan is a vendor for One Step Away. He is from Yugoslavia, he’s been selling magazines for 6 years and loves the people of this city, he submits pieces of writing when he’s most available.

IN THE MIX UP

BY: BRIAN BELCHER

What a way to hiccup! The top of the morning wakes you up, and just throws you sometimes, doesn’t it?

Then, the vulnerable touch goes through you. When that insanity hits that’s when you begin to feel like no one knew you. Pointing that one finger at everybody, the index finger, a powerful finger. You know?

The finger that can call the shots and end someone’s opinion quick. I surely do not intend to end up in the mix! One thing that I’ll applaud is things that people do to end that shit! Even if this takes six days of work with one little bit of day to rest. That’s when hard work really pays off. Then, I know, I must play hard and not be too soft.

The fact is that when in the mix, one wrong look and you’re lost. Just as fast as a bar closes in minutes, screaming out last call! Last chance, last fall, first of all this is being in the mix of it all. The thing is that things can go with time so fast. So fast that if you don’t think, and move quick, you can for sure once again, find yourself in the mix.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian is a vendor and writer for One Step Away. He uses his writing to express his experiences with homelessness and his life.