BY RACQUEL PORTER—
From outcast to hero, Tremayne Brown has made an about-turn in his life.
The 24-year-old is now labeled as Trench Town Hero after he rescued 12-year-old Renaldo Reynolds from drowning in raging flood waters last month — six months after he was deported from the United Kingdom (UK).
Brown, who was sentenced to three years in prison for distributing drugs and two and a half years for conspiracy, only served a total of three years prior to his deportation, which he said he is not proud of.
Now he wants to encourage all who harbor thoughts of dabbling with drugs to desist from doing so, as, according to him, that road is not an easy one and education is the only option.
In his crusade now to keep youth away from drugs, Brown traced his life — from the time he left Jamaica’s shores to his return earlier this year — in an interview with the Jamaica Observer last week.
He went to the UK with his father at age six and by age 19 he had started on the road to success by virtue of his success in eight GCSE subjects and a Level II diploma in health and social care from Carshalton College. He reasoned that he was unable to obtain a job and capitalize on the benefits that were offered to ordinary citizens.
With a baby on the way — the frustration started to creep in.
“I was really stressed out. In the back of my head I was thinking, what is the point of me going to school if I can’t even work? I spent my life here. At that stage everyone was like learning to drive, you know what I mean? Everyone was living their life. I was stuck in one position, I couldn’t move, I could do nothing. It made me mad,” Brown stated.
Despite his frustration, Brown said he was encouraged by his caregiver Faye Chung to go back to school, which he did.
“My nana told me that it was not about not being able to work. She said nothing beats education. As a man, it stressed me out. I had to go to her for money you see. I was thinking that is not right, she done educate me already and that was not going to work,” Brown remarked, adding that he studied Electrical Installation up to Level I and was in the process of completing Level II, which did not happen.
Brown, who said he was well known in the area for being a ‘nice guy’, said he was asked if he wanted to make some money by taking a parcel up the road.
Without hesitating, Brown said he took the package to the location. He was asked to do the same thing a second time, which he did.
On the third occasion Brown’s luck ran out. He was arrested and charged.
“I knew what I was doing was wrong. They tried to make it look more than what it actually was. I didn’t have anything. I didn’t have any big television… tell you the truth, I don’t even like thinking about it,” Brown said, adding that he cooperated with the police and was on bail for approximately six months.
He was subsequently rearrested and taken to court and kept in custody for a few months prior to sentencing.
“My attorney told me to plead guilty and everything would be alright. I said ehhhh … it sounded too good to be true. On the day I saw another barrister, he said ‘nah you are going to do a minimum of two years’. I said it ain’t going to happen because of the time and how long it has been and so I pleaded guilty,” Brown reasoned.
But little did he know that deportation was looming.
“When I first came in I got a letter saying that I was likely to be deported. I was like, what you talking about?” I said they were talking rubbish. I tore it up. Someone actually wrote another letter saying I should have responded. I wrote back saying I am Tremayne Brown and I have been here since I was a child,” Brown revealed.
Capitalizing on the programs that were being offered in the penitentiary, Brown said that education kept him going.
“It kept me going. Exercise and education trained my mind. I did catering and I did construction. I did everything. I used to work in the kitchen as well. You see, I have everything,” Brown chuckled, adding that he did all those things to keep his mind occupied.
Battling with the possibility of facing a similar fate as his father Stanford Brown did, he said he started to fight his deportation. He was seven years old when his father was deported.
Pointing out that he was in the process of sorting his paperwork when he was rearrested, he said he had plans next year to marry the mother of his son whom he had been involved with for eight years.
Seemingly embarrassed, he explained that after serving the sentence he was rushed off to the deportation center, after which he was placed on a flight to Jamaica.
“I blame myself. I blame myself up to this day,” he said.
After learning from his mistakes, he is urging others who had the same opportunity to make use of it.
“What I did was the most stupid thing I had ever done. If you actually want to go further and better your life, you can go there and get an education. You can go there and get a job and earn 10 times more than if you go the illegal way. It is just a matter of time before you get caught.”
Brown said he was told that he could appeal his deportation within six months of his arrival in Jamaica, but said he had not done so.
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