Ayoka: Does he know what you went through
Mark: Nott too much of it. One day I will sit down and tell him the story. I will let him know how
fortunate he is to have his mother and his grandma and aunts. I didn't have it at his age. When I
was his age, my family was passing backtoback. I also lost my brother and my grandmother. And
I had to deal with my father was not around
Ayoka: would things have been different for you if your father had been around after your mother
passed away?
Mark: Yes. I think I would have been a better man.Not to take away from who I am now, but I think
I would be able to handle things faster and make better decisions instead of having to figure things
out on my own. No one taught me how to be a man.
Ayoka: If you have a chance for a quick conversation with your mom today, what do you tell her?
Mark: I would tell her that I am happy to see her, that I am trying my best not to let her down. I
would let her know that I am staying on the right path so that I don’t catch up to her too soon.