In just three years, Arnold Mohammed watched his life collapse piece by piece. First, his home in Parayal Trace, Rio Claro collapsed due to a landslip. Then his wife left. Now, he fears he is losing his eldest daughter, who has started self-harming.
Speaking to Guardian Media at his rented Pascal Road, Piparo home, Arnold admitted that his struggles are worse because he cannot read or write well.
“I do the best that I can. I am not a dead-beat father and I’m doing the best that I can for my children,” Mohammed said, with tears in his eyes.
He has two daughters aged 19 and 13, as well as a seven-year-old son. Mohammed said his eldest daughter is autistic and cannot be left alone.
“She cannot speak. When she has outbursts, she grabs the knife and cuts herself,” Mohammed explained, showing off the scars on her hand.
It’s why he cannot risk going to work.
“Now that their mother is gone, I don’t want to leave them and then come home to find blood on the floor,” Mohammed said. He added that life has been difficult, but a nearby church and a few neighbours have been chipping in to bring them groceries.
His biggest headache is paying their monthly rent of $1,500.
“Since the house fell down I’m renting. I’m moving here, I’m moving there. It is very hard to be a father with an autistic daughter, but right now I have no choice but to ask for help because the rent is killing me,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to a kind woman who donates groceries once a month. Mohammed said he never applied for a food card, and he has no stable income.
“I reapplied for public assistance for my daughter, but they told me that will take two or three months,” he explained.
With his mother and mother-in-law both ill, there is little his family can do to help.
Despite the pain, Mohammed said he would not abandon his children.
“I want them to get the education I never had. I don’t want them to end up like me,” he said.
Mohammed revealed that he grew up in Rio Claro and left school in Standard Two. He said his mind could not grasp reading or writing.
“I tried to go to school, but I couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t write. From small, I just didn’t get it. But I don’t want my children to go through what I did, that is why I am trying so hard with them,” he revealed.
He said his 13-year-old daughter is helping his son with reading. Both attend the Piparo Presbyterian School, which is within walking distance from their home.
Mohammed said the stress is too much.
“The children are crying. They miss their mother, and I could see the sadness in their faces.”
Mohammed said his autistic daughter was enrolled in a Special Needs school in Rio Claro but after they lost the house, she could no longer attend.
“We moved many times. Her autism get worse,” he said.
Sometimes, he goes to Rio Claro to get work.
“I do a little tiling and painting but work is not regular,” he said.
Even though he has no income, he dreams of one day owning a home again.
“I just want a place to stay. A job nearby. My children are doing well in Piparo school. They have a church right across the road. I don’t want to move them again. Every time we move, it sets them back,” he said.
With the July/August holidays approaching, Mohammed said he is worried about how he would afford school books, uniforms and stationery.
“My daughter is going to graduate, and I don’t even know how I’ll pay for her books. But I want her to be proud of me. I want her to look back and say ‘Daddy couldn’t read or write but at least he did his best’.”
Mohammed said he wanted people to hear his story and learn from his mistakes.
“To the children, go to school and get your education,” he said.
For now, Mohammed said he will continue to pray and live in hope.
Anyone wanting to assist Mohammed can call 373-9054. Donations can be made to Arnold Mohammed Republic Bank Account # 520-024-377-131