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Carmen

Carmen tells me about life

 

excerpt from Carmen's interview (part of the Waianae Homeless Beach Photo/Stories Project):

"I’ll tell you a story for real.

I smoke drugs. Where do you want me to start?

Born and raised Waianae, local girl. I have a twin, a brother. It’s cool, but he should’ve been a girl. And my family is well known down here. I haven’t lived down here for like 10 years. I have two kids. My daughter is 19 and my son is 16, but I never raised them cause I chose drugs. Over my kids. The father of my kids, he died. 12 years ago. He was 20 years older than me. I was 15, he was 35. What brings me to the beach? I love the ocean. I don’t live here. I live in Waianae. I have a house, but I prefer the beach. I’m 36, I’m married but my husband is incarcerated. We don’t have kids together- me and my husband. Been married 7 years, but we been together for 10. He’s not from here. He’s white, he’s a white dude. He looks like he’s in the military.

I lived on my own since I was 15. I started smoking drugs when I was 12. Weed when I was younger, but started smoking Ice when I was 12. When I was 16 I was shooting heroine. I whitnessed two murders. My first love- he got shot in the head in front of me. And a friend of mine got shot. It was drugs. I was incarcerated, I did 5 years. Me and my mom. I used to be bad. I used to rob. I Just moved back out here like 3 weeks ago, my husband had to go back to jail, and I was working but I got fired. It was a good job, I liked the job- it was cash that’s why. But my boss didn’t like me. Fuck that. Anyway, I had to move out from my apartment cause…. Well my husband he turned himself in, well I don’t know if he turned him- I don’t know what the fuck, but he got incarcerated again. Next month he maxes out. From 18-28 he was locked up. And then he came out and we met in a program when we both came out, and then we got together. We were together for 2 years and then we got married. And then he went back in for 4 more years. (What for?) He’s a sex offender. And then, he’s really smart. He doesn’t do drugs. He’s not a fucking rapist or anything, you know what I mean? It’s just…at the time. He was with the girl and they made an example out of him."

 

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Uploaded on July 24, 2010
Taken on June 7, 2010