A request to Give Malique up for adoption - From his Mother

While I was in Bermuda, I received a phone call from Malique’s mother; she had just gotten married and was about to move to England, to join her new husband, who had enlisted in the British Arm Forces a few years before. Since I was in Bermuda working and she have been the child’s Sole caretaker, It would have been foolish to leave Malique behind in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with neither of his parents to care for him.

So she (Malique's mother) told me in order for her to take Malique to the UK with her and for him to received maximum UK Benefit, he must carry her husband’s last name. She also informed me that the absence of such will prevent Malique, from receiving his papers, to travel and stay in the UK. Then she was asking me to sign papers so she and her new husband could adopt Malique. She told me the paper work is in the mail, all I am required to do was to signed the papers and return them to her. I told Malique’s mother there is no way I am going to give away my son. After all Malique meant the world to me and I to him. After all this is the child, for years I had fixed my work schedule to ensure, I was able to visit him at his school, on his lunch break. The same child I will take to the beach most morning from since he was two years old. I have spent more quality time with this child more than anyone I knew; I have spending quality time with him, even when he was in his mother, talking to him, rubbing his head through the skin of his mother's belly and playing classical and old music for him even when he was still in his mother's womb. How could I ever give him to another man?

I adamantly declared to Malique’s mother that I am not signing any paper to cause Malique to be adopted by she (Malique’s mother) and her new husband. Later when I called and was speaking to Malique as I often did, my efforts to remain relevant in his life. I took the time to finding out how he was doing, how he was getting along in school, trying to keep abreast with my son’s general well being as well as to answer all question he had. and he had a lot of questions. 

While we were speaking Malique started a conversation complying with his mother’s wishes and plans. The Child of tender age said to me, "daddy, you know mommy got married and I will be moving to England with her, It will be best for me, if you sign the papers so that Mommy and her husband can adopt me. Then I can received all of the benefits like going to college and so on." he said, The fact that Malique made the request, broke my heart. He had a sincerity in his voice that cut like a knife. In the back of my mind a voice said Allan the child want to go with his mother, it will be selfish of you to stand in his way. Yet another voice said, don't forget you are his father you must do what is right for the child. I knew within my hearts of hearts to give him up for adoption was not in Malique's best interest.  

I wondered what kind of a person will put their child in such a situation to cause a 9 year old to negotiate with his father whom he love and who love him equally, to give him to a man whom he barely knew. So I said to my son, Malique, I am your father and I love you very much, I will never give you away. I know you have to go to the UK with your mother because in my absence your mother is the most appropriate person for you to be with; but I cannot and will never give you up.

A few days later when I called Malique, His Grand Mother Yvonne answered the phone and she told me a story that filled me with pride; and convinced me that I was doing the correct thing. She told me after Malique came of the phone with me. He went to her and said Granny Yvonne, do you really think my daddy is going to give me away; my daddy love me to much he will never give me away. He was proud and felt good to know that my love for him was defiant even of his mother and the fact that I loved his so much that I will not give him away. At lease that was how Malique say it as a child. His mother was asking his father to give him away.

As a result, I wrote a letter, to the British High Commission, informing the person who were responsible for processing Malique’s paper work, that I Allan H. F. Palmer I being the biological father and co-caretaker of Malique, I now work and because of my work I am currently residing in Bermuda, I am giving Malique’s Mother: Maria Greaves permission to take Malique to England with her, where he will reside with her and her husband; until such time when I am able to be a father to him.  

I then send that letter to Malique’s mother. And that was the last on that matter. I do not know what happened mext. I was not sure I could depend on Malique’s mother to do what was right. For the simple fact her lawyer was the notorious and dishonest Arthur Williams, who will encourage her to even falsefy document to accomplish his own end. To make it worst, I was a fierce opposition to the political party that he is an influential member of and my opposition was hurting the party badly to the point where they have been investing in creating difficulties for my with the Bermuda Police Service.

So the question is: did Malique's mother had her lawyer Arthur Williams illegally fix the documentation to cause Malique to be adopted by she and her husband. I still don’t know, because I will never put that pressure on my son to ask him. I don’t ever want him to feel like he is betraying his mother or the confidentiality of his mother.