day 4 - "jus cuz we's sugah babies, don't mean we's weak"

since he was the first named, 'arold deserved to be the first to speak, openly, publicly, about his time as a seed. it's a true horatio alger story of a young seed who started life in a dark corner of leeds and now seeks his fortune in the financial capitol of the world. not without hardship and trial, his is ultimately a story of pluck and luck that should inspire all.

q. 'arold, first let me say what a pleasure it is to have you here.

a. s'a pleasure mate.

q. what is your earliest memory?

a. i wuz mebbe a few days old. i was in me mum and i recall feelin a sudden col' breeze. turnt out, someone was bitin inta 'er.

q. my word. you were almost chewn in half.

a. 'at's right, lad. me first memory is almos' dyin. but uh, obviously, i lived.

q. how did you survive? how did you flee death's grasp?

a. was a freak accident really. da bite opened the skin next ta me and i slid out. fell to da floor. i wuzn't 'urt, but i wuz dazed. nex ting i know, i was bein picked up between two fat fingers. den placed in a bag.

q. monsey?

a. yeah. monsey. da bastard what sold me inta dis.

q. describe him, if it's not too painful.

a. 'airy. sweaty. fat. lord 'e was fat. 'is thumbs smelt like fish 'n' chips. gettin inta dat bag was a deliverence really. coulda died in that pinch.

q. and why had monsey pinched you?

a. turns out 'e was collectin seeds to sell dem.

q. so the stories of the black market in seeds are true.

a. dey is. dey is.

q. what horror you must have seen. after you were..."collected"...where then?

a. off to a processin plant in the carribean. i wuz alone even dough i was piled onta and unda dousands of otha seeds. i still didn't know where me mum was, where me brothers and sisters was. only that dere was no one i knew. and dat i was alone.

q. and what did they do to you in this plant?

a. s'prisinly, nuthin harsh, by my standards. i felt more fear in monsey's fingers than in the plant. all dey cared 'bout was movin ya 'long to da next step. quick in. quick out. no time ta waste abusin ya.

q. the out? where was that?

a. a packet. an envelop wit otha seeds. from all ova. california. ecuador. australia. learnt a lot from those blokes.

q. we're running out of time for this segment, so tell me, what is it like for you to be on a cill in manhattan? is it challenging?

a. nah. reminds me o' home sometimes. blokes in suits. birds in heels. but what i do 'ate is da judgement. i mean, jus cuz we's sugah babies, don't mean we's weak. but lots of people tink we can't grow 'ere. i promise ya. we will.

so our first glimpse into 'arold's perspective. fascinating. we'll have more time to sit down with him, and rest assured, there is much more to his story than this.

goodnight, leeds.