Dear Pastor,

I met a man when I was 14 and he was 17. I got pregnant when I was 15, then he married me on my 18th birthday. He was a cheater and we fought a lot. He even got two girls pregnant. I could not take it anymore so I migrated to Antigua in 1995. My problem is that he won't help me with our daughter. He is always promising. This month my daughter will be 18 years old and going to college, but he is a deadbeat father. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would not have given him a glance. I am now remarried and my husband is a great dad to my daughter. It grieves my heart to know that my child's father is working $J51,000 every two weeks but he cannot help out in his child's education.

ML Antigua

Dear ML,

I can tell you that after your daughter has graduated from college, he is going to brag about her. In fact, he might even begin to brag before she graduates from college. I am sorry that you did not try to seek child support from him while your daughter was a minor. Right now you can only appeal to him to help his daughter.

I hope that she would always thank her stepfather for helping her and I also trust that her father will come to his senses and help her in college. Perhaps you may wish to appeal to his relatives to talk to him on your daughter's behalf. Your daughter should also write to him and tell him of her plans and ask him for help.

Pastor