Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A LES A GREATER CO By Kara Jones staff writer I meet Kembert Edwards every Tuesday in the fiction section of the Richland County Library to tutor him, and every week he brings the same leather briefcase of impeccably arranged tapes, videos, note j. .t, ,, i caras, paper raDiets ana snarpenea pencils. Kembert Edwards, at the age of 32, is learning how to read all over again. He began learning the alphabet over a month ago with three single flash cards. Last Tuesday he received the last three. Over 14 years ago, Edwards graduated from Eau Claire High School in Columbia. He found a job, rented an apartment and within a few years had three children. Edwards wasn't satisfied with the amount of money he was making in his new job. "I wanted more money," he said, shaking his head. The drive for more income lead Edwards to sell crack, and one day he tried his owr. product. Edwards describes the next 8 years of his j?sv JHF "> ntmr * Hp&. I_c I ? it you dont stop your ir El xnw i X V/ I ^ I LUMBIA LITERACY addiction in a low voice full of regret. "At one time, I knew it was either the jail or the grave," he said detailing a calamitous cycle of immediate wealth, crippling addicH An culrirlil Inure or\^l rr\rvrr?rl * r ouiviuui iu n j auu apuiauiv episodes of recovery and theft. "I tried to get help," he said. "One time I went to a free clinic, and they told me to come back in a month." Although he describes the instability drugs create, Edwards said he accepts responsibility for his past lifestyle. Edwards was shot in the head at a convenience store robbery more than four years ago. He believes the shooting was fate. "My condition was so bad after I was shot, my mother had five days to decide whether to turn off the [life-support] machine," Edwards said. Fragments of the bullet still remain in Edward's skull. i Nty it. nt/c Luucnuig my ut:au again," Edwards said, laughing as he tells the story of his lengthy rehabilitation. aDRUNI DRIVto DOESN JUST Ki noiiui I xMi. x^ I lend from driving drunk, who will? myiuJlkU-lff?i M^AA^iAAikMM^aUU hUK P COUNCIL VOLUN1 Edwards has re-invented many ways to carry out normal daily tasks despite the extensive brain damage which limits his memory and affects his gait, speech and basic motor coordination. Reading the newspaper is one daily event Edwards hopes to accomplish. Although he is still planning what he intends to do in the future, he is immediately sure that he wants to read. Edwards is determined. Besides practice during tutoring sessions, Edwards spends more hours at home repeating flash cards, singing the alphabet with his daughter, listening to tapes, and tracing letters on tablets he always remembers to show me. Reclaiming life day by day, Edwards shares his experiences with others. Yawning on Tuesday, I joke with him about staying up late. Instead of blaming lethargy on David Letterman, he says he sometimes visits the places where he used to sell crack. "I tell them what happened to me. The road to ruin...," Edwards said. ' 'Vy-. RffiLi ig^ll!pj8L Do whatever it takes. U S Department of Transportation ^ TEA< "FFR I EARKK FROM L U n L L# \ i \ i ^ / *1 \ i w \ Kembert recognizes his faith as the primary cause of his recovery. The Polaroids of smiling kids in his briefcase and his mother, whom I met the first day, are two other motivators. "My family has been great," Edwards said. Everyday is a step in "the right path" for Edwards, and every Tuesday is a new lesson for me. Remembering phonetically how to read, I dig back into my first grade memory as Kembert and I chant the sounds or letters. "God is in every person and wants to manifest His goodness," Kembert always says, and it's plain to see that the ever-optimistic, struggling Kembert Edwards is a powerful testimony of integrity. I am grateful to be his student. Hundreds of citizens in the Columbia area are illiterate or functionally illiterate. The Greater Columbia Literacy Council tries to help these people and welcomes volunteers. Training and materials are available. To become involved, call 765-2555. AVEDA ^concept so in Coiumb BAAV ^AflPi?rTr Yaw f Tammy Cline Ml StyHs riiiiKiagg 1237 Gadsen St SALON * VISTA Affordable health ci next day appoin Evening and v and i ' L_l C D . I I L IV HER STUDENT "MY CONDITION WAS SO BAD AFTER I WAS SHOT, MY MOTHER HAD FIVE DAYS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TURN OFF THE [LIFE-SUPPORT] MAC n I IN t, - KEMBERT EDWARDS ilon 110% off! ;?p! w/ ! n j Student I.D. j atson Till Fallaw * Petti Welters t/Make-Up Artists Suite 104 Appointments Only 254-1234 i ire with ^ 1 mailable. B.Wise titioner Women's Health Certified Concept rotccols Your Health Is Your Tomorrow support. itreel, Columbia, SC 29201 779-4333 |