From the time of his mother’s passing, Victor remained in the care of his father, who struggled to support his sons on the humble wages he received as a waiter. Victor stayed with his father for a period of about two years, but during that time Victor and his older brother often had to fend for themselves. They would roam the streets looking for food and a place to rest their heads. Guided by his older brother, Victor learned how to survive the streets; petty theft became a means of survival and way of life. After nearly two years, the State made the decision that these two boys needed some stability. Because he was still quite young—only about six at this time—Victor was sent to Maxfield Park Children’s Home (a place for the youngest of Jamaica’s orphaned and abandoned) while John was sent to the Alpha Boys’ School—one of Jamaica’s oldest and most prominent children’s homes. For the four years Victor and John were in separate homes, the brothers did not see each other nor did they receive visits from any family members. On October 8, 1945, at the age of nine and a half, Victor was sent to join his brother at the Alpha Boys’ School and Home.