At the age of about sixteen, Victor completed his schooling and began “working out.” In this time of transition, Victor lived at Joseph’s House, a halfway home for the older boys who were preparing to leave Alpha. Victor remained there for a short time, before moving back home to live with his father. During this time, Victor also received his first job at a suit factory called El Corte Ingles, where he worked diligently for several years and earned the reputation of being an industrious and conscientious worker, so much so, that his employer eagerly hired one of Victor’s peers from Alpha. Unfortunately, this young lad was caught stealing on the job. The act was a breach of trust, which caused the manager to dismiss both young men, even though Victor pled his innocence. After losing his job, Victor spent most of his days on the street, with no money for food. Although he needed a job, Victor did not quite know how to go about searching for work on his own, as he was not fully prepared for the outside world after leaving Alpha. In 1960, conditions started to improve for Victor when he met someone who was involved in boxing. Victor decided to become his sparring partner and even acquired a few boxing matches of his own, which occurred mostly between the years of 1962 and 1964. During this time, Victor had hopes of joining the Olympics, and although he was doing well, he never received the necessary sponsorship to reach the Olympics. As his hopes of becoming a boxer waned, Victor found himself in search of a new direction, and decided to move in with an aunt and uncle who made caps [head coverings] for a living. Victor, too, began making caps, which enabled him to earn his keeps for a short period of time. However, things were growing increasingly difficult and Victor knew that he would have to find steady work, something that promised a future. With few options remaining, Victor decided to seek help from a former acquaintance, a woman who he met while working at El Corte Ingles. The woman graciously responded to Victor’s request for help and arranged for him to begin working at Bicknell and Silvera, the contracting company where he gained skills as an electrician and worked until he left for the United States. Victor’s remaining time in Jamaica was marred by episodes of hardship and challenge. Although work was going well, Victor found himself growing increasingly dismayed at the social conditions in Jamaica. For the average Jamaican, particularly those living in urban Kingston, opportunities were limited. After Jamaica gained its independence from Britain in 1962, the economic and political climate grew evermore desperate, and so did Victor’s desire to leave the island.