Participants: Rushaun Burrell, Thierry Miles, Ajahni Mathias, Jalon Riley, Maleek Palma

In the eerie streets of a slum in Jamaica, lived a high-spirited teenager named Peter. He was
very charismatic and people from all walks of life were very drawn to him or as his grandma
would say “people spirit tek just tek him”. Peter however had a knack for seeking excitement in
all the wrong places and attracting the wrong people.

One afternoon, while he was seeking to satisfy his curiosity, he decided to explore an
abandoned building with his friends. They split up into groups but Peter decided to go by
himself. He stumbled upon a door that was half open and decided that he was gonna go in. As
soon as he walked in, he heard a click and someone say, “mek nuh noise and yuh dead”.
Luckily, Peter was able to let out a sigh of relief as even tho the people he stumbled upon were
a group of notorious troublemakers, he knew the members quite well thanks to his charismatic
nature. They had a little chat and to his surprise, the leader of the group asked Peter if he
wanted to come along with them on some of their “adventures”.

Despite warnings from his grandmother about choosing his company wisely, Peter found himself
drawn to the thrill of the group's antics. He ignored the wisdom of the proverb "If yuh lie wid dog,
yuh get up wid flee" given to him by his grandma and agreed to go on some adventures with the
group.

As time passed, Peter became deeply involved with the gang, seeking acceptance and thrills in
their adventures. But the joy soon faded, replaced by a nagging feeling that he was heading
down the wrong path. A sudden realization struck him one evening as he witnessed the group
drunk and acting carelessly on top of a three story building with no railings, throwing rocks
down at random civilians. It was a wake-up call for Peter, a vivid realization of the danger in the
company he kept.

With a flashback to his grandmother's warnings, Peter recognized the significance of the
proverb. The gang represented the "dog" in his life, and the trouble that they would bring to him
being represented by "fleas". Peter slowly distanced himself from the gang, choosing a different
path. He sought fun in positive friendships, even with elders and channelled his energy into
constructive endeavors, taking his grandmother's wisdom to heart. The risks he'd taken with the
gang taught him a valuable life lesson. He learned the importance of surrounding himself with
positive influences and he now understands that heedless company could lead to unforeseen
troubles, much like lying with a dog could cause you to have fleas.