"Jah bless, welcome to my humble home," said Rastafarian leader and Real Estate magnate Jacob "Jake" Welles. The six-foot-two, athletic, dark-skinned and dreadlocked, forty-something Jamaican fellow smiled pleasantly at his guests. Todd Dawkins and his wife Monique Christian-Dawkins looked positively upbeat, which is always a good thing. Jacob Welles knew that his stately mansion located in affluent Milton, Massachusetts, wasn't what most people expected when they visualized the dwelling of a Rastafarian leader. When will folks learn not to give credence to stereotypes?
When Jacob Welles moved to Massachusetts from his hometown of Bethel, Jamaica, he was just a young black man with a dream. He got a job as a security guard while attending Massasoit Community College and later, enrolled at Bridgewater State University. After earning a business degree, Jacob found his niche in the Afro-Caribbean Real Estate market. With lots of Haitians, Jamaicans, Cubans, Trinidadians and others moving to Boston every year, a unique opportunity presented itself. Many Afro-Caribbean people dream of achieving homeownership in the United States of America, and Jacob became their champion.
Jacob Welles went into the churches, the mosques and the community centers, handing out business cards and making friends. Positioning himself as the 'facilitator' to Afro-Caribbean people with questions about real estate, Jacob quickly made a name for himself. Along the way, Jacob created his own real estate firm and met his future wife Cheryl Robinson when he went to cash a massive cheque at the local Bank of America. Fast forward a few years, and Jacob and Cheryl have achieved the American Dream. The couple's adult sons Junior and Grant are studying at MIT. Jacob Welles and Cheryl found success and happiness on their own terms. The Jamaican power couple has also made some great friends along the way...
"Lovely place you have here," said Monique Dawkins, and the curvy, brown-skinned, Afro-sporting sister took a look at her surroundings, then beamed at her husband. Todd Dawkins, a stocky, dark-skinned, bald-headed man with a thick beard and mustache, nodded while shaking hands with Jacob. Jacob and Todd made eye contact and exchanged a subtle smile. The two men had known each other for a while, having met while working in downtown Boston. Boston's Jamaican America community is growing by leaps and bounds, and they need competent leadership in business and politics...
Jacob Welles is the man who pulled together the store owners, the book sellers, the restaurateurs, the real estate people, the accountants and the lawyers, in order to create the Jamaican Chamber of Commerce. Jamaicans form a sizeable portion of Boston's ever-growing black population and it's about time they got the empowerment and recognition that they deserve. Jacob Welles is a powerful man in his own right, and Todd thinks he's just getting started.
"Thanks for having us, Jake," said Todd, after exchanging a look with Monique, and Jacob nodded. The three of them went to the living room. Todd and Monique admired the Afro-Caribbean artwork on the walls, featuring everyone from Toussaint Louverture to Haile Selassie himself. Jamaicans have always admired great black leaders from around the world, past and present. Just as Monique was about to ask about a painting depicting an unknown African figure, rapidly approaching footsteps caused her to look away.
"Hello everyone," said Cheryl Robinson-Welles, and the lady of the house beamed at her guests. Jacob smiled at his lovely wife and took her hand, and then they exchanged pleasantries with their guests. Tall and slender yet curvy where it counted, the brown-skinned, short-haired Cheryl looked elegant in a crimson evening gown that showed off her killer legs. Monique smiled at Cheryl, then complimented her outfit. The two women were old friends, having met while working at the Bank of America.
"Cheryl, you look great," said Monique, and the two women hugged, and then shared a quick peck on the lips. Jacob grinned while Todd cocked an eyebrow. After the ladies had their moment, they went to the dining room, where a sumptuous feast awaited. Platters of goat meat, white rice, plantains, Okra, salads and turkey sat on silver platters. Todd looked at the table and nodded approvingly. Jacob sure knew how to treat his guests. It's one of many things Todd likes about his host...
Last year, at a meeting for Jamaican men in the Boston area, Jacob Welles surprised many by denouncing an incident which happened in Kingston. The details were fuzzy, but apparently, a flamboyant gay Jamaican man got roughed up by two police cadets in Kingston, and the local police did nothing about it. LGBT organizations around the world protested the incident, but Jamaica's leaders ignored them for the most part. Jacob Welles spoke up against homophobia and biphobia in the Jamaican community, and this gesture sparked much controversy.
Todd Dawkins was born in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to the City of Brockton, Massachusetts, with his Jamaican immigrant family a long time ago. While attending UMass-Amherst, Todd met his future wife Monique Christian. The two of them had a whirlwind romance and married eight months after they met. Everything seemed fine until Monique discovered Todd's other side. Todd is bisexual, and struggles mightily with it. Bisexuality is not tolerated among Jamaicans. At first, Monique was mad as hell and threatened to leave Todd. The two of them went to couples therapy in an attempt to save their marriage. After having two daughters and buying a home, Todd and Monique are still going strong. Hopefully, things will continue on an upward trajectory...
"My friends, I invited you here for a special occasion, the creation of the ACBN or Afro-Caribbean Bisexual Network," said Jacob, after exchanging a look with his wife Cheryl. A hush fell over the dining room. Cheryl nodded at her husband Jacob, who sat at the head of the table. The great man continued his speech, sharing with his friends and wife his vision of the future for the growing number of bisexual individuals within the Caribbean communities. Monique shot Todd a look and Todd shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Cheryl beamed at Jacob, and waited until he concluded his speech.
"When Jacob and I met, he told me he was bisexual from the get-go, I know that most of us Jamaicans believe that being anything other than straight is unnatural, but I learned to be more open-minded, Jacob and I love each other," Cheryl said proudly. Jacob smiled at his darling wife as she spoke, and gently squeezed her hand. Todd looked at Cheryl and Jacob admiringly. The reason why so many bisexual black men remain closeted is because most black women have a problem with male bisexuality. Hell, even bisexual black women have a problem with brothers who swing both ways. Such a sad state of the affairs...
"I applaud you for being so openminded, Cheryl," said Todd, and he got nods and smiles from Jacob and Cheryl. Monique sat next to her husband Todd, and felt conflicting feelings. Hearing Cheryl blurt out that she was fully supportive of Jacob's bisexuality made Monique feel both surprised and angry. When Monique married Todd, she thought he was straight. When she caught him watching bisexual porn on their computer on that fateful night, it was a shock. Monique loves Todd, but his bisexuality is something she had to get used to. Even though she has fucked women in the past...
