Neighbour · The church family’s good son
Josiah Grant
Nineteen, raised right, and pulled towards the wall by the shops. Three days at a friend’s showed him what his own house was holding up.
- Age
- 19
- Background
- Black-British, South London
- Look
- Slim and tall, close fade, clean-shaven, a face that shows everything. Grey hoodie, black joggers, white work trainers, small backpack; a plain shirt on Sundays.
- Voice
- Laughs along. Always laughs along.
He does everything. Like, everything. He’s nineteen and he’s basically the dad.
Who he is
Everybody on the Estate knows Josiah’s parents, Brother and Sister Grant, front row at church and first to the door when somebody needs help. Josiah is nineteen, with an older sister training to be a nurse, a little brother who thinks he’s the funniest person alive, and a ten o’clock curfew.
What pulls at him
The lads on the wall call him Choirboy. He knows right from wrong, but being laughed with instead of watched pulls at him.
What changed
After a row with his dad, he spends three days at Leon’s, where nobody asks what time you’re coming in, and sees what that really costs.
Who he’s close to
His family, Leon and Tia, and Marcus, who knew his dad.
Questions I Ask Myself
If Josiah’s story is yours too…
- What rule do I resent that might be someone looking out for me?
- Who am I trying hardest to impress?
- Whose load could I make lighter?
Read Josiah’s stories
More neighbours
Leon
Josiah’s friend in Block F. He checks the electric meter, does his little sister’s tea, and never makes a fuss about it.
Samuel
The old man on the bench. He doesn’t solve people’s problems — he helps them see them differently.
Marcus
Twenty-four and still carrying his past. Now he protects people, not territory, and lets his actions do the talking.