By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Three weeks ago, Saint Francis senior Jessica Figueira and her friends were on the city bus heading home to Kapolei. At Alapa'i Street, a man got on whose appearance stopped all conversation. He was 6 feet tall, 300 pounds. His right eye was swollen shut and there was a row of surgical staples in his head.

He fit the description of a man Jessica's teacher had been talking about that morning in class. Carey Won told his students about a story he saw on KHON news about a recovering drug addict who was beaten with a shovel by ice addicts while helping a friend clean up what was turning into a flophouse.

People on the bus were whispering like they had seen the news story, too. Jessica couldn't stand it anymore. "I hate that," she says. "It's like when a girl has toilet paper on her shoe or something and no one will just go up to her and say something."

So she went up to the man, tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, are you ... ?"

"Yeah, I'm the guy who got hit in the head with a shovel," he said.

"My teacher told us about you," Jessica said, "And I just wanted to say that I think it was really cool that you were trying to help that guy clean up his house."

The two struck up a conversation. Jessica said it was as though the whole bus was listening in. "I busted out a pencil and paper and started taking notes."

The man, Desmond Pescaia, talked about his past of drug addiction and violence and about his struggle to start his life over. Jessica told him about Mr. Won's class assignment — the students have to come up with real solutions to Hawai'i's drug problems. The solutions must be based on the assumption that no government money is available for any programs.

"You should come talk to my class," Jessica told Desmond.

The next day, he did. There he was, all 6 feet, 300 pounds of him, staples in his head and everything, walking around the quiet Manoa campus of the all-girls Catholic school. "We were all really surprised to see him," Jessica said.

Mr. Won took Desmond to the principal's office first thing and introduced him to Sister Joan of Arc. "As big as I am, I was afraid of her," says Desmond. "I thought to myself, I'd better keep myself in check because this lady has a close relationship with God."

Since then, Desmond has been invited to speak to several classes on campus. He talks about his struggle with alcohol, cocaine and crack and his belief that God brought him out of addiction — a message that goes over well at the Catholic school.

What Desmond has done for the students is to offer realistic advice for turning their good intentions into useful action. "Holding signs is good, but it doesn't help those who really need help," Jessica says.

The high school started a food drive project in response to some of Desmond's stories. The food the girls collect will go to recovering addicts transitioning out of halfway houses. Desmond is working with Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship on the project.

Won says he's pleased with his students' desire to turn classroom discussion into real action. "I was adviser to this class for two years and all that time, I tried to impress on them that everything isn't all about you. This time, it's not me pushing them to do something for somebody. It's them really wanting to help."

As for Desmond, his wounds are healing and the swelling has gone down quite a bit. "I looked like that character 'Sloth' in the movie 'The Goonies'," he says. Desmond is at a rare loss for words when asked what talking to the students has meant to him. "Put it this way," he says, "These high-school kids are more willing to help than most adults, who just look at someone like me and figure I got what I deserve."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.