Who is Ty from the story, J'ouvert, 1996, in the collection, A Lucky Man?

Ty is the 17-year-old first person narrator of "J'ouvert, 1996." Ty lives on the tenth floor of a dilapidated apartment building in the projects with his mother, Ruth, younger brother Omari, and, occasionally, his mother's boyfriend Mike. Imprisoned when Ty was seven, Ty's father has recently stopped responding to his letters, leaving a gap of longing in Ty. Throughout the story, the reader witness Ty trying to reconstruct memories of his father, including experiences at the West Indian Day Parade together or nights of dramatic upheaval between his parents. Through these patchy childhood reminiscences, Ty struggles to recreate an authentic understanding of his father that he can model and respect as he grows into adulthood.