“I leave everything in the name of the Lord but what I know is what is done in darkness must come to light,” were the words of Yonette Torres whose 17-year-old son was one of the eight miners whose burnt remains were discovered at Lindo Creek, Berbice River two Saturdays ago.
Speaking to Stabroek News recently the woman, like many of the relatives of the other miners, lamented the fact that she did not have the body of her son, Nigel Torres, to bury. “All I am calling for is justice for my son. I want justice. I am not pointing any fingers but I want justice,” the woman said.
She spoke of how her son was always helpful in the home. She said shortly after it was learnt that the men had died, police officers visited her home but she did not speak to them as she was too distraught. She said all they did was to collect a photograph of the young man. “I just show them all the plants he planted in the yard and tell them how good he was but I ent really had time with them,” the woman said.
According to her, on Saturday last, Commissioner of Police Henry Greene visited her home and offered his condolences and told her to “bear up”. “But other than that no one else call or come and see me, I just here I not knowing what going on. But if I tek it on I would get a nervous problem because I had it already, I just leaving it in the hands of God.”
Previously, Torres had told Stabroek News that she had not been in favour of her son going to the location but because she knew the manager of the camp, Bonny Harry, she relented. After the men went into the location Harry had returned to her house because an engine was not working and he made contact with Leonard Arokium, the owner of the camp, who then sent up parts for the engine. She could not remember the date but said it was before the Joint Services had a confrontation with the Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins gang at Christmas Falls. She said she saw Dax Arokium, who also perished, going into the mining camp after the confrontation and she had warned him to be careful. “I cannot remember the date but I know is after the police thing at Christmas Falls.” She said she still has Harry’s clothing and boots at her house because he left them there when he visited and had planned to pick them up when he was passing out.
The woman said that she was even more distraught as she has not seen or heard from her eldest son for the past three years. “He took a girl from Parika and we ent hear back anything since and it is really hurting now that Nigel gone. We only get one son lef now and he is six.” She said she plans to have a memorial service at the church she attends for Nigel.
“God said not to judge so I am not judging but whoever kill them have to pay,” she said.
Others killed at the mining camp are Cedric Arokium, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes, Clifton Wong and Lancelot Lee.
