‘It is all a bad dream’

THE mother of the three children who perished in a fire at Petit Valley on Saturday believes it is all a bad dream.

She still cannot believe that three of her four children are dead and that her life has been shattered at age 25. For Elizabeth Mohammed, it was the very first time that she had left her children unattended and went to the market with her common-law husband to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. “Please tell me it is all a bad dream,” said Mohammed as she sobbed uncontrollably while making her way to the home of a relative at Petit Valley yesterday. She regrets leaving her children Alexis Mohammed four, Leslie Mohammed three, and Jason MacIntosh, two, asleep in the bedroom on Saturday. She said that on Friday night, she hugged her four children and slept with them in the same bed.

Alexis, her four-year-old daughter sang songs, tickled her, hugged her and fought for her attention while they were lying in the single bed, while Leslie and Jason caressed her hair, kissed her and showed her the kind of love which exists between a mother and her children. She said that she will cherish those last moments with her children as long as she lives. Mohammed told Newsday that she was accustomed taking the children to the Port-of-Spain Market every Saturday, where she purchased fresh fruits and vegetables. She always fed her children fresh juice and Supligen each day because she believed in practising good eating and drinking habits. On Saturday, she took a decision to allow the children to sleep because they looked so peaceful covered under a blanket in the bedroom. She said that before leaving the house she kissed her children and made the trek down the steep hills in company of her husband Jason and ten-month-old Angelo.  She said that while on the way to the market she wondered if any of the children had awaken or if they were crying, but she shrugged off those thoughts and looked forward to her return to make fresh juice for the children and cook them a nice meal. She pointed to the trunk of her husband’s car which contained bags of oranges from which she had hoped to make fresh juice to give her children on Saturday. The grieving mom hugged her surviving son Angelo and continued crying while being interviewed by Newsday.

She said that Alexis, her daughter, was supposed to start school shortly and she (Alexis) was looking forward to wearing her uniform. The uniform, lunch kit and books which Mohammed had purchased for Alexis were destroyed in the fire. According to the distraught mother, it was while at the market that she received a call on her cell phone by a relative who told her that her house was gutted by fire. No one told her that the children had perished in the fire. On the way to her home she kept asking her husband Jason if the children were alright but he himself appeared to be in a daze. When they arrived at Morne Coco Road, they were met by fire and police officers who broke the shocking news to them. Elizabeth collapsed and was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where she was treated. She is now staying at the home of a relative but has been unable to eat or resume a normal life since learning of the deaths of her children. Newsday learned that ten-month-old Angelo has been crying a lot from seeing his mother crying. The child shared a close bond with his sister and brothers.

Yesterday, Jason, a plumber, told Newsday that he is still shaken up over the deaths and is unsure what caused the fire in the first place. He said that he kept no matches in the house and he got electricity from a car battery. He is baffled over how the fire started and has vowed never to return to the place he once called home. Macintosh said that his employer has allowed him to stay in an apartment for a short time until he can get back on his feet again.Yesterday, he appealed to the government and members of the public to assist him in finding a place where he can stay until he is able to rebuild his life. He is hoping to have a funeral service tomorrow. The charred remains of the children were discovered on Saturday after fire swept through their wooden house. The remains were discovered close to a gas tank in the kitchen of the house. Fire prevention officers will return to the scene today to determine how the fire started. Officers of the West End Police Station are also investigating.