Triplets escape death

ANDREA, Rebecca and Nicola Dindyal, the triplets born at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital to Nicole Dindyal and Andre Arthur on September 1, escaped death and are now facing homelessness. Last Thursday, the north-western bedroom wall of their 70-year-old Bronsvillae Terrace, Upper Mapp Lands home at Laventille Road, came crashing down around 2.30 pm. Only moments before, Nicole had put the triplets to sleep in the south-western side of the room, telling Newsday she had planned to put the babies to sleep on the side that collapsed for them to get “breeze,” but changed her mind. With a sigh of relief, she thanked God because the collapsed wall fell about 15 feet. A frightened Nicole is now pleading with anyone who can help her as she believes the entire three-bedroom house will also collapse, and she has nowhere else to go.

“Following my complaints, I was visited on Sunday last by Member of Parliament Fitzgerald Hinds, who only spoke about offering me $10,000 to rebuild, but I do not want to rebuild as the earth from under the house is collapsing. “Right now, neither my mother, common-law husband nor myself could sleep because every minute we feel the house shaking and the walls moving. The walls of the second bedroom have already started cracking, and we expect that to go soon. “I am sleeping in the living room with my triplets and husband, the crib which leans against the inner wall of the second bedroom is open to the elements of ‘draft winds’ coming from the east and west, while the roof, like that in the kitchen, is leaking. My other children are sleeping by my sister. My mother’s bedroom, which is closest to the front of the house, is also leaking and liable to go after the second room collapses, which we expect soon.

“The money my husband works for is just enough to take care of the family. I have little money and nowhere to go. I am appealing to anyone who can help me,” cried the mother of eight. When Nicole got news of the collapse of the wall, she was visiting the office of Hinds to speak about the house, and he visited her a few days after. She was given a letter to take to National Housing Authority and to hardware stores in the area for an estimation of the materials, which is not supposed to exceed $10,000. Nicole told Newsday she spoke to then MP Eulalie James two and half years ago, and she promised to assist but did not, and now she is facing this dilemma.

“My children could have been dead. Thank God for my mother and sister who were able to pull the crib and other things out of the room and thank God Hurricane Ivan did not hit Trinidad,” she said. “While I am thankful for the offer of Mr Hinds, what I want is a safe place to take my family. When I visited NHA, I was told to come back month-end plus the $10,000 offer was made, but my life is in limbo. I am appealing to whoever can help for some assistance soon, before it is too late. Right now the second bedroom is on the verge of collapse.” Nicole added that she was willing to pay rent if necessary.