Sad end for brothers

Patrina Pink, Gleaner Writer

When their parents moved to St Maarten, 12-year-old Marques Morgan assumed the role of defender of his nine-year-old brother, Shamar. It suited his temperament as the adventurous young man had dreams of becoming a soldier.

Shamar was inquisitive and wanted to be an architect. His curiosity would get the best of him last Saturday when he slipped while peering into a pit in his yard.

Instinctively, his elder brother leaped into the 15ft soakaway to rescue him, but both would succumb to the virulent water.

Their 10-year-old neighbour and friend, Evroy Dickson's attempt to rescue Marques would fail, leaving him vulnerable.

Desperately holding on to a limb of a nearby tree, Evroy would be saved by the Morgan brothers' cousin.

Community in shock

The loss of the two boys and the danger faced by their neighbour have rocked the small community of Broadleaf district in Manchester.

The two boys are the only children for their parents.

"Them parents leave to make a better life for both of them," said grandaunt Tina Robinson.

Robinson had been caring for the two for almost two years and also helped to care for their mother. A teary Robinson recalled the irony of the day before.

"Yesterday, me tell them say them a wear black and white to church today (Sunday) because them love too much colour," she said. "I never even know why I say that."

The boys would not make it to church on Sunday and the Porus Primary and Villa Road Primary and Junior High will each have a vacant seat.

Loss to schools

It is a loss to both schools as both Shamar and Marques were described as creative and intelligent students. Their grandaunt says Shamar had a special skill in art and craft and enjoyed building hammers. Marques had been improving in school, bringing in good marks and finally settling down.

"Him say to me that him a go try and do him work. The other day him bring home two 100 per cent on him test papers. Him say him did a go make me proud," said Robinson.

The brothers were polar opposites; Shamar barely spoke and could be described as extremely shy while his brother was blunt and a leader.

Saturday's accident is especially painful for many because it occurred a mere three days before the pit was scheduled to be covered. The sight of the material that would have closed the soakaway is a sore one for family members. The pit does not belong to the family and is the responsibility of the Manchester Parish Council, which supplied the material.