The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

Ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A NEAR-capacity crowd packed the William Thompson Auditorium last night as grieving families, friends and national leaders gathered to honour the five teenagers whose lives were cut short in last month's Shirley Street crash.

The emotional memorial celebrated the lives of Bertrica Brown, 18, Diamond Stubbs, 17, Stania Webb, 19, Evalena Johnson, 19, and Keno Gordon Jr, 19, all recent high school graduates whose futures were only beginning to unfold.

Many attendees wore memorial shirts bearing the faces of the teenagers they had come to remember. One of the evening's most poignant moments came when Diamond's mother entered the auditorium wearing her daughter's graduation gown.

Diamond's aunt, Raquel Ramsey, said the gesture helped keep her daughter's memory close.

"It just made her feel more closer to her during this time, and I feel like it brings out the love within her," Ms Ramsey said.

Ranique Clarke fought back tears as she remembered her nephew, Keno, who had lived with her since moving from Cat Island three years ago after graduating from high school following the death of his father.

She said his death had left an emptiness that words could not describe.

“Walking in the house, waking him up, you know, because he was from the island, he really didn't know Nassau, so I used to take him everywhere. He was basically my baby,” she said.

Recalling the night of the crash, she said she still relives the moment she watched him drive away.

“I took him to the barber and I watched him get in that car," she said. "I can't question God, but you know, if I could turn back the hands of time after watching him hope in that car, I would.”

She remained by his bedside during the five days he fought for his life.

“I was praying with him, I watched the tears roll down his eyes, so I knew he could have heard me, you know," she said. "I tell God thank you because I still had five days."

A tearful Ramyiah O'Brien paid tribute to her close friend, Bertrica Brown.

The pair first met on a volleyball trip before growing closer after Ramyiah joined the track and field club run by Bertrica's brother.

“I'm just so grateful that I had Bertrica as a friend because she was such a good friend," she said. "She was always there for me. She was such a kind and loving person. I never thought that I would be doing this so soon,” she said through tears.

Even after graduation, the friends remained close.

“One of the last conversations I remember having with Bertrica was, it was the day of her graduation because I couldn't make it over to Abaco because of work, and I felt so bad.

“But she just told me she was like it's all right, and that's when I started to ask her about school because I know she wanted to go to college and she let me know she does want to go and she is going.”

Ms O'Brien also reflected on her friendship with Diamond Stubbs, whom she met during the Bahamas National High School Pageant. Diamond and Bertrica were also members of the same dance team.

Olive Mackey remembered her cousin, Stania Webb, with laughter as well as tears, recalling her playful personality and close relationship with her family.

“It was great potential. We looked forward to it. Already planning her graduation, but can I tell you, God had another plan,” Ms Mackey said.

Among those attending the memorial were Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and Opposition Leader Michael Pintard.

Mr Davis embraced relatives of the victims, many of whom are from his Cat Island constituency, before addressing the gathering.

“There's no speech that can take away the pain of a parent who's lost a child, or a sibling who's lost a brother or sister, and there's no explanation that that can make sense of attracting like this one, but what we can do, what we can do, is stand together in solidarity with each other,” he said.

“Tonight, that is what we do. We stand with these families. We stand with their loved ones. We stand with the people of Cat Island, and we stand all those of them affected by this heartbreaking lost.”