It seemed uncanny when 25-year-old mechanic, Kemar Samuels, asked a pastor, on Wednesday: “Pastor, you ever bury anybody yet?” Surprised, the pastor enquired, “What, why you asking me that?” He responded, “If mi dead you woulda…,” and he stopped short, “don’t worry.” So, did he have a premonition of an evil foreboding? Because 24 hours later, on Thursday, Samuels was brazenly gunned down at his workplace on McCatty Street, Montego Bay.

Samuels’ fervent dream of leaving to go overseas on the work programme to pursue a better life was dashed, as his young life was snuffed out as he did what he loved best, fixing cars. He was the main mechanic for his boss, Garnet ‘Eyes’ Edwards, operator of Eyes Garage.
Kemar was at work on Thursday about 4:30, when two men entered the garage asking for a car part to purchase. A worker reportedly advised them that they do not sell the part and referred them to an auto parts store.

Upon leaving the garage, one of the men reportedly pulled a gun and opened fire hitting Samuels in the head, forcing the other workers to scamper to safety.
The death of the young mechanic, who attended the HEART Trust immediately after high school, has left his father, Lizel Samuels, with whom he lived, and his younger brother at Rose Heights, traumatized and bewildered.

“It has made me sick, sick. I’m torn up, mi can’t eat, mi caan sleep, mi pressure gone up, mi can hardly survive because when mi look and si mi baby gone lef mi, because a him should bury me, now me have fi go bury him. Mi nuh know how fi manage,” the elder Samuels bewailed.
He said if Kemar had friends, he was not aware because none came to the house, as he was home from work watching sports or playing music.
“I have never seen a friend come to the house. I don’t know of him in any conflict.
Kemar’s mother, who lives in St. Elizabeth; overwhelmed at the news, fainted upon hearing of his demise and was taken to hospital for treatment.
He was the first child of three for his parents, a younger sister who is 17 years and a brother age 15.

TRAUMATIZED

Eyes Garage was closed for business on Friday as Edwards said he was too shaken to do anything, and some of the workers, traumatized by the ordeal, stayed away.
“I can’t move, I can’t do a thing. I could not stay at home because the vibes would be too strong so I come here; but the gate is closed and no work is taking place,” said Edwards.

He described Samuels as the consummate professional, always early and would not be absent unless sick or would have asked permission for time off.
“Kemar was my chief mechanic, he was punctual, he was the person who did not like to be disturbed. I could leave him working on an engine and he would not leave it until it was complete. He was very professional.”
“The garage will not be the same without Kemar. He reminded me of myself. He left school and came straight to look work and he took it seriously,” Edwards shared.

He said it was Wednesday that Kemar was reading the Western Mirror and talking about June being the bloodiest month and saying he was not going to stay in Jamaica and that he wanted to go away on the Canadian Work programme.
“Now that dream is lost forever,” Edwards concluded.

Michael Nattoo and Noelita Lawrence – Staff Reporters

An accident-damaged bike, fond memories of him coming home on Sundays for dinner, and a gaping hole left in the hearts of those who loved him, are the only reminders left of Aldene Malcolm, who would have been 22-year-old this month. His mother, Angela Thorpe, now bears the weight of those memories all alone, as she recalls to the Western Mirror, the details of the tragic accident, which claimed his young life.

“I last saw him around midday Thursday (June 15), mere hours before he died,” said a tearful Thorpe, who wouldn’t have guessed that would have been the last time she would see her son alive. Thorpe’s abundant love for her son was clearly evident, as it derailed her efforts to continue telling the story. “I love him so much,” she said in between sobs, “he’s my heart, my everything. His laughter and smiles will be really missed.”

Thorpe remembers of her son, the times he would come by on Sundays for dinner: “He will be missed by everyone; he was a well-loved boy, and although he never lived with me, he would always come by, especially on Sundays for his dinner.” The 21-year-old Malcolm, who lived in the middleclass community of Albion Heights, made it a regular part of his activities to visit his mother, who resided in Kempshot. The last of those trips, however, came eight hours before his demise, when he gave his mother a ride to ‘Clock’ on his motorbike. Expecting nothing out of the ordinary, the two parted ways – Thorpe, for home, and Malcolm, about his business, which would ultimately see him returning to work at the Hilton Hotel the following day.

After being at work on the fateful Thursday, he was not to complete the journey home from work.

HIT FROM HIS BIKE

While riding along the Rose Hall main road, on his way from work, Aldene was reportedly hit by a Marksman bus travelling in the same direction. It is further understood that the young rider, who was the pride of his mother, died at hospital after receiving multiple head and chest injuries.

The 21-year-old was said to be aboard his fully registered ‘Jancrow’ bike heading towards Montego Bay when the accident happened.

Thorpe has not been the same since facing the news, who would break down crying whenever she replays the details in her head. However, family members support her through this trying time. “When I break down, my twin sister, (his aunt), would say ‘don’t cry because Aldene would not want to see you sad, he loved when you were happy and smiling’” she revealed, speaking from the pain that still engulfs her heart.

His mother told the Western Mirror that to date, no police has given her any details of what has happened, only requesting the documents for the bike which she says she has already turned over.

“The bus and the bike park up at the Coral Gardens Police Station until now; only that much me know right now, but me no hear anything else,” she noted.

This news entity tried to get an official report on the incident, but was told that no record of the crash was available.

His distraught mother is seeking answers as she mourns her beloved wash-belly. 

Shamir Brown
Trelawny Correspondent

News is emerging of a number of cruise vessels dropping the historic Falmouth port from their itinerary due to harassment.
Information is that ships in the Celebrity fleet as well as the Royal Caribbean armada will be halting their visits to Falmouth until 2020 following less-than-ideal ratings and complaints from passengers about harassment and the behaviour of tour operators who line the gateway to the port.

For Mayor Collin Gager, the news could not have come at a worse time in light of next month’s proposed dredging of the port to accommodate later vessels.
The mayor says harassment is a major challenge even though they try their best to stamp it out. “It is quite evident as when guests come to the gate and want to come out, they are greeted by shouts from persons trying to entice them to go somewhere.”

He is, however, optimistic that initiatives set to come on stream will help the situation.
He explained that a meeting has been held between the local authority, the police and the transport authority to seek to rectify the matter and to decide how to proceed. One of the main tenets of the plan is that the drivers will be set up at an area along Market Street with an established desk to deal with assignments. There will also be no parking allowed on Seaboard Street, the road in front of the port, on ship days.

With the port in Falmouth, a pivotal cog in the growth agenda for tourism in Jamaica, there is now growing unease about the situation. The port, which opened in 2011, has welcomed nearly a million visitors each year since.