MOTHERS, who are side by side neighbours, who also lost their sons on December 8, 2018 as a result of a fatal accident at Ogle Public Road, East Coast Demerara, said the holiday season was the most difficult for them.

Shirley Gilkes, whose son was killed in the fatal accident that also claimed the life of her neighbour, who was her son’s best friend, told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Christmas holidays were painful for her.
Her son, Rameshwar Singh, 18, of Lot 6 Area ‘B’ Cummings Lodge was an electrician and had gone for a motorcycle ride with Jason Harris. The duo often hung out together and would go on regular outings with the motorcycle.

Gilkes told this newspaper she did not celebrate the holidays this year because her son is gone, and she could not cope since every day is a struggle for her to contain her grief.
The woman added that some days are more difficult than others, she would often sit and cry and if anybody talks about the story it makes her sad.

“Growing up poor, my son knew the value of things and we had a tiny Christmas tree we would decorate and have in the house, and last year without my knowing he saved up and bought me a 12 foot Christmas tree which he hid under my bed. After his death I eventually found it and I tried to decorate it but I took it down because I could not stand celebrating without him,” she said.

Gilkes stated that it is very hard to cope with the loss of losing a child and only a parent can relate to the feeling she is battling on a daily basis.
The woman said, “It is really painful and I cry almost every day and although the man who reportedly struck down my son telephoned, I want him to talk to me face to face to explain to me what happened that night.”
Gilkes added that she wants closure as to how her son met his demise since most things do not make sense.

Meanwhile, Yvonne Moses, mother of 20-year-old Jason Harris, who was the owner of the XR Honda 150 motorcycle, told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is still in a state of mourning.
She was not in a celebratory mood for the holidays either and spent most of the time crying, since her son, had he been alive, would have celebrated his 21st birthday on December 14, 2018. Instead, he was cremated the day after.

Moses added that from the inception she has been hearing a lot of things, and suspected all along that all is not well even though the matter is in court.
“Losing a child isn’t an easy thing to digest, it has taken a toll on me and my family and I do not know how I will cope [while at school] being a teacher,” she said.

The two friends died on December 8, 2018 on Ogle Public Road, East Coast Demerara, after they were struck off the motorcycle they were on by a jeep.

Reports indicated that upon approaching the intersection at the Ogle Access Road, the driver of the jeep was about to turn right, when the motorcycle which was travelling west along the public road, ran into it.

Both Harris and Singh, who were reportedly knocked off the motorcycle and fell unconscious onto the roadway, were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), but died early Sunday morning.
While a breathalyser test was done on the driver and no alcohol was detected, he is assisting with the investigation.

Harris was described as a career-driven individual, who had a liking for motor cycles and had acquired a XR Honda 150 motorcycle, the same one he was riding when the accident occurred on Sunday night.
Shirley Gilkes described her son as a loving, jovial and pleasant young man, who was family-oriented.