Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter
A WHIRLWIND of hate, revenge and political turmoil has claimed eight lives too many in the communities of Park Lane and 100 Lane off Red Hills Road in St. Andrew and residents are "sick of it."
"Just tell me when it's going to end. That's all I want to know," says Maxine Edwards, "It's always the innocent ones (getting killed)."
She folds her hands and looks across the dirt field through the chain-linked fence and stares at the charred remains of goats and a house where two people were killed along with five others from the 100 Lane community on Thursday morning.
Maxine is from Park Lane but these people, the victims of Thursday's massacre, were her neighbours and it is not nice when anyone dies. It's Friday, a day after the gruesome massacre. There's a light drizzle and the acrid stench of goat guts is choking her nose. Maxine is hungry for change.
"You know what it feel like? ... It's like a cup that full and can't take nutten more in it. It just full and mi tired," she whispers, touching her heaving bosom. "If you want to keep your life you have to be very careful here."
There is shock in her eyes and a fear so ripe it chills the very air around her. For the first time, she is more scared than she has ever been in the 40 years she has lived in Park Lane. Revenge, she knows is in the air but she wants none of it.
She anticipates reprisal from her neighbours but is hoping the security forces will bring some order or maybe the Government can just act fast and "mash up the dolly house" with development of the area.
"Probably the Government need fi just come clean up the place and put up some decent house and mek us pay for it. Probably then things would be better," she thought aloud.
The soldiers from the Jamaica Defence Force and the policemen are busy setting up the command post at the community centre. There is knocking, sweeping and the guarding of turf with cocked guns. They admit that it has been an "on and off thing" going on between both communities but many are too young or too new to elaborate on the details of the history between the two communities.
One woman from Park Lane admits that at one time both communities were "so," holding up two tightly entwined fingers. "Babymother come from 100 and babyfather come from Park. Pickney over here, mother over there. Ah so it go and a so it stay but the 100 man dem a push fire."
"Don't think say them innocent," she said recalling when four men from Park Lane were murdered by "100 Lane man dem."
100 Lane residents, however, claim innocence despite the allegations. "We had no guns, because if we did have gun in here them wouldn't get 'way with so much murder," says one male resident.
The area was under a tight curfew between Friday night and Saturday morning. But revenge is still consuming the minds of some residents of both communities, especially those closest to the victims.
Gerald Wilson lost his brother in the 100 Lane massacre but he lives in Park Lane. He says even though his allegiance is to Park Lane, something or someone will have to pay for his brother's death somehow. "I don't know why they killed him but it naw go so," he vowed.
Claire Wilson, 30, who lost her child's father in the attack screamed in anguish when she learnt of his death. "Mi a tell you, God! you know a who do it, nuh mek them live too long!"
Despite speculations that the longstanding feud between the two lanes was rekindled by the slaying of Glenroy Maize, a 32-year-old juice vendor from Park Lane on New Year's Eve, some residents from 100 Lane claim that politics is also a huge part of the current mix.
One resident explained that while 100 Lane was what could be termed a PNP enclave in previous years, no one cares about politicians anymore. "We don't get no help from them. See Christmas come deh and no work no leggo 'bout yah."
He maintained, however, that men from Park Lane who are mostly JLP were heavily supporting politics and are trying to intimidate PNP supporters to convert to the JLP and they had the support of their political representative, Opposition Member of Parliament for North Central St. Andrew, Karl Samuda.
Mr. Samuda however has dismissed these claims as ludicrous. "I have never nor will I ever seek to influence people by the use of force and I totally discourage anyone from even attempting to do that in my name or in the name of the Jamaica Labour Party," said Mr. Samuda in a telephone interview on Friday.
"The day that I have to do that is the day I will be prepared to walk away and leave politics. As simple as that," he said.
He explained that his record in the constituency in the last 22 years, where he has represented both the JLP and the PNP, "speaks loudly to the type of leadership that I offer ... equal opportunity for all."
While empathising with the persons who lost friends and family in the 100 Lane massacre Mr. Samuda said the police should have intervened in the situation between the two lanes long before it was allowed to reach warlike proportions. He also suggested that there was a biased approach to the investigation of murders committed in Park Lane and 100 Lane.
"I mean, yes, it's horrible and monstrous (what happened in 100 Lane) but I don't recall hearing this sense of outrage when there was the loss of one life on New Year's Eve. I mean is the loss of one life not important? One life is one life too many," he said. "The police just didn't do their job as they should have done.
For the time being, however, some residents from Park Lane, 100 Lane and Mr. Samuda believe that the police post will make a difference. "I think it will help a lot," said Mr. Samuda, "it should never have been taken down."
For others in 100 Lane, however, the writing is already on a wall just across from the house where four persons were killed.
Psalm 35: "Plead my cause, O, Lord with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me; take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help. Draw also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me; say unto my soul, 'I am thy salvation'."
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