Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Reporter
Pansy Henry and her daughter, Yasheba. Ms. Henry lost three children in a fire and in the same incident, Yasheba's hand was damaged. Since then she has recorded a song that has been complied on a compact disc and the proceeds she is using to defray the cost of her daughter's operation. - PHOTOS BY NORMAN GRINDLEY / DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
PANSY HENRY will never forget the night of September 14, 2004. That night she lost three children in a fire. "That night, Lord God, nothing no lef eena mi, is like mi stand up like a big empty barrel," she recalled.
Her twin boys, Tyreke and Tyrone, aged five and step-daughter, Mosesha, four, could not be rescued and were consumed by the fire in their room.
The incident happened just a few days after Hurricane Ivan in Portmore, St. Catheirne where she lived at the time. Ms. Henry told Flair that her house was destroyed by a bottle bomb. The case is currently in the court.
However, trying to save her children and seeing the house with them inside is still vivid in her mind. The mother of eight says nothing will ever be able to erase those memories.
"When I ran into the room to save one of my daughters an hold her and grab her up, the whole of her hand come off eena mi hand," said Ms. Henry. After this she tried going into the twins' room but she was unsuccessful. "When I opened their door the room was engulfed with fire. So mi couldn't go in. Is like mi mad, is like mi shock out because I was unable to get them."
EASING THE PAIN
However, the former lead singer of a church choir tried to ease the pain of losing her children through singing. About six months after the incident while in bed she started singing. "I got up and started writing the lyrics. After that I wrote 22 songs." The first song, September 14, has been recorded on compact disc.
"I decided to get this song out so I can get to help fix Yasheba's hand. She received first degree burns and her fingers have been misplaced. Though she has done two operations she has more to do." Fifty-eight of the CDs have been made and she is selling them through word-of-mouth in her community in St. Thomas. The song has also began playing, since last week, on local radio station, Irie FM.
However the memories still haunt her. "Sometime all through de night mi wake up thinking that the house is in one big fire."
