CATEGORY:LETTER TO THE EDITOR ---------------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA SATURDAY June 23,2007 By Anthony Romain I Anthony Romain am the father of Alleyne Romain who was thirteen years old in 1983, born on January 6th, 1970. I had a grocery/liquor business at the corner of St.John's/Melville Street, St.George's; Alleyne Romain attended the St.George's Senior School, Church Street. Alleyne sat Common Entrance Examinations in May of 1983, passed the exam and was admitted to Presentation Brother's College. He was denied further education due to his death by the murders of Octobers 19th 1983. Alleyne Romain was a pioneer, flowers of the revolution. On the 19th of October 1983, after getting the news that our leader Maurice Bishop was released from house arrest, thousands of people marching in the streets, saying, "We found our leader", his friends called out to him "come on Alleyne" as they passed my shop. I told him to stay with me at the shop, sometime later he went off to meet his friends. Hours later, persons came running into my shop saying people were being shot and killed by soldiers. People were asking me for water, I noticed blood running from some persons; they themselves did not realize they were bleeding. Soon after, three (3) of my other children came in, all excited and crying, "they (the soldiers) are killing people on the fort". I asked for Alleyne, "where is he"? They replied they told him to run, "let us go". Holding a mug of water in his hand, he replied saying he was going to give it to his leader. Alleyne was on the steps of the building going toward where the Prime Minister was located. Later on that day I got a call from Eric La Qua of the La Qua funeral home, saying that he had Alleyne with him. I told him to send Alleyne over when things cooled downed a bit. He then put down the phone after we spoke. It was only later when Alleyne did not return home; I realized what Eric meant by "I have Alleyne". He picked up Alleyne's body on the fort; families had called La Qua funeral home requesting them to pick up their loved ones. He got three bodies, namely; Avis Ferguson and school boys Simon Alexander and Alleyne Romain. La Qua funeral home was not permitted any other bodies. I buried my son on ……….. after getting him at La Qua lying on his back with bullet wounds all over his chest. The impact of this event had devastating effects on me and my family, for months and up to this day, my children and myself has nightmares of the events of Octobers 19th, 1983. My business suffered greatly due to the fact I became depressed and almost to a state of mental break down. My business deteriorated, therefore leaving a terrible impact on my family and my ability to maintain them. Most of my children left Grenada after leaving school to maintain their sanity and to try to move on with their lives. However the effects of October 19th 1983 live in the souls, minds and hearts of all of us. I lost my business and presently have a driving job to maintain my family and myself. The crimes committed on October 19th, 1983 to innocent persons on the fort were ruthless, savage, heartless and inhumane. I therefore want to express the view that the persons who committed the crimes should stay away from society until they die. Life in Prison should be the re-sentencing. ..................... Anthony Romain Father of Alleyne Romain