SHALIZA HASSANALI
Say a prayer and light a candle today in memory of Andrea Bharatt.
The tearful plea came from Bharatt’s grieving grandmother Ena Williams and aunt Wendy Williams to mark the first anniversary of the 23-year-old’s disappearance.
Bharatt, a court clerk at the Arima Magistrate’s Court was last seen entering a taxi in Arima on January 29 last year.
She never made it home.
Her disappearance sparked nationwide concern.
But hope faded on February 4, as Bharatt’s decomposing body was discovered down a precipice in the Heights of Aripo.
Bharatt’s tragic end was heartbreaking not only for her family but a nation that clung to hope for almost a week.
Sadness and shock quickly turned into anger, as citizens demanded justice for women like Bharatt who met a violent end.
A private autopsy performed by Prof Hubert Daisley revealed Bharatt died of massive internal haemorrhaging after she was struck on the head with a blunt object that caused her to fall backwards and crack her skull.
Speaking at their Cumaca Road, Valencia home on Wednesday, both women related how their once happy life has turned into a nightmare following Bharatt’s untimely death.
“Our life will never be the same again...me, my mother and my daughter. My whole family will never be the same again. That joy... it has taken from us,” said a tearful Wendy.
Although Bharatt lived Arima, she frequented her grandmother and aunt’s homes who live close to each other.
Ena, 65, is Wendy’s mother.
Wendy’s 18-year-old daughter Geraldine Williams and Bharatt were like two peas in a pod.
Wendy Williams, aunt of kidnap and murder victim Andrea Bharatt, right, and her daughter Geraldine walk in the river Andrea loved behind their home on Cumaca Road, Valencia, on Wednesday.
ANISTO ALVES
Bharatt’s mother, Venika Williams who died eight years ago was Ena’s eldest daughter.
Ena said Bharatt enjoyed swimming in a river behind her home and the serenity of the community.
Wiping away tears, Wendy, 47, recalled the Friday her niece went missing she called her cellphone twice.
On both occasions, a man answered saying she was not there.
Ena also tried to contact her granddaughter but a male voice on the other end told her “Andrea was with Jesus.”
The elder Williams said she remembered running out of her house screaming and in tears.
“I had this uneasy feeling....you could tell something was wrong,” an emotional Ena said.
Six days later when Bharatt’s body was found. The Williams’ homes were shattered.
“Everybody was bawling and screaming here. My whole belly started to turn upside down. I kept asking which evil person would do this. You didn’t give life but you took someone’s...an innocent child,” a tearful Ena said.
“It was unbelievable. I felt as if the earth could have opened and sucked me in. It was not a nice feeling,” a weeping Wendy said.
One year following Bharatt’s death, the memories of that fateful day continue to haunt the family.
“When I went to forensic Andrea’s body was bloated. I kept telling myself this can’t be real, It is not Andrea,” Wendy said.
Those graphic images will forever remain indelible in her mind.
“Just thinking about it gives me panic attacks.”
Asked if they are hopeful of justice, Wendy shook her head in the negative and answered, “I know I would not get justice. I just know they (family) would not get justice.”
Ena replied, “I don’t know what is really going on. We are still trying to piece together what triggered Andrea’s death. All we could do is pray.”
Both women said if justice fails them, they would leave everything in God’s hands, as they called on the nation today to say a prayer and light a candle in Bharatt’s memory.
File: Residents of Aripo and family members of Andrea Bharatt walk along the Aripo Road, Arima during a vigil for Andrea Bharatt in February last year.
ANISTO ALVES
“We want her soul to rest in eternal peace,” Wendy said.
Today, Wendy will light candles at a shrine she erected for Bharatt one year ago.
The shrine, built in front of Wendy’s home is decorated with a photograph of Bharatt, butterflies, flowers and balloons.
Clutching her chest, Ena said Bharatt was her first grandchild who made her proud.
“She was a loving child. When her father pulled up in front of the house Andrea had a habit of dashing out of the car and running down a small incline at the side of my house with her hands spread open to hug us. She never harboured hate.”
Ena said Bharatt’s favourite meal was “fry aloo and sada roti. Those are the things I remembered most about her.”
She recalled when Venika gave birth to Bharatt, she spent a month at her home.
“From a newborn baby, we took care of Andrea until she went home with her mother.”
Wendy said her fondest recollection of Bharatt was bathing in the shallow river behind her grandmother’s house.
“We used to swim and have fun in the river for hours. That was Andrea’s happiest moment. That is how we want to continue remembering her.”
