Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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Mystery blaze leaves newspaper vendor homeless
Homeless: Hyacinth John and her granddaughter
Hyancinth John was selling her newspaper in Buxton when she saw persons running helter-skelter shouting fire, fire.
Sensing that the news would be a big seller in the village the next day, she was a bit anxious, but her anxiety soon turn to despair when she realized that it was the house she called home at 52 Company Road, Friendship, East Coast Demerara, that was being razed.
The blaze, which started about 09:30 hours yesterday, is still baffling villagers and investigators since John’s house had no electricity, nor could she recall leaving anything on fire.
“Me don’t drink tea. When I go down in de morning I don’t light a fire fuh drink tea,” John said.
But from reports received by this newspaper, the fire quickly engulfed the wooden two bedroom building, completely demolishing it and everything inside, leaving John and her two grandchildren homeless.
John told Kaieteur News that she left her home early yesterday morning for the city to purchase newspapers.
She explained that she had just served one of her customers with the newspaper when the woman pointed to thick smoke in the distance.
“She say somebody house ah bun down because of the colour of de smoke. She say that got to be by the Middle Street,” John said.
Although the smoke was emanating from the area where her house is located, she had no idea that she would turn out to be the victim.
John still had a few papers to deliver but since the fire was emanating from the area where her house was, she decided to investigate.
She said that one of her daughters had arrived at the scene before her and she saw her screaming on the bridge at the front of the yard, but she still was not prepared for what she would eventually see.
“I see she (daughter) pon de bridge and she holler, ‘Ow God, mommy.’ I tell she stop she commonness. Me nah know, me trying fuh come and see is who demise. When me do come down she hear people call me name. Me still nah believe until me do come and see is me house.
I could only fold me hand and watch the big blaze and dem boys trying fuh throw water,” John told Kaieteur News.
What is left of the house that John occupied
She said that there were persons who were suggesting that she had set the house on fire.
“Me and me neighbours don’t agree because when dey tell me anything I does cuss dem; I does talk me mind. But me nah go push cocaine, me nah go thief and me nah go beg but me go live. I’m a born Buxtonian and me go live and dead right a Buxton,” she said, trying to hold back her tears.
John had been occupying the house, which is in the middle of two other properties in one yard, for the past five years, having been put there by the owner.
But the owner Basil Wallace told this newspaper that he had had allowed John to stay in the house without even requesting a rent since he was living at another property in the neighbouring village of Annandale.
He said that he was at home when he heard about the fire and was puzzled.
“Well, I want fuh know if she house ain’t gat electricity how come it bun down. Me give she de house because she get children fuh me cousin, so she was like a family friend. The last time she offer me rent but when I watch at she situation I tell she don’t pay me no rent,” Wallace explained.
Ronie Matthews, a neighbour who lives in the house in the same yard and just a few feet from the house that was burnt, said that she was inside and cannot say how the fire started.
Matthews who moves around with a crutch explained that she was alerted to the fire by another neighbour.
“A neighbour come and shout fuh fire and he tell me leh he put me pon he back and fetch me out and that is all I know,” Matthews said.
Another neighbour, Marcia Dey, said that she heard loud shouting and when she looked out the house was already engulfed in flames.
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