Man gets stroke after relatives’ graves moved

A shirtless Wynden Morant wore a downcast expression as he sat on his verandah in St Toolies, Manchester.

He stared at a lot where a few empty houses stood, some unfinished. The occupants who were once his neighbours had to relocate to a different section of the parish due to the building of the South Coast Highway. But most importantly, the 54-year-old man is missing his family members, whose remains were exhumed and reburied elsewhere.

"Them move mi mother, father and mi sister grave and take it a cemetery in the parish and from them do that mi fret on it a get a stroke. Mi was okay before and healthy and use to do construction work and now mi can't work. All now I still cah walk properly or talk," he said.

20 years

Morant said his family members were reburied at a cemetery in Bellefield but he had not got a chance to visit the site because of his illness.

"Everytime mi go by dem grave and keep dem company and talk to dem, but now mi can't do it. Is about 20 years mi father and little sister dead and dem spirit use to be right there. Right now is a lot of spirits roaming through the place because dem dig up dem grave," he said.

The mason said although the upcoming highway may beautify St Toolies and surrounding communities, he does not see how it will improve the lives of the residents. He also stated that he too may follow suite and relocate as he would not be able to tolerate the noise and dust nuisance caused from the construction.

"All like me who don't own a car it nah go work. It nah go benefit walk foot like me. A whole heap a people lose them farm and houses. Yes, they were paid for them but when you born or live somewhere long and have to move, it nah go be the same. A whole heap a people leave already and mi know nuff a dem never wa go because dem have history here," Morant said.

He told THE STAR that the farming community was usually quiet, but ever since persons began relocating, the area has been eerily silent.

"Now it just too quiet. Mi normally can look over to mi neighbours and hail dem but now dem gone. Mi nuh haffi move cause my house nah go stop dem work but mi may just eventually go," he said.