The mother of the seven abandoned children, who were taken into state care at Linden on Monday, sent money to the eldest daughter, who disappeared months ago.
“It seems like the poor girl didn’t able anymore and one day she left and never returned,” said a neighbour. Other residents said that the mother, Ann Bacchus, has been sending monies to her 17-year-old daughter, who was expected to care for her siblings until Bacchus returned. The children, whose ages range from 15 months to 14 years, were found at Siberia, commonly called ‘Old England’ on Monday.
Child Care Officer Amril Beckles had told this newspaper that she received an anonymous call from a female indicating that the children were left on their own for more than two month and their parents, Bacchus and Rupert Ross, had gone to the interior. Yesterday, Beckles said that the case is at a delicate stage and the department is working on locating Bacchus and Ross.
The children’s grandmother, who lived close to them, said yesterday that Bacchus has been sending money. When Stabroek News visited the area yesterday, the elderly woman said that the children seldom visited her home when the mother was around. “She don’t say nothing to me so dem children never use to come over fuh see me. Is the other day when things turn bad deh come and tell me she gone a long time and ain’t come back yet,” she said.
Because of poor health, she has never seen the circumstances under which the children were living. “I didn’t even know that she went away so long and left them. She to blame. She shoulda stay here and look after dem children,” the woman added. According to the grandmother, things changed for the worse when Bacchus brought her six other children to join the young three ones. “Like deh pressure was too much. He (Ross) getting welfare support because he only gat one hand. If you want to find him ask anyone who does go in deh bush for Onee Rasta”. Ross is her son.
The grandmother said that Ross would go into the interior for extended periods. He spent almost the entire last year in the hinterland and returned earlier this year for a few days, she said. The woman could not recall the month that Ross left for the interior but said she was sure that it was very early this year.
Watching the children being whisked away by the Child Care officer and police ranks was the hardest thing for the now grieving grandmother. She recounted the moments when she was approached by Beckles. “I know I ain’t able but I was willing to keep dem for another two days or so cause a got a extra room. Meh other children woulda vex cause I am very sick and I ain’t know where deh were carry them,” the woman cried.
Other neighbours told Stabroek News that when Bacchus was around, the children would go to school daily and she would take good care of them. “She got really smart children. One of the girls secured a place at the New Silver City Secondary School after she took the Grade Six examination this year and they use to carry on intelligent conversations,” the neighbour said. The children were assisted by an older brother, who was forced to leave school to work to help his mother and siblings. “I remember not so long ago he came back and buy a lot of food for them: half bag rice, half bag sugar, flour and a lot of other stuff,” recounted one neighbour. “If I di know it wodda come to this I wodda tek one ah dem girls and keep she and send she to school because they love going to school. They used to borrow books from children in the area and read,” related another. Neighbours said that they were saddened that the children were taken away and according to them they are praying for the quick return of the parents to prevent them from being taken to an orphanage. One woman said that she usually visited the children every other day to ensure that they had food and none of them were ill. “She didn’t even know that they were taken away,” said a woman who was consoling the emotional neighbour. “She got the news today when she went to collect a book from one of the girls that she borrowed from she daughter.”
Meantime, when contacted yesterday, Beckles said she had different information from the neighbours. “I have different and more authentic information that what the neighbours had to say but at this stage I cannot release any further information,” she said.
This newspaper was informed that the children have other relatives at Parika and in Georgetown. They were still in the care of the Linden Hospital Complex up to press time.
