Eight (8) year old Bellisha Alisha Faith Edwards was laid to rest on Wednesday July 21^st.  Services were held at the Basseterre Wesleyan Holiness Church, Cayon Street. The church was packed. People stood in the church yard and outside on the streets. Mourners shuffled past the blush-white coffin, pink bouquets atop, the body adorned in pink; scarf placed skillfully around the neck as a full slate of rollercoaster emotions was exposed.

Tributes started at 2pm. Ms. Asha Edwards; mother of the deceased stationed herself permanently at the head of the child’s coffin and was as a pillar that shook occasionally. Tears flowed as copiously as did poems, tributes and songs. One young woman after viewing the body screamed the word “wicked!” 

Some persons could not complete nor could they begin their mark of respect.  Brother of the late Bellisha, Young Ashon Liburd, her name etched on his scalp, was among those too shaken to read the scriptures. Father of the decease, Mr.  Leroy Elliot made the shortest speech using the rafters to brace himself as he stared into the varnished ceiling. He said, “This little girl came into my life when my life was at rock bottom. She turned my life around . . . if it wasn’t for her . . . I just want to thank her today.”

Instrument of Peace, the chorale group of which the late Bellisha was a part, sang a medley of her favorite songs. One or two light-hearted moment crept into the services. As example, the Conaree Football Team presented Ms. Edwards with a token of condolence. She shooed them back to the stage when they attempted to leave. She insisted they pay tribute to Bellisha even if they had to extemporize. Briefly discussing it, they ultimately sang Bellisha’s favorite song, “Jesus is on the mainline/telephone tell him what you want.

Additionally, spontaneous applause erupted when it was leant that after this year’s exams, Bellisha was first in her class at the Tucker/Clarke Primary School, Newtown, and was therefore named: Student of the Year. Bellisha was born with twelve toes; her best friend called her “Tosey” that too brought smiles to faces.  The sermon was brought by Pastor Desmond Hobson.

Mrs. Christine Stapleton whom Bellisha had actively chosen as her admired friend had been corralling persons to celebrate Bellisha’s life ever since last Sunday 11th July at the Conaree Wesleyan Holiness Church, the day Bellisha was discovered killed, stabbed  in the neck to an untimely death at the hands of her grandmother Mrs. Melvina “Mary” Kelly.

Mrs. Stapleton had picked up the singing at points where soloists, overcome with grief could not finish or where there were lulls, she recounted the happier times of Bellisha’s. However, three quarters of the way through the eulogy, which she read, Mrs. Stapleton finally broke. After the service ended, she could be heard left behind in the church singing Bellisha’s favourite song: “Jesus is on the main line/telephone tell him what you want” as the casketed body journeyed to Springfield Cemetery for its sunset internment.