Belama Blaze Leaves Eugene Thompson With Nothing

First, a court order forced Eugene Thompson from the Belama house he had called home for five years. One day later, fire destroyed the property and everything he owned. Thompson says he was serving a fifteen-day court-ordered absence amid a dispute with his former girlfriend and was not there when the blaze erupted Tuesday afternoon. Now homeless, he believes someone deliberately set the fire and says the situation could have been prevented. As he appeals for assistance and considers legal action, Thompson must figure out how to rebuild his life from nothing.

 

Eugene Thompson, Fire Victim

“Me and my gyal di go through wa lee problem and I mi actually put ah out of the court. She mi actually gone behind my back and da di court system and the court system rule fi put ah back inna the house. Through all da court system thing I actually di try go da court myself and cry to the court I inna distress with problems and the court no want believe me because the woman gone head ah me. So now they bring a paper to me tell me I need fo come out ah my house. I come out of my house, gone da di courts, they can’t do nothing about it. Okay, like one o’clock the evening, my house get burn down. From I get evicted I no have nowhere to put my head. No location fi sleep or nothing. I still no have nowhere to stay because I no have no family members none at all. So right now  I basically homeless. Nothing save. Nothing save. Nothing at all. I wasn’t even home. My neighbors call me seh my house de pan fire but beyond the point of that by the time ney halla, fire done gone. The house done burn down. I just need a big assistance right now because I need my house. I no have nowhere to live nor sleep right now. I no have wa bed now nothing save. Nothing.”

 

Britney Gordon

“How long did you live back here.”

 

Eugene Thompson

“I live back here five years now.”

 

Britney Gordon

“How can people reach you if they want to assist with anything?”

 

Eugene Thompson

“They can reach me pan six three nine six seven seven three.”

 

Thompson estimates the fire caused forty-five thousand dollars in losses.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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