It was meant to be a routine visit to the doctor for first-time mother Shanastascia Cooks when she along with her father- and mother-in-law made their way to a local clinic near her community of Donmair Close in St Andrew on Monday.
The bubbly 19-year-old had just kissed her boyfriend of two years, Jevaughn Smith, shortly before he left their home for work around 7 a.m. Smith, who is also 19, promised her that he would be home in time for dinner.
"I was actually sleeping and he woke me and tell me later because he was going to work. He kissed me and walked out the room saying that he would be back soon," she said.
Crooks, who is now eight months pregnant, could hardly wait. After all, she had got accustomed to their routine where Smith, a labourer, would kiss and talk playfully to her and their unborn child each night.
But as Crooks gleefully made her way with her in-laws, she got the shock of her life; her lover was in a serious accident. Smith was electrocuted while he cleaned the roof of a business place on Red Hills Road, St Andrew. He died four days later in hospital on March 17 after suffering burns which led to heart implications.
"I am having it very hard but I am trying hard not to think about it and stress myself," the tearful mother told THE WEEKEND STAR on Thursday. She said that she felt lost but was trying to hold on to the beautiful memories that she and Smith created during their relationship.
"I was looking forward to seeing out life with him and my child, but now he is gone and we cannot bring him back," she said. "He was very jovial and everybody in the community love him. He does not give trouble or anything. Everyone is shocked right now because no one expected this. He was such a loving person. To tell the truth, I don't know what I am going to do now. I am still trying to figure that one out."
A crowd had emerged on the morning when Smith met his demise. Crooks said she could sense that something was off when she saw a motor car that transported her spouse to work was heading her way as she travelled to the clinic.
"Both his parents were following me to the clinic and the car that he was into going to work, we saw it coming up the road and we thought it was him coming. But the person driving stopped at our feet and told us what had happened. I knew something was off, I could feel it," she said.
Head of the St Andrew North Police Division, Superintendent Sherika Service, said that an investigation has commenced but there was not much to report in terms of a breakthrough.
"The investigations are ongoing, we are aware that the gentleman has passed and we want to issue our sincerest condolences to the family. We don't have much details at the moment... As it's reported, he was on the rooftop when he got electrocuted," she said.
