Arianna’s last letter

Mere hours before six-year-old Arianna Salmon was slain in a St Andrew triple murder on Friday, she wrote a letter of gratitude to her teacher, stating “I love you”, before heading home.

Following those three powerful words was an attempt by the grade one student at St Jude’s Primary School to spell ‘teacher’, but she instead wrote “tegrra” and “tegra” with five hearts in blue and burgundy colours.

After teacher Patricia Cohen received it, she told the child that a part of her special homework for the weekend was to learn to spell ‘teacher’, and she was looking forward to Arianna spelling it on Monday morning.

“When she was walking out, I said, ‘Come here. Nuh come yah Monday morning and yuh can’t spell ‘teacher’. That is your homework,” Cohen told The Gleaner while seated inside her empty classroom on Monday as the school population gathered in the courtyard to rally around Arianna’s mother, Tasheal Gillespie, during a special devotion.

According to relatives, Arianna went home on Friday asking how “teacher” is spelt, and, at the scene of the crime, another letter was found where the child had penned a second letter for Cohen with the word correctly spelt.

Arianna; her grandmother, 42-year-old Marie Salmon; and 34-year-old Michael Smith were shot and killed about 9 p.m. along Delano Avenue in the Hagley Park Road area, where her grandmother operated a shop.

Emotionally draining

On Monday, class teacher Cohen noted that her tragic passing was emotionally draining, especially since Arianna’s birthday, May 18, falls a day before hers. Although they had only known each other for nine weeks, they had repeatedly spoken about celebrating birthdays back to back next year before the end of the academic year.

“Let me tell you, that is so hard, not going to have her next year to celebrate it,” Cohen said before breaking down in tears.

She recalled that Arianna, who spoke with a lisp, loved ordering curried chicken for lunch, and would often opt for pizza when the other food options were not her preferred choice.

Last Friday, curried chicken was available, so when Arianna approached Cohen’s desk to place her meal order, the teacher laughed at how she prefaced her request by saying, “No pizza today.”

“And she smiled and gave me the money. She had a big smile at all times,” the teacher said.

On Monday, it was a gloomy and mournful experience for the hundreds associated with the St Andrew-based school. They noted that there will be a doubling of efforts as Marie’s youngest child also attends the school.

Principal Susanna Ainsworth expressed concern for Marie’s son and said he may now need more attention, moulding and mentorship.

“Two dead from one family. What a tragedy! I am lost for words. Our society is faced with a great dilemma when we start having murders of women and children,” Ainsworth told The Gleaner.

“The Church and Government need to be more vocal and put measures in place to create the future generation of peaceful law-abiding citizens. Civic and professional groups such as our own JTA (Jamaica Teachers’ Association) need to speak out and stop being quiet on certain issues,” she added.

“How can this lacklustre attitude to people’s lives be changed? Is it that we will continue mourning? Will measures be put in place to uplift and ensure that the poor will have viable jobs in the future? What is the solution? Lives matter!” she exclaimed.

“Children are a blessing from God. All must allow them to grow and live their lives, but God knows why all of this happened.”

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com