“It feels unreal,” said 18-year-old Jada Bentley as she reflected on the gruesome deaths of both of her parents.
Her mother, Melissa Yenkana, was struck down while walking and killed by an alleged speeding car on June 9, 2007, on the Rupert Craig Highway, in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy turn.
Thirteen years later, her father, Jude Bentley, suffered the same fate. “It’s still really hard to come to terms with,” the young lady said during an interview with Inews.
“It’s like why? Why? Why? And how? How can something like this happen, to lose both of them and at the same spot, it is hard to come to terms with and accept,” she explained.
Jude Bentley, a national cyclist, was killed by an alleged speeding car driven by retired Rear Admiral, Gary Best – an executive member of the People’s National Congress, the dominant party currently in Government.
Seeking justice, the younger Bentley indicated, will be a long battle.
In fact, she already has to live with the fact that the driver of the vehicle that killed her mother was never convicted.
And now, she reflected on the fact that the alleged perpetrator in her father’s death already tried to clear his name, with an untruth.
“I saw that Mr Best was claiming that my dad was not wearing any reflector lights. I felt really angry. Like it was really disrespectful to my dad,” the young lady expressed.
“He obviously he has a bike shop, he has everything he needs for his bikes, his bicycles and everybody saw the reflectors and he [Mr Best] claimed my dad was not wearing any reflector and he didn’t see him.”
Best was placed on $100,000 station bail while the investigation continues.
It has been more than a week since the cyclist met his demise, but Best is yet to face the court of law despite the fact that after the incident, he was found to be above the legal alcohol limit.
Jada is pleading for justice. “No amount of money would ever be enough because my dad can never come back,” she said, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I want my mom”
Losing her mother at age five was heartbreaking. But according to the teenager, she’s at a point in her life where she misses her mom now more than ever.
“Recently, I have been having a hard time because I am at the age where I want my mom, I need my mom to talk to. I have my grandmother but it is not the same as your mother. I still haven’t gotten over that and to process both of them is really hard like Why? Why? Why? And How? How can something like this happen to lose both of them and almost exactly the same spot is hard to come to terms with and accept,” the teen said as her tears flowed.
Her father, despite his busy life, always made time for her, the young lady said. Now with his death, Jada feels like her entire world is falling apart.
She described her father as cheerful, helpful, and a man of good wisdom.
“He was strict but he was crazy and fun at the same time. Everybody loved him because he was such a good person. He would always help who he could help whenever somebody needed something…if he had the money, he would give it to them, he would help the younger children with bicycle and stuff.”
Reflecting on her late father’s words of wisdom, Jada said she remembered that her father would normally tell her, “don’t let anybody take advantage of [you] or any other [of your] siblings. Don’t go in for nonsense. After all of this happened I just realised that I need to enjoy life and just love the people who I have right now.”
Getting over the death of one parent is already a challenge, and according to Jada, something one can never recover from.
But losing both parents, in the same way, at the same place, years apart, is something that will scar her for the rest of her life.But according to Jada, with the right people around her, it will pain a little less as the years roll by.
“I know that when you lose your parents it might seem that you have no purpose or it doesn’t make sense anymore,” she explained.
However, the teen noted that she will just focus on the important things and people in life, and never take for granted the family and friends she holds close to her heart.
Jude Bentley will be laid to rest today.
