By Elesha George
In a church meant to hold about 400 people, less than a dozen close friends and relatives were there to support Aaron Isaac, a Dominican native whose son was being buried on Wednesday at the Tindall Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Ricknaldo Isaac, 26, died nearly two weeks after being admitted to the hospital following an apparent altercation with a prison guard.
Ricknaldo was hospitalised and later died following complications from a pulmonary embolism. His death was attributed to quadriplegia resulting from a spinal cord injury sustained during the altercation. He had been paralysed from the waist down and was awaiting surgery at the time of his death.
Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Pennyfeather, Superintendent of Prisons, was among those present at the small gathering. He and Ricknaldo’s father shared words throughout the ceremony where Pennyfeather assured him that he would get “some form of justice”.
A group of three elderly women sat upfront, sharing stories before the ceremony began.
Three workers from Straffies Funeral Home wheeled Ricknaldo’s body – contained in a varnished coffin embellished with gold handles and accents – to the front of the church.
There was no funeral programme and no pictures of the 26-year-old to remind attendees of his life.
His lifeless body – now the only memory – sat just two feet away from his father’s feet in front of the pews.
Both Ricknaldo’s 62-year-old father and brother wore red to symbolise his passing. Aaron’s nephew and his grandchild were also present.
Aaron Isaac Junior – Aaron’s first born – gave a moving speech about his brother who he helped raise. Junior spoke of the guilt he felt for letting him go to prison the first time – something he said Ricknaldo was unable to recover from.
“He went to prison all because of my ignorance,” he said.
“It end up and reach to a point where he never stop going back to prison,” he added.
He fought back tears as he vowed to change his life in memory of his brother and for the sake of their children. Ricknaldo has also left behind a young daughter and son.
“Ricknaldo, may your soul rest in eternal peace. Wherever you be, God will be there with you,” his father mouthed, leading to a final farewell at the New Winthorpes cemetery where his son was laid to rest.
Ricknaldo’s funeral was paid for by the state. At the time of his detention, he was serving a one-year sentence for malicious damage and was scheduled to be released from prison two months before the incident.
The prison guard in question has since been transferred out of the penal institution, apparently in line with a request he’d made two years before.
