TO?LOSE?ONE?SON to a motorcycle accident is hurtful. To have another son die in similar fashion is unbearable.
Anthony and Wilma Bramao of Whitepark Road, St Michael, are two parents enduring heartbreak for the second time in 14 years.
In 2000, Ryan Bramao died in a crash at Wellhouse, St Philip, and on Friday just before 7 p.m. on the desolate, bushy stretch along Dukes, St Thomas, his brother Russell died in an accident with a minibus which operates on the Hillaby, St Andrew route.
Russell, 36, the father of a nine-year-old son, Cole, was apparently heading to Bridgetown when the tragedy occurred.
His mother, Wilma, was overcome with grief when a SUNDAY?SUN?team visited her yesterday.
She said the last time she saw her son was Friday morning when she prepared breakfast for the Louis Lynch Secondary old scholar.
“It ain’t easy. This is hard, real hard. I still haven’t had closure on Ryan’s death, now this. I did his breakfast and he took it along to work. I didn’t know that was the last time I would see my son alive. It was hard visiting the scene. One of his hands and one of his legs were broken,” she said.
Russell was a construction worker and was in the process of assisting in the building of a church at Shorey Village, St?Andrew.
“He went to the Polytechnic and Barbados Community College to pursue his dream of building. He always wanted to be in construction,” said Wilma, a former employee of Barbados Rediffusion.
Her former husband, Anthony, who was one of the most skilled bikers in the 1960s and 70s, said he introduced both of his sons to bike riding.
“I was a very good rider and introduced both of them to riding. I took my wife at the time and children all over the island on my bike. Police used to stop me and ask me how I could ride a bike carrying three other people – Wilma and my two sons.
“It hurts. He was my son and I loved him. It’s tough losing two sons,” he said.
Anthony, 74, said he was fortunate not to have any serious injuries in the more than 40 years he rode.
“Motorcycling is a good sport, good fun, but you have to have the right attitude. I rode a Northern 750 commando, which was the fastest bike in Barbados during my time . . . .
“I lost Ryan many years ago and up till now, I have never been given anything official on what really happened to him. All
I know is that he was found in a ditch. Both of my sons are gone,” said a sorrowful Anthony.
• mikeking@
nationnews.com
