Mass murder survivor speaks of his future
THE nine-year old boy who survived the mass murder, at Buxton, East Coast Demerara last month, said, over the weekend, that he misses playing cricket with his friends and watching cartoons on television. "I have plenty friends and we play cricket and throw on the field back home," Jermaine Herod told the Chronicle, after meeting three new friends, Leroy, Ron and Andrew. He plays with them on the verandah of their hospital ward. The youngster said he admires West Indies Cricket Captain Brian Lara. "He is the best batsman in the world," Jermaine declared, adding that, the first thing he is going to do, on being discharged, is play the game with his peers at Buxton. He said he also enjoys basketball, swimming and going to the zoo. "I can swim good," said Jermaine, disclosing that another playmate, Orwin taught him. Jermaine survived after his father shot seven others and took his own life in a crazy slaughter that put their home village on a historic killing map of this country. Hugging the teddy bear he calls `Spot', Jermaine said his favourite colour is red and he likes the lion in the zoological park best because it is big and strong. He likes dogs, too, but not cats, which scratch. Jermaine said he would like to become a soldier and fight like his motion picture heroes, `Rambo', `Superman' and `Batman'. "I like going to the cinema and Sunday school," he confessed, remembering the singing and clapping at the latter. In the future, he would like to follow in the footsteps of a cousin and go to Bishops' High School, as well. Although he did not take his end-of-term test, due to his being hospitalised, his teacher told him he would be promoted to Primary Three next term. The boy has not left the hospital complex since he was admitted there more than three weeks ago but the nurses and doctors are "really nice" to him, he stated. A bullet fired by the gunman killer, his father Raul Herod, is still lodged in the son's jaw but the patient is progressing well, staff at the infirmary confirmed. Dead and buried after the killing were the shooter's grandmother, Angela Herod, 97, his mother, Shirley Cole, 56, aunt, Patricia Harris, 58, niece Jonenelle Herod, 10, nephew, Orwin Herod, 15, son, Rondell Herod, 11 and daughter, Nandy Herod, 14.
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