‘Love your brother’

LOVE your brother.

This was the message by Jeffrey Francis Jr, the brother of murdered dancehall artiste Kyle Roberts “Rebel Sixx” George, as he read the eulogy at George’s funeral on Dibe Road, Long Circular on Tuesday.

Francis told mourners at the Dibe Church of the Nazarene, although many would be angered by George’s death, what people need at this time is to love each other and themselves.

“We need to stop seeing other brothers and saying ‘I don’t like this one or that one.’ We need to love our brothers. The people who took my brother’s life, they didn’t even know why they did it. They were influenced by evil to do evil. We don’t need anger to find a solution, we need love,” he said.

He encouraged mourners to stand and embrace those next to them and tell that person, “I love you.” The congregation obeyed and for a fleeting moment tears were replaced by expressions of love. “You see that feeling you are getting right now, is what we really need. We need more love.”

In the eulogy, George described his brother as an industrious, quick witted person, who decided from a tender age that he wanted to be music artist. George, 26, a father of two, was at his home on Viceroy Crescent, Bon Air Gardens playing video games when two gunmen stormed his house and shot him several times. Police found 17 spent shells at the house during investigations.

“I remember when we first got a computer, while I would be downloading games, he would be downloading programs to make beats. This was when he was about eight. Even then he had a vision for his life. When he started to take his music career seriously he was unrelenting.

“Sometimes for the week you would get eight or nine messages with songs that he would like you to listen to and give feedback. He wanted each new song that he produced to be better than the last. He was very ambitious.” George’s sister Keisha Alexander, in a letter which she read out, described him as a loving and creative person.

“He was always proud to tell people I was his sister. Even as a grown man he still greeted us the same way: ‘I love you.’ I would never forget your voice or your sense of humour, I would always remember your ups and downs and your struggles,” she said.

NNV political leader Fuad Abu Bakr who also attended the funeral, said he knew George growing up and had spoken for hours before his death. Bakr called for youths to end the cycle of violence plaguing communities.

“We have been trying to bring peace in TT in all communities. But I ask the elders to understand us. Stop blaming us, because we just want our share of TT.”