IT has been three years of hell and bullets. Three years of division and strife. Three years of bloodshed and violence. Still, the community of Majesty Gardens in the South West St Andrew constituency of Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has never been farther from its name.

There is nothing even remotely majestic about the zinc fences, the motley of mostly rundown dwelling places, the unsightly criss-cross of throw-up wires nor the over 50 lives lost in rivalry between sections of the community over the past three or so years.

It is a study in dejection; a community left almost to its own devices, the human capital wasted almost.

“Mommy, give mi some,” came the plaintive tones of a toddler no more than two years old, shattering this reporter’s musing.

Mommy, wilfully deaf, licked at her ice-cream decidedly not sharing.

“Gweh from mi nuh,” she bit out.

A minute or two and several licks later, the knee-high toddler begged again: “Mommy, leave some fi mi yuh hear?”

Sunday evening. Trafalgar Square. On a crude makeshift podium some young men work feverishly to get their musical instruments going. A church service of sorts is in the making.

To one end, devout folks form a pre-service prayer ring.

By this time, the youngster had got lucky enough to be treated to a mouthful of the sugary treat. She scampered off somewhere.

The scent of ganja smoke wafted from some place or other and the air rang with the sound of clappers every now and then.

Darkness was fast approaching and under its cover the torn residents of Majesty Gardens, along with their rescuers the Majesty Gardens Action Committee for Peace, held their candlelight service of reconciliation.

“It is like a peace march for all the souls that have died and gone. Some of them died uncalled for. Some of them death never necessary. We pray the peace will hold. We are going into two months now of peace, by the grace of God we hope it will last, for without the prince of peace, yuh done know,” 23-year-old resident Deon explains to the Sunday Observer.

“The war is between top and bottom Majesty Gardens,” she says, busily arranging some toddlers who were anxiously waiting to march with their lit candles.

“Some children from top Majesty Gardens and bottom will march from both ends of the community and meet in the middle there so,” Deon adds, poiniting to the meeting spot.

And so it began, the youth symbolically forging a peace link, marching to meet in the intersection of their troubled community through the darkened street to the solitary street lamp at the middle bellowing “peace” songs with youthful gusto.

“I would like to see improvement in the community. Because of what go on in the community, the children can’t go to school, and no enjoyment nuh in here when the shots start fire. We have to stay inside, ‘fraid to even go to shop because of the bullet,” Rachel, a resident of bottom Majesty, chimes in.

The singing children with their candles lit more than a spark of hope for Inez, a resident of top Majesty Gardens.

“I feel seh dem wi do a little better. Everybody get upset and not pleased about the gun shooting (reason behind peace march),” she says.

Sam Richards, a businessman and member of the Majesty Gardens Action Committee for Peace, is hoping the fragile link will grow stronger over time.

“We are still having peace meetings and we will continue with what we are doing here now and asking God’s guidance to galvanise that peace and begin what we want to see, which is a transformation,” he says above the hubbub of the gathering. “Some of these men (causing the violence) will be in the crowd tonight, but they won’t necessarily come forward. But the children here tonight will see another side of adults and will see a gathering which is not a street dance. It is a new beginning, the nurturing of a continued community involvement.”

Richards notes that the committee is also planning an indoor meeting at which it was hoped to put together ideas from which programmes will evolve based around education and training.

“We are hoping to put in place programmes that will foster wholesome thinking and life values based on Christian principles,” he says.

According to Richards, the committee had come in at the request of the “young men in the community who were having confrontational problems”.

“They asked us to come in and be peacemakers,” he says.

The movement, which has the involvement of several church groups, also has at its base Frances Madden of the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation and members of the Peace Management Initiative.

There was no mistaking the level of grief over the lives lost.

“We have about 50-odd names. It could be more. There is no official register so there is no guarantee the number is correct. We have been gathering names about three months now,” Madden says.

While some residents sang, clapped and danced to the songs sung by the worship team, others stood by observing, others marched through the centre, on about their business.

By then it was time for People’s National Party councillor for the area Karl Blake to make his remarks and the result of his words was pin-drop silence.

“I look at your faces and the faces of your children and you are all beautiful people, so why are you killing each other?” he asks. “Some of the names I see I knew them. Maybe pastor will tell me that it was God’s will and that He was ready for them, but I don’t think God is cruel.”

His, “it must be the work of the devil,” comment had residents clapping and nodding in agreement.

“I hope Majesty Gardens will be peaceful again. Why I wasn’t coming around here is that I will not mix guns with people. I will not take part in any gun thing. I want you to go and think about why all of this took place and I am sure you will find no good reason. It is with great pain I read these names,” he notes.

And even after the names on the list were called, residents shouted others which they had not heard.

“About hundred people dead, a old dead dem deh dem a call, all some of di youths weh dead from my side mi nuh hear dem name call,” one youth observes to no one in particular.

Majesty Gardens, tucked to the left of the busy Marcus Garvey Drive thoroughfare travelling from the Portmore toll road to Portia Simpson Miller Square (formerly Three Miles), covers a relatively small geographical area but is crammed with a population of approximately 7,000 residents, including children, young adults, adults and golden agers. Over the years, the community, which is self-divided into two main sections, has been at war with itself. In addition, each segment was further sub-divided into smaller areas by street “corners” or a cluster of houses. The loyalties of members of each of the main sections, in the main, remains intact but changes from time to time, depending on the cause of concern at any given period. In addition, the clusters within each of the main segments from time to time declare “war” across clusters.

The action committee comprises the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation, the St Andrew Settlement Outreach Programme, the St Andrew Parish Church, Majesty Gardens Legends Basketball Club, Majesty Gardens Transformation Fellowship, Fellowship Tabernacle Church, Sampars Cash and Carry Successors, and individual group members who have maintained an association with the community over an extended period of time, providing assistance in the areas of education, employment, sports, religion and other social needs.