HIGHGATE, St Mary — Lawrence Robinson on Monday did what he always does on a workday at Highgate Primary School. He hung his friend Keshane “Lammy” Richards’ uniform on a hanger, ready for Lammy to step into the black and white striped pants and long white coat that would transform him into the school’s chef. Robinson waited in vain.

Thirty-one-year-old Richards, along with his friends — 27-year-old Sydney Condoppa and Sadiche Chattersingh — died on the Stewart Town main road in the early morning hours of Sunday. The school’s secretary broke the news to Robinson on Sunday afternoon.

“Mi tell her to stop talking fooliness, but something inside of me just go weak,” Robinson told the Jamaica Observer at the school on Monday. He struggled to hold back tears.

Refusing to believe his drinking partner was dead, he went to work and put Lammy’s clothes at the same spot he has placed them for much of the last six years. He clung to the hope that it was all a mistake.

“Mi just a hope to see him come in and this a lie,” he said before hastily leaving the locker room, busying himself in a futile effort to keep thoughts of his friend’s death at bay.

Grief hung thick over the school on Monday, the atmosphere heavy as soon as the compound’s gate was entered. Auxiliary and academic staff members were united by pain.

Principal Timroy Shaw, who described Richards as well-respected, outspoken, and fun-loving, said the school canteen was closed for the day, a mark of respect for the loss their community has suffered.

Also in deep mourning on Monday was Richards’ mother Jenlyn Virgo whose tears flowed freely as she recalled the last time she spoke with him.

On Saturday he had asked her to wash a pair of jeans that he had planned to wear to work on Monday. He was on his way to Ocho Rios with friends, she said. About 2:00 am on Sunday he called to say he was cooking at a friend’s wake but things were not going well.

The next phone call she got was from one of his friends telling her that her son had died in a motor vehicle crash. The calls came flooding in, but she remained unconvinced until one of her sons confirmed that he had seen Robinson’s body. Still stuck at her son’s last request for her to wash his jeans, that is where Virgo’s mind keeps taking her now in her grief.

“All now me don’t know what him was wearing…” she moaned.

Richards died leaving a one-year-old son.

— Ingrid Henry