With no one to answer the phone in T&T, as her adopted countrymen celebrated Mother’s Day in Sweden yesterday, Helen Bergendahl said the only way she could feel connected to her missing parent was by making the famous fish broth as taught to her by her mom. Bergendahl is the daughter of missing lecturer Glenda Charles-Harris.
Two months shy of a year since her mother disappeared, Bergendahl and her siblings have remained in an emotional and mental limbo as they continue to search for proof of her continued existence. Charles-Harris was last seen at the Tru Valu Supermarket, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, around 5.30 pm on July 27, 2015.
Her car was found abandoned at Indian Walk, Princes Town, one day later.
A resident in Sweden, Bergendahl along with her eldest brother Sven Charles-Harris, yesterday reflected on their family’s tragedy as they spoke during a candid interview about the difficulties they have endured and the months of frustration to obtain answers from the police about the status of the investigation.
Contacted via phone after she updated her Facebook status to read: “Making my mother’s famous fish broth to be close to her on this today! Happy Mother's Day,” Bergendahl confirmed that the past couple months had been the darkest of her life. While Mother’s Day is generally celebrated on the second Sunday in May, the annual event is celebrated on different dates depending on the country.
“It has been devastating and I think everyone feels the pressure of the fact that it is now close to a year and we have no answers or leads.”
She went on, “It is very difficult to move forward when we don’t actually know what it is we are mourning. I think we have all come to realise that she is no longer with us, but that still doesn’t give us any answers as to why, where and what has happened. This year has been difficult, accepting that I will never know what has happened to my mother and why it happened to her. That is extremely painful!”
At the time of her disappearance, the 78-year-old mother of four held the post of head of the environmental studies department, College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (Costaatt).
Although they have managed to muddle through the holidays and birthday, during the intervening months, the family said they have been forced to recall their personal experiences with their mother in order to feel her presence daily.
Bergendahl said she often makes one of her mom’s favourite dishes when she wants to feel close to her; hence the broth.
“Eating it gave me a feeling of comfort. Food is a big part of our culture and anytime we go through happy times or sad times. I think I am carrying on that tradition even though I am far from T&T.”
Pressed to recall the last conversation she had with her mother, Bergendahl said they spoke on the afternoon of July 26, 2015.
What was ironic is that it centred around the local crime situation as the two discussed meeting up; with Charles-Harris expressing fear over her daughter’s intention to visit T&T and discussing the option of moving as one way to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime.
Recalling their mother’s humble nature, warm personality and effusive attitude, Bergendahl and her brother Sven both said, based on the current situation, “There is nothing else we can do but have patience and hope we will get answers.”
Both agreed the situation had reinforced their love and appreciation for family as they now cherish each moment with their children and one another.
Disappointed and upset over the slow place of the police investigation, Sven revealed they had only been able to recover Charles-Harris's car last Monday from the crime scene investigations unit, Cumuto.
Angered over the condition of the car which had been left exposed to the elements for the past ten months with the windows down, Sven said it was unacceptable that two months after officials had completed work on the car, the lead investigator had not found it fit to contact the family in order for them to retrieve the vehicle.
He confirmed that calls and messages to the investigator had gone unanswered for the past several months.
Armed with the necessary paperwork and determined to recover the car, Sven said he went to Cumuto where he was horrified to see the yard stockpiled with vehicles waiting on investigators to collect them for return to persons.
Learning that the immobiliser from his mother’s car had gone missing, Sven said he was just grateful to retrieve it but now faced a daunting task as the leather interior had been completely damaged by water.
With the assistance of Sgt Mitchell, Sven was able to complete the transaction which had been causing the family untold frustration.
Also upset over the status of the investigation—which appears to have come to a complete stop—Sven said though they were initially discouraged by the police in seeking outside assistance, perhaps it was time to once again explore this option.
Unable to move on with their lives, Sven said although officials at Costaatt were given the go ahead to clean out Charles-Harris’ office in January, the family was yet to get the same permission to access her bedroom which has remained cordoned off.
With insurance and other legal matters in abeyance, Sven said, “We are at our wits end on how to proceed.”
Declared missing and not dead, the family will have to wait for seven years before this can officially be done.