‘See you later, baby’: A mother saying goodbye

“See you later, baby. Mommy loves you.”

With those words, Keno Gordon’s mother watched as her son’s casket was closed for the final time.

The goodbye came in Exuma, where family, friends and mourners gathered to lay to rest a young man whose life ended too soon.

Keno was one of five young people killed in the June 28 crash on Shirley Street.

But on Friday and Saturday, those who loved Keno remembered the competitor, the jokester, the hardworking employee, the basketball lover and, according to one former teacher, the boy who could hardly resist a cookie.

At the Ramsey Cemetery in Exuma, mourners hugged, sang and said goodbye as Keno was laid to rest.

A basketball was placed with him, a small symbol of the sport he loved.

For Roland Evans-Knowles, a former teacher, Keno would always be her “cookie monster.”

“One thing about Keno, he loved to eat, especially cookies,” she remembered during a service at Life Changers on Friday.

In fact, she recalled, the only time Keno was ever punished in her classroom was for eating during lessons.

His love of cookies eventually became a classroom joke, one that brought smiles and laughter.

But there was more to Keno than his mischievous appetite. Evans-Knowles remembered his sense of humour and his competitive spirit, particularly during Sports Day, when the two became friendly rivals, passionately cheering for their favourite teams.

“Watching him compete reminded everyone of his friendly nature and competitive spirit,” she said.

Even after Keno graduated, the relationship continued.

She checked on him from time to time, a bond formed in a classroom that extended well beyond his school years.

What she remembers most now are his laughter, kindness and determination.

His uncle, Pastor Kendal Butler, remembered another side of him.

Keno wanted to lead. Whether he was fishing, playing basketball or participating in Junkanoo, he wanted to be among the best.

During fishing trips, Butler recalled, Keno competed to catch the biggest lobster.

“He always wanted to be the leader,” he said.

But the competitiveness never erased his love for the people around him.

“I’m going to miss him. I love him,” Butler said.

Horace Albury, Keno’s mentor and manager, remembered a young man who worked hard without making a spectacle of it.

Despite his size, Albury said, Keno was remarkably humble.

“He became like a son,” he said.

What impressed him most was Keno’s work ethic.

“He never shied away from hard work. He never complained and just got the job done.”

Those memories now become part of the legacy Keno leaves behind.

At the cemetery, mourners sang, “When I get to that city of gold,” as they gathered around Keno’s final resting place.

And for a family forced to bury a son, nephew and loved one far too soon, faith offered another place to hold onto.

Keno’s favourite scripture was Proverbs 3:5-6—a passage about trusting God and allowing Him to direct the path ahead.

His earthly path has ended.

Picture credit: Through the Eyes of Ezra