Hartley Neita
, ContributorDRIVING THROUGH the sections of my normal route in Kingston and St. Andrew this week, one would not know that a hurricane as dangerous as Ivan passed over Jamaica just a few days ago. The only signs are the electric and cable wires still lying on some streets, and the tree trunks which have been placed by householders on the verges of the roads. The wires will soon be back on the poles, but the tree trunks, branches and leaves will keep getting browner and browner for many days to come.
The promise to remove these trees is one, I am sure, the authorities will soon regret as the political spin doctors begin to blame the Government for its tardiness in giving us back the sidewalks and road banks. I believe that an enterprising entrepreneur could turn this litter of trunks into an economic venture. They could be collected and converted into fence posts; the larger trunks could become stumps for garden tables; dried, the harder woods could be sawn into boards to be used for construction and as hoardings.
FRIGHTENING EVIDENCE
It is only when you travel from Kingston to the south coast of Clarendon, as I did last Sunday, that the frightening evidence of Ivan's impact on man and nature can be seen. There are those who want to claim that Gilbert was a more dangerous hurricane than Ivan, but I think they are either politicians with memories to protect, or those who have not left Kingston. I had not been to the villages of Portland Cottage and Rocky Point for over 30 years. Years before, I played cricket and football against their village teams. My memory of what these villages were is therefore vague. What was striking, however, were the roads in the area wide and straight, and well-paved without potholes. Years before they were narrow and covered with marl and stones. It is a vivid example of the progress which has been taking place in Jamaica.
In the villages, themselves, piles of lumber and zinc on the ground are the evidence that houses were there. The men folk are slowly trying to repair homes. Mosquitoes, which seem as large as house flies, fly about in clusters. We had carried a few bags of ice, and groceries, but what was most appreciated was a canister of a mosquito repellent we gave to a family. Had we known we would have carried more, as well as anti-mosquito coils and matches. Next time. The men and women we met wore brave faces as they spoke about the fright of Ivan's night-time passage. It was the children, however, who choked my throat. They did not speak much. They will remember the night for the rest of their lives. We left when the full moon was climbing the sky.
ELECTRICITY
The sky was clean of clouds. Young girls walked the road, glad they were alive to enjoy the night with the fireflies. Young men also strolled the districts, wishing for the return of electricity so they could hear music from the boom boxes. Returning to Kingston where my home received electricity and cable television and water less than a week after Ivan's passage, I wondered at the audacity of those who claimed it was their prayers which saved Jamaica. Yes, God helped me and I give thanks and praise, but I did not pray more than the residents of Rocky Point and Portland Cottage. Many lost everything, furniture, clothes and equipment.
On the other hand, my home was saved. I lost a breadfruit tree in my backyard. It had young fruit and by the end of this month I could have been roasting them and giving extras to family and friends. I looked around my home this past week. I found two pairs of scissors; I only need one. I have three kerosene oil lamps I only need one. I have cups and saucers and plates I have never used. I don't need them. They will find new homes on my next visit to these villages.
