One of the many cane vendors you'll find in Linstead on a given day. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

I stood there at the side of the road between a steady stream of brown water in a partially clogged gutter and a skinny man with oversized ears, transfixed by the shocking display in front of me.

Across the road from where I was standing, was a man leaning against a wooden cart that had wheels and a steering wheel on it. On the cart were painted the words, 'Top a Top Cane Man'. But that wasn't the disturbing part. Beside the cart stood a towering woman, perhaps 300 lb. and close to six feet tall, holding a stick of sugar cane in her right hand and attacking it with her mouth. The cane looked tiny in her hands, like a cigar, and every time she brought it to her mouth, another huge chunk disappeared. I was mesmerised by the display, because as she chewed on the cane, she would then spit the remnants on to the streets, I guess, as souvenirs for witnesses to this disturbing display.

"Boss, move outa di way nuh man! You tan up deh a gaze like you nuh see yuh a block di way," shouted a man behind me. This shook me out of my stupor and I regained consciousness of my surroundings. I was standing in the heart of Linstead and was quite surprised by how busy everyone seemed so early on a weekday morning.

No sale, no conversation

I tried to capture the attention of a woman sitting on a bucket on the sidewalk, with the intention of asking her if this was how busy the area was every day. There was a bag on the ground in front of her with pieces of yam and oranges laid out on it. "You buying something please?" she asked, without looking up. I should have known better, but I replied in the negative and that was the end of that conversation.

A few feet to her left, was another woman, whose head was wrapped with a scarf. She seemed a bit friendlier, so I walked up to her and introduced myself. "Yes man, is Linstead this name you know. You never hear bout di song weh say, 'carry mi ackee go a Linstead market?' Is we it singing about so we always busy over here. Hee Hee! If you want peace and quiet you haffi go inna one a di likkle town dem. But which part you is standing is always like this. Always busy," she said, chuckling heartily.

Just down the road, I could still see the cane vendor. He was now gesturing to a woman who was standing next to a sign that read 'taxi stand'. The woman folded her arms across her chest and had an angry look in her eyes. The cane vendor was smiling broadly and waving to her. The woman, upon realising what was going on, turned her back to the vendor, who then went on to shout a string of obscenities in the woman's direction.

"You see how yuh foot dem spotty spotty!" he said.

At this point, a tall, lanky man, about 30 years old walked up to me. "Mi hear you ask bout Linstead. Dem need fi divelit up likkle, but otherwise from dat everything alright round here. People always know bout dis place because di market is di best inna di country. Everybody know dat," said the man who then wandered off.

I looked around and noticed an elderly fellow wearing a yellow t-shirt sitting on a fire hydrant nearby. He seemed tired, but still managed to smile with everyone who walked by him. When I went over to him, he told me his name was William. "But everybody call me Willie," he said.

Just cooling out

Willie told me that he lived nearby and came to the town every day. "Mi old now so mi nuh go work no more. So more time mi just come cool out and collect me mail a di post office and ting. Mi just tek life easy," said he.

Willie said that watching the hustle and bustle that occurs in the town is the most exciting part of his day and he wouldn't give it up for anything.

"Roun' a yard too quiet man. Nothing nah gwaan. If mi fi stay there alone mi will dead off before mi time. Mi like fi see di movements and the people dem," he said.

Willie nodded as a woman about his age walked by. "Mi like the likkle town still. Di bad man dem only need fi tek it easy and mek we all live together inna peace. If dem do dat den Linstead would be one of di best place inna we likkle country," he said.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com