Fishy business in Port Royal
Published:Tuesday | September 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Jackson the truck driver is not pleased. He left his adopted home in New York to spend part of his long-awaited vacation in Port Royal, and all he has been eating since he got there is fish. Fried, steamed, curried - Jackson has had all he can take and he's on the verge of blowing a major fuse.
"Not even likkle jerk chicken!" he yelled, standing just outside a small shop in the seaside community, recently.
Jackson, who seemed to be in his 40s, was born in St Ann, but left Jamaica 15 years ago. During that time, he developed an intense longing for some authentic local cuisine.
"What yuh get in 'Merica is not di real ting. When mi spend mi money to come back home, mi expect fi get di real jerk chicken!"
Jackson was shouting, attracting the attention of passers-by and Lou, the owner of the shop that the truck driver was standing in front of.
"What is happening?" asked Lou, a fair-skinned man with dreadlocks. He seemed annoyed by the disturbance.
"Imagine, mi leave mi house in New York and come here and expect fi see man wid dem cut-off drum ah jerk chicken and ting. Is pure fish dem gimmi fi eat," said Jackson, his eyebrows wrinkled.
"But is Port Royal yuh come! When yuh come here yuh must expect to eat fish. Is what do dis man though?" said Lou, adjusting his locks.
The conversation attracted a red-eyed golden-ager who seemed a little woozy. A strong scent of liquor came over the place as soon as he arrived.
"What unnu talking about?" the man said. A programme going on, on a television set inside the shop caught the man's attention before he could say anything further. "Hee hee!" he laughed, apparently forgetting his initial query. Everyone else seemed to have forgot about it as well. Jackson spoke up again.
"When mi was likkle mi come to Port Royal and is a different place dan what mi see here today. Things look different and is only pure fish man can get to feed pan," he said.
A woman standing next to Lou interjected.
"So what wrong wid fish?" she asked.
"Nothing nuh wrong wid fish, but man cannot live pan fish alone. Dem haffi eat chicken too," Jackson replied.
This seemed to anger Lou. "Hello! I am vegetarian more dan 15 years now and if mi did dead fi hungry, mi wouldn't be here today," he said.
Jackson was silent and stormed off without saying another word.
Giving thanks
I turned to Lou and asked him how business was.
"We can't complain. We give thanks. It might be small what we making, but at least is something," he said.
I asked him what life was like in Port Royal these days, and he smiled.
"If you look you will notice that we don't have any grill on the windows. Is the only place in Jamaica that you can still live this way. People in Port Royal don't trouble other people things. It just don't happen here," he said.
I asked Lou how the community managed to keep things that way.
"Well, is really the upbringing. People grow dem children di right way and so it pass down from generation to generation," he said, smiling.
Lou told me that while crimes are committed in Port Royal from time to time, it has never become common-place and they usually aren't very serious.
"You will hear like a phone is stolen or something, but normally you will find out who did it and the phone is returned," said Lou.
"We have all kinda difficulty but you won't really hear about it because we live like a family around here. When things happen we deal with it like family and always try to make the best of what we have."
Port Royal
Feedback
Fishy business
The following are feedback letters from readers of Roving with Lalah.
Dear Robert,
I
am an avid reader of your column and even bought your book for myself
and family abroad. You really have a talent for writing, engaging,
intriguing short stories.
Regards,
N.B.
Dear Robert,
Just writing to tell you how much I enjoy reading your exhilarating stories in The Gleaner.
Your
humorous literary style is very entertaining and amusing. Really and
truly, I often have to laugh out loud when reading your stories. Soon
afterwards it usually leaves me contemplating and blue.
Many years ago I spent some time with Jamaican cultivators on the Blue Mountains.
I
very much appreciate your art of seeing and interpreting the funny and
sunny sides of situations while at the same time insinuating esteem for
the humble and decent Jamaican country folks whom I love and respect.
Yours sincerely
Friedrich BŸcking
Germany
Dear Robert,
My
mother and I have been long-time fans of your Jamaican peregrinations,
yet it is with some chagrin that we note that you have yet to visit the
area of her youth; Jack's River, St Mary.
Please could you rectify
the situation post-haste by making a trip to this most rewarding of
places. I'm sure your readership will be stimulated by your findings!
J.R.
London, UK
Port Royal
in