Left: Mama Grey steps out of the tower that's been around since the days of slavery. Right: When it's work time in Stony Gut, everyone gives a hand. This tot was helping to clean up the local church for a crusade. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
IF YOU ask me, it's not always good to get more than what you bargain for. Like, I can remember once at high school, for some reason I got the bright idea to invite Lavern, a 200-plus pound girl who had a crush on me, out to lunch.
I felt like quite the gentleman, allowing this voluptuous vixen to partake of her favourite delicacies all at my expense. Which, by the way, was limited to my somewhat paltry lunch money.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE
Watching helplessly while the weighty belle walloped three whole patties before turning her sights on a generous slice of chocolate cake and a small box of jelly donuts, was an experience I won't soon forget. By the time the tally was taken and the bill was to be paid, let's just say, I got a whole lot more than I had bargained for. It wasn't fun.
The other day, I came across a quiet, tiny district hidden in western St. Thomas, where again I got a whole lot more than I bargained for. This time, however, the results were a lot better.
Stony Gut. Yes the same community from which National Hero Paul Bogle started the chain of events that led to the infamous Morant Bay rebellion.
Photographer Norman Grindley and I headed out to Stony Gut early one Friday morning, passing places like Bull Bay and Yallahs, before taking a left at a roundabout and up a hill towards the community.
The van sputtered up the hill and we looked around to see what was happening. There weren't many people around, but almost everyone we passed, greeted us with a smile and a wave.
We noticed a large tent set up in front of a small wooden church. A few women and an elderly man were raking leaves in the front yard.
We were just about to pass them by when one of the women waved and shouted "How can we help you please?".
TIME TO CHAT
Screech! We decided to stop and have a chat.
Now these women, who were preparing for a church crusade, have lived in the community all their lives and know it like the back of their hands. "So what is life like here?" I inquired. Miss Hilda, the youngest of the lot, was the first to respond.
"Very quiet, except when is Heroes Day or something. Yes sah! When is Heroes Day round here fat! If is even pon dem knee dem haffi walk, people ago come down here pan dem head top!" the woman said with a chuckle.
THE COMMUNITY'S NAME
We wanted to find out how the community got its name. We were referred to the elderly bloke with the rake. They called him Mas Brown. He was a bit hard of hearing so we had to shout our questions. "How did Stony Gut get its name?" I hollered.
"Yes man. Thank you," was the response. I made a second attempt with a similar result. Miss Hilda stepped in to help. She went right up to the man's ear and gave a holler that would have made a lesser man shriek. "Oh yes man. It is the name of a slave from those days. I hear that is a slave dem used to call so, but I'm not sure you know," Mas Brown said, leaning on his rake.
When we asked about crime in the community, the entire group laughed. Except of course for Mas Brown who apparently thought I said something else and shook his head from side to side, gently whispering, "Is really true you know,".
Miss Hilda spoke up. "Nothing like crime. We have good living around here. If you thinking about living in St. Thomas Stony Gut is the right place," the woman said, rubbing her arm after being bitten by an ant.
