Robert Lalah, Assistant Editor-Features

Bearing her load, a Balaclava woman does a balancing act.

So, the talk of the town in Balaclava, St Elizabeth, is that Miss Jane, the unofficial and, at times, unwilling matriarch of the community has just received a large barrel of goodies from her eldest daughter, Charmain, who lives in New York City.

Now, the last time this happened was in the summer of 2005 and Miss Jane, not being one too concerned with things 'of this world', simply gave away everything to her neighbours.

Everything, that is, except a large, leather Bible that she has taken to church with her every Sunday, since then. People fortunate enough to have been living close to Miss Jane in 2005 were summoned to her home to collect shiny new pairs of shoes, dresses, small appliances and even food items.

Grand giveaway

It was like Christmas had come early and now that word has spread that another barrel has just been delivered to Miss Jane, expectations are high that there will soon be another grand giveaway.

Sherwood Campbell has positioned himself at his Aunt's home that is only a stone's throw from Miss Jane's place. "Well, mi hear dat a next barrel come, so mi really just come over here in case Miss Jane call me. Mi neva deh yah when di first barrel come, so mi nah mek it miss mi dis time," said he.

Sherwood, a 30-something-year-old mason, really lives several miles away in the community called Pepper, but insists that Miss Jane knows him well.

"Yes man, is just because she never see mi di last time, she never really save anything fi me. But dis time when she see me, everything alright," he said, nodding.

Sherwood was sitting on a large, white-washed rock by the side of the road near his aunt's home, with a skinny, hairy fellow called Trumpet.

Now, Trumpet looked like the kind of person you'd expect to find stalking strangers in dark alleys. He had a constant look of utter disgust on his face and a scar running along his entire left cheek. He wore no shoes and his shirt had as many holes as the short pants he was wearing somewhere near his knees.

Needless to say, I stood closer to Sherwood. I asked him what he thought he would be getting from the barrel. "Well, seeing as how is really Miss Jane it really send for, it ah go have mostly woman things, but mi hear dat di last time, whole heap a food stuff did come too, so mi a try hold some a dat," he said, smiling at the thought.

I glanced at Trumpet and, mindful not to agitate him with my tone, asked him the same question. There was a tense moment as he looked me over, then cleared his throat and said: "Well, mi woulda love some a di butter inna di plastic bucket weh mi get di last time. It sweet, sweet!" he said, with a wide smile.

I was surprised by his demeanour, but prodded him further by asking him what else he got the last time.

"Well, ah dat alone still, but mi nuh fussy still. Dat alone alright wid me," he said.

Clever positioning

I realised then, that I had caught up with the men while they were actively in the process of waiting on news of the giveaway, hence the clever positioning near to the supposed venue of the disbursement. A few minutes of silence went by and I realised that they weren't going anywhere, anytime soon. I decided to change the subject by asking about the community. It was Trumpet who replied.

"Well, is really a quiet place. Mi used to live ah Kingston and when mi come down here, mi think mi did a go mad! Di place just dead. After a while, mi get used to it still. At least yuh nuh have nuh violence and dem tings," said he.

After this, the silence returned until a slender woman with a look-at-me figure walked up. "Eh-eh! Den unnu still siddung yah so? Woi! Miss Jane done seh she nah call nobody today. She seh unnu too long yeye fi har tings dem. Woi!" she said and walked off.

Sherwood shouted after her, claiming that they weren't waiting for anything, that they were only relaxing.

The woman continued to walk without looking back. As soon as she had disappeared, Sherwood and Trumpet got up in unison. "Yow, wi ah go lef dis place," said Trumpet, and the two hobbled off. As they walked, I heard Sherwood ask his companion if he was planning to return to the same spot the next day. "Of course!" was the reply.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com

Not much going on. A bird's-eye view of Balaclava main road. - photos by Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

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