Main Street, Christiana, home of one of the greatest Grand Market celebrations anywhere. - Norman Grindley/ACTING PHOTOGRAPHY editor

Now Prudence Lillian Longwood, known better among the people of Christiana as Miss Lill, is one peeved shop owner. There's just about one month to go before the much-anticipated Grand Market and she still has not received her goods from Kingston.

I bumped into her while she was relating the distressing story to a funny-looking fellow with a hole in an unfortunate spot of his trousers. The two were standing by the side of the road in the heart of Christiana, Manchester.

"Yuh can believe dat, Leroy? Look from when Miss Gail send di sinting dem come! Yuh mean fi tell mi dem caan reach all now?" she said, her eyes full of anger. Leroy gave an uncomfortable shrug.

"Mi nuh like dem sinting yah, bawba! Mi like have di sinting dem from early, so dat when Grand Market night come, mi know what is what," the woman said, slapping her palms together. Miss Lill, I'd say, was close to 60 years old. She wore a straw hat and a long skirt.

I cleared my throat and the two turned to look at me. "Yes please," Miss Lill said.

Runs shop in square

I introduced myself to the pair and asked the woman about the cause of her discontent.

"Ah pure baddaration, mi son! Mi does run one likkle shop inna di square and now dat Grand Market is coming up, mi aunty who live ah foreign send some foodstuff and some play play water gun and dem ting deh fi mi sell, and all now dem caan reach," Miss Lill said.

"So wah mek dem caan reach?" asked Leroy.

"Nuh because Miss Gail go get one half idiot fi go clear di barrel!" Miss Lill shouted.

"Who dat?" Leroy pressed.

"Charmain big son weh dem call Fitzroy. All him too! It look like seh fi him head a gadda water! Him so fool fool," Miss Lill said.

She looked like she was about to blow a fuse, thinking about the incident, so I decided to quickly change the subject to something a little more cheery. I asked her about Christmas in Christiana.

This brought a smile to her face and a frown to Leroy's.

"Mi love Christmus time. From mi was a lilly pickney till now. Now dat mi have mi shop, is Grand Market night mi really able fi see some money," she said, looking pleased at the idea.

'Bruck-pocket' time

Leroy made a sucking sound with his mouth.

"Mi nuh love Christmus. Ah 'bruck-pocket' time dat. Everybody waan something from yuh and dem nah give yuh nothing!" he said, his eyebrows raised.

"Is mean yuh mean! If yuh never so mean, people woulda give yuh something fi yuh Christmus," Miss Lill flashed him off.

Leroy made the sucking sound with his mouth again, but said nothing.

I asked the pair what exactly happened at Grand Market in Christiana.

"Lawd man! Pure niceness and vibes, man. Everybody stay up until Christmus morning. Even di mad man dem, like Joe. All him dress up inna clothes and ah walk round ah look pan tings like him have sense. Heh, hey!" Miss Lill chuckled, her belly jiggling.

"Di people dem play music inna di square and buy food and eat and some might buy present and dem ting deh. Is like a session ah keep," Leroy said, smiling.

"I thought you didn't like Christmas," I said to him.

Good vibes

His expression changed immediately. "Ah true man, but mi like di vibes. Mi just nuh like spend di money," he said.

"Is mean yuh mean," Miss Lill whispered.

Leroy was about to respond, when a little girl shouted from behind.

"Miss Lill! Miss Lill! Somebody want yuh," shouted the girl, who had about a dozen clips in her hair.

"Ah coming!" Miss Lill replied before turning back to me.

"Is di pickney weh mi have ah watch di shop. Mi gone leave yuh, but meck sure yuh come back fi Grand Market! Come Leroy. Come help mi lift up something," she said and the pair walked away.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com

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