Now, I've pointed out my distaste for the unwelcome phenomenon of begging before, but this latest incident surprised me.

Recently, I happened to have lunch outside of my work zone. No, I didn't go on one of my mindless walks around the Corporate Area looking like a forlorn zombie. I was actually on an assignment, thank you very much. Anyhoo. I stopped off at one of my favoured eateries (because this chap can't eat any and anyt'ing) and picked up some lunch. I decided that instead of eating in the restaurant, I was going to find some place more quiet. Emancipation Park was close by so I decided to find a shady spot there and partake. Big mistake. No sooner than I walked in did I come across three young women who I thought were busy reading.

"Beg you some a di lunch nuh?" came the question. "Yuh can't let off a likkle bit? The majority of the time I've been begged has been for money. So it was quite the shocker for me to have someone, or some-three to be exact, begging for food. Now even if I was in the benevolent mood (which I am rarely) I certainly didn't have enough to share with all three. And if they were joking, I'm a terrible reader of expressions. So, not sure what to say, I just did like Oliver Samuels advised 'smile and nod'. However, my hope that such action would have put the matter to rest was quickly dashed.

"Den yuh not even a answer wi? No sah!" one of the women asked in what I hope was mock distress. Having navigated them I found a quiet spot and dug in. Less than 10 minutes into my meal, here comes another bloke carrying a 'box food'. He too had to be fielding questions about whether he was 'letting off' some of his meal. Credit to him, Pops was engaging in conversation but alas, the belles were left empty.

Just as I started to wonder if everyone was off their medication, I was proven right that they were. Here comes another woman, older than the first trio, asking me the same thing. "Yuh not sharing the lunch?" To her disappointment I told her it was finished. In fairness, she didn't prolong the argument, so I guess she was joking. But sill I had to ask myself, "A wha dis fada?" It can't be my cologne because I don't wear cologne. So maybe it's my hunched-over posture and calm-ish demeanour. Perhaps I just happened to run into four women, in the space of 20 minutes, in the same location, who are just really unshy.

Either way, I left the park, using a different entrance so as to avoid the three musketeers. Wonder if they ever got something to eat?

Tell me if you think I'm weird at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com.