Left: The Natural Bridge looks like any other bridge but residents are quick to point out its unique qualities.   Right: The bold sign declaring the significance of Natural Bridge. - Photos by Robert Lalah

The giant black crow circled over my head twice and then without warning, and with a hint of malice in its eyes, made a sudden dive in my direction. I spun around and was out of that creepy cave in a matter of seconds. Not exactly my idea of a good time, but to the people of Riversdale in St. Catherine, that kind of experience is priceless.

You see, the residents of that community claim that they live close to the eighth wonder of the world: the Natural Bridge. Now as the name suggests, it's a bridge that links Riversdale with other nearby communities that would have otherwise been inaccessible. You see, there's a river flowing between the communities. The bridge runs over the river and links them all together. Sounds like nothing special really, but the unique thing about it is that this bridge wasn't made by man, but was formed naturally. Fascinating? Well, Ms. Millicent sure thinks so.

God's greatest miracles

"Den how you mean? That is a blessed place. It deh bout from my grandfather father was a bwoy. Mi hear seh it was discovered in slavery days. But mi nuh know, for mi never born yet," she said as she hobbled across the bridge one Tuesday morning. Ms. Millicent said she has lived about a mile from the bridge for most of her life and is confident that it is one of God's greatest miracles. She's a shaky woman who must have been in her late 70s, but her voice was strong and she still had fire in her eyes. "People should pay just fi come look at di bridge. It just mek so and nobody nuh build it. I never hear that happen anywhere else. Only Jamaica," she said as she adjusted the thick-framed spectacles resting on her nose. She said she was on her way to Linstead to buy some ackees so she couldn't hang around. "Mi can't tarry young bwoy. Mi have tings fi do. Gwaan go look pan di bridge and see fi youself," Ms. Millicent said and was off.

Just then, I heard someone shout behind me. "Hello please!" I turned and looked over my left shoulder and didn't see anyone. "Hello! See mi in yah so." I noticed a woman peering through the small window of a nearby wooden building that seemed to be a shop of sorts. "Go down the steps and you will get a better view of the bridge," the woman said. I walked up to the window to speak with her. She seemed to be in her mid-60s and was busy rubbing spices on a piece of meat. I realised that she was standing in the kitchen of what looked like a small cook shop. There were some pots and pans on a table next to her and I thought I saw a stove in the distance. "Yes. Now I was telling you dat you can go down the steps and you will see the real thing. If dat bwoy was here I woulda send him wid you," she said, looking behind her with her hands still massaging the meat. "Young bwoy!" she shouted and a little boy holding a deflated red balloon ran into the room.

"Go follow dis gentleman down a bottom mek him look pan di bridge," she said to the boy who was obviously not amused. He must have been about six years old. "Come," the boy said dryly.

Natural Bridge

"But what is this pan dis day though," the woman shouted, looking upset. "Likkle pickney, you seh mawning to di man? Mi tired fi tell you dat howdy and thank you nuh broke no square," she shouted to the boy who ran off immediately. "Gwan run, I gwine fix yuh business," the woman shouted after him. She apologised to me for the display and I assured her I would be fine on my own. She pointed me in the right direction and I was on my way. I came across a large sign declaring that the Natural Bridge was the eighth wonder of the world. There were steps below it that led to the river over which the bridge sits. From there, you can look up at the bridge and you're supposed to realise just how spectacular it really is. Well, this according to a woman I met inside a shop right next to the steps. She was chubby with a pretty face. She was wearing several pieces of jewellery and seemed tired. She was staring at a small television set when I walked in. I asked her about the Natural Bridge. "What happen is that one day back in slavery times, somebody from a community across the river was looking after some cows and the cow dem get away and end up in Riversdale. Everybody frighten for dem don't know how di cow dem reach down here. Is that time dem discover the Natural Bridge," she said.

I thanked her and decided to make the trek down the steps on my own. I passed a few graves on the way and it seemed that nobody has made that journey in years. When I got to the bottom it was a bit scary. There were caves all around and a few rat bats were flying in and out of them. You could however see the shape of the bridge that linked the communities. An altercation with a giant crow however forced me to leave a bit earlier than I had planned. Back up at the shop, a few residents had gathered. One man wearing a blue T-shirt and dark glasses spoke up. "Yes man now you see it for yuhself. Natural Bridge is the eighth wonders of the world. People need fi know bout it and come visit," he said.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com