So there they were. Standing together in the shade of the tall, old tree for more than 10 minutes now, without ever looking directly into each other's eyes. Their nervous laughter was making me uncomfortable, even though I was several feet away, a chance observer of this awkward encounter between two prospective lovebirds. I had noticed them the moment they arrived. He was dressed in a blue, long-sleeved shirt with matching tie, khaki trousers and loafers, while she was put together more casually in jeans and a floral blouse. They shook hands when they met each other, there in the well manicured gardens of Devon House in St. Andrew. A place where, for decades, many a love connection has been forged.

The sun was high in the sky, but a few clouds passing underneath, provided a break from the intense heat.

The fellow started stroking the arm of the young woman who showed no resistance, and as clouds passed slowly overhead, the brave young man moved in closer. After waiting for more than 20 minutes for some action, it seemed the big moment was upon us. He was going in for a kiss. He inched closer ... closer ... closer. "Hello bass, beg you a smalls nuh." a short, big-headed fellow with hairy nostrils had stepped in front of me, blocking my view, just as the magic was about to happen. "Beg a thing bass. Mi deh yah from mawning and nothing nah gwaan," said he. I struggled to look behind him to see what had happened between the adoring couple, but I had missed it.

'Pretty Boot'

They were now walking away from me, side by side. I still don't know what happened. Instead, I was staring directly into the hairy nostrils of one Tyndale Alphonso Williams, who is more popularly known in some spheres as 'Pretty Boot'. When he told me of this moniker, of course, my eyes went directly to his feet. He was barefooted, and as I silently contemplated the irony of the nickname, I smiled. This didn't go over too well. "Whapen? True mi nah where nuh shoes? Mi can buy shoes you know. When mi used to go school mi did always have on di latest shoes dem, dat's how come mi get di name," said he. I assured him that I was in no way poking fun at him. He seemed to relax a bit. I asked him about Devon House. "Dah place yah nice man. Mi hustle outa di stoplight and when mi ready fi cool out mi just come hold a shade under di tree. Whole heap a man carry dem woman come over here.

You can even get food fi buy too," he said. Pretty Boot mentioned that he needed to get back to his 'work', waved and walked off. I looked around the gardens at the dozens of people scattered about the lawn. Some were reading, others were gathered in small groups talking and there were couples whispering sweet nothings to each other as cars whizzed by on the busy road outside.

Peace and quiet

"Psst!" I heard this hissing sound behind me. "Psst!" I looked around to see a chubby, dark-skinned woman with unprocessed hair and bright eyes staring at me. "Come here," she said. I must say that her forwardness intrigued me. I went over to her. "You look lost," said she. I assured her I was not and asked her what had brought her to Devon House. "Mi work nearby here, so when mi want a break, mi just come cool out over here. Dem fixing it up now, so it really nice. Nobody nah go come bother you when you over here, so you can always get some peace and quiet," said the woman, who later gave her name as Petula.

Petula is a housekeeper who works full-time at a nearby apartment complex. She said she visits Devon House at least three times a week. "My kind of work can get bugging sometimes. When dat happen mi just come over here and clear mi head. Mi co-worker dem always say mi gone sleep, but a true dem nuh realise how over here nice," she said.

As I was speaking with Petula, I noticed a bus pulling up in the parking lot. It was packed with tourists, many of whom were pointing cameras through the bus windows and taking pictures of the grounds. "You see it? If over here wasn't so nice den di tourist dem wouldn't come," Petula said.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com