Robert Lalah, Assistant Editor-Features

(From left) Everton, Wappy and Pamela shoot the breeze at a shop in Duncans, Trelawny. - Kyle Macpherson/Freelance Photographer

Around noon on an overcast day in Duncans, Trelawny, Everton, Wappy and Pamela are shooting the breeze at a small shop by the side of a lonely road.

"Bwoy, a long time mi nuh see Likkle Bit, yuh know. Ah wonder a weh she deh from wah day," said Everton, breaking an extended period of silence.

"Likkle Bit gawn a town gawn spend di summer wid har bredda. Yuh nuh memba har bredda, Mackerel? Yes man, him same one," said Pamela. Everton nodded, while Wappy continued to play with the cell phone in his hand.

Smartly dressed

Everton, quite smartly dressed in a white merino, jeans shorts and sandals started looking me up and down rather curiously. I had only moments earlier joined the trio at the shop and had explained to them that I was just visiting to learn about the community. Now, I could tell that Everton was searching for another topic he could use to break the awkward silence, yet again.

"So what yuh is about again?" he asked me. I repeated my earlier explanation. "Ah oh," he said, slowly, looking at the others who in turn, gave him 'we're-just-as- confused-as-you-are' looks.

I decided to change my approach. "About how many people live here in Duncans?" I asked.

"Whole heap," was the response from Wappy, who seemed quite pleased with his contribution. Luckily, Pamela interjected.

"Yuh have more people in di town part near di clock, where dem have shop and wholesale and so on, but like here, nuh really have so much people," she said, shaking her head. For reasons that eluded me, Everton started smiling broadly.

Local Reader-Man

At this point, along came Junior, who, according to Pamela, is son of the local 'Reader-Man.'

"Which part di shopkeeper deh?" asked the boy, who was about 12 years old. "Pickney, yuh nuh see big people stand up here? Yuh nuh have nuh manners? Kirout!" shouted Pamela. Her outburst caught me quite by surprise, especially considering the boy was the son of a supposedly powerful man. I tensed up, hoping that the boy wouldn't run off to his father and have him put a hex on the lot of us. Everton continued to smile, uncomfortably.

"Sorry. Good mawning. Weh di shopkeeper deh?" Junior asked, again.

"She gawn dung di road fi come back," Pamela responded and the boy sauntered off.

I was about to question Pamela about the prudence of mouthing off to the son of a Reader-Man when Everton beat me to the punch.

"Pamela man! Nuh do dem ting deh! Yuh nuh know wah him Pupa up to. When yuh see di yute, just lef him," he said, worriedly.

Pamela was unmoved. "Pickney fi have manners. Mi nuh care bout him Pupa," she responded, dryly.

I wasn't so confident, as I watched the boy walk down the road and turn into a narrow lane. I wondered if he had got a good enough look at me to recount to his father. My thoughts were interupted by Wappy.

Tribulation

"Nuh worry bout him. Fi him Pupa nuh strang like fi mi!" he said. Hardly comforted by this, I asked the trio if the people of Duncans generally lived peacefully with each other. "Yes man. More time ah just di outsider dem come wid dem tribulation, but Duncans people alright," said Pamela, smiling.

Just then, Wappy's cell phone rang and after a brief conversation he waved us off and said he had to go.

"Mi a meck a move too, walk good and teck care a yuh self," said Everton.

Looking down the road in the direction that Wappy was heading, I saw Junior emerging from the narrow lane. He was on his way back to the shop, I presume, to find out if the shopkeeper had returned. "Watch dis yah one now a walk and eat," Pamela mumbled, seeming most annoyed. I feared another reprimand, so I quickly bade her goodbye and scurried off before the son of the Reader Man could get a better look at me.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.

The much anticipated Roving with Lalah book is coming!

Pre-order your copy now at www.ianrandlepublishers.com