Strong legs and a good pair of shoes are a must for trekking some roads in Bois Content, St Catherine.

DEALING WITH the loss of a loved one is a very hard road to travel. And if you live in Bois Content, St Catherine, the phrase takes on new meaning, as the thoroughfare that leads to the community's cemetery has been in dire need of repairs for the last decade.

When death calls in Bois Content, mourners have to suit up and head over to the Denbigh cemetery in the neighbouring parish of Clarendon. While the trip may be just a mile away, the fact that there is a cemetery in Bois Content that is inaccessible is unacceptable, residents say.

Cleon Taylor, a 1970s baby who was raised in the community, shares this view.

Hardly used

"Last year, my father died, and we had to take him all the way to Denbigh to bury him because the road to our cemetery is in a bad state," he lamented.

"That shouldn't be the case. I should be able to go there to view my father's grave. No function can be held in that area because of poor road conditions, although the ballground, cemetery and a church are up there. Members hardly can walk go there," Taylor complained.

His story is not unique. Another resident, Frederick Bailey, said that just last month a family in the district had to make the trek to Denbigh for a burial.

Fifteen years ago, one of my aunts died and the hearse made to turn back several times when trying to use this road to go towards the cemetery," Bailey recalled. "And when we reached a certain spot, we had to come out of our vehicles and push the hearse."

Thank god for donkeys

Since that time, Bailey said the road has deteriorated to the point that donkeys have now become the only reliable source of transportation. The one-time taxi driver said cabbies are now only willing to go as far as the foot of the hill, leaving the rest of the journey to the beasts of burden.

Donkeys are also laden with construction material such as sand, cement and stone, walking for well over a quarter of a mile on each trip, The Gleaner has learnt.

Great assets

For those who may not have a donkey, a good pair of legs and a strong back prove great assets. Taylor, for example, said he has to walk the pathway every day despite having a vehicle.

"I have a bike and I have to park it about a mile and a half from my yard and walk. The road destroyed my shoes. Those roads are never in good condition. It's terrible," said Taylor.

When contacted, Winston Kelly, superintendent of road and works at the St Catherine Parish Council, said he was aware of the situation but explained that the unit had been unable to secure funding to undertake the repair project.

"It is not something that we have forgotten. Up to last month, the issue was raised in our monthly meeting," Kelly told The Gleaner. "We are waiting for the minister to approve funding."

Until then, the residents of Bois Content wait - in discontentment.

marlon.vickerman@gleanerjm.com

While the road on the left may appear to be a rugged pathway into the wilderness, it is actually the sole thoroughfare that leads to the Bois Content cemetery. - Photos by Mark Beckford