For the past two decades, coming up to year end, Carl Balliston has been carrying the tools of Christmas cheer throughout eastern St Thomas and parts of Portland. - Ian Allen/Photographer

CARL BALLISTON is a man of many talents and trades - singer, upholsterer and chef ("I do grill chicken right there in Morant Bay) among his several concurrent titles. For the past two decades, coming up to year end, he has taken on yet another job, carrying the tools of Christmas cheer throughout eastern St Thomas and parts of Portland.

Where Santa Claus is fabled to ride the skyways in a reindeer-drawn sled, Balliston relies on the trusted horsepower of an internal combustion engine to deliver mainly Christmas lights to those who often have no time for the hustle of shopping.

"Me have a little wagon, me load it up more time. It just feel sweet. The more me sell, the more me want to go to the people," he said.

Balliston says he makes stops in Morant Bay, Rowlandsfield, Duckenfield, Reach Falls ("Me get good sales there") and sometimes "reach way into Port Antonio".

"People who do farming don't have the time to go shopping. You have to carry it to them," he said.

At this time of year, he con-centrates on Christmas decorations, especially lights. He gets his supplies from Kingston and still has some stock left over from last year, including bells, and is getting new stock by Tuesday at the latest.

not an easy road

He gets the latest in Christmas lights as well because "every year they change; every year you have new style". Balliston also stocks inflatable Santa Claus dolls, plus "perfume, roll-on, every likkle thing".

However, it is literally and figuratively not an easy road. "It a get tougher an' tougher. People a bawl. Them buy it still because them no like see everybody else a pretty up their house and them no do it," Balliston said.

He has never suffered a loss at Christmas and, even though sales are less than brisk and under two weeks to Christmas Day, he is confident that there are brighter days ahead. "Especially when it come on to Grand Market, the stock you have sell off," Balliston said.

That confidence buoys his spirits, even as he looks to access funding for new stock in the volumes that will bring him a higher profit margin. Plus, he seems to be servicing a ready market with little direct competition.

For although there are other people who travel with their wares through the areas he services, Balliston says "few people me know is like flowers".