"Sister" (Helen Samuels) around her stall in the St. Ann's Bay Market. - Norman Girndley
SELLING in the St. Ann's Bay market for 30 years has been no easy feat for 67-year-old Helen Samuels of Forrest District in St. Ann. However, she takes comfort in that through these means she was able to school her 10 children.
'Sister', as she is fondly known by her customers, says she has no idea when she will stop selling in the market. Although all her children are now grown, Samuels says she still loves the idea of making her own money.
Sister, who is a rather petite woman, said she first started selling in the market after she became a mother. "I was doing a little dressmaking as well as domestic work, but when you have the children them it is hard to leave them and go do domestic work," she explained.
Searching for a solution she finally decided that selling the provisions she and her husband grew at home was the best business option.
"Me used to plant me own cabbage, cocoa, and cho cho and so on. Me one used to carry stick from bush come stick them," she said proudly. A seemingly hard worker, "Sister" said she usually goes all the way to the Brown's Town Market to buy the things she did not grow.
"In those first time days me used to walk eight miles come a market with me basket pon me head. Me used to walk barefoot and when me reach halfway me wash me foot and put on me shoes," she recalled.
In the earlier years, "Sister"said she was rewarded for her hard work as she sold all her goods in no time. "Things used to sell in those days, is only now nothing not selling. Me coulda used to buy cloth and carry back home go meck a whole heap a things for me children....me can't do that again," she lamented.
In order to make ends meet, "Sister" says she has to come to the market three or four days a week now. "See, me haffi carry me lunch with me because me can't even afford to buy lunch on the road," she said pointing to a plastic container.
Both "Sister" and her husband sell in the market and until better comes, selling in the market is the only option.
