DAY 5 PART 4

Andre vito’s my CD and decides he wants to play some old reggae tunes that his mom listens to now these are a lot
of the classics I know. Beres Hammond etc and now we’re all singing to the songs and Jacko keeps wacking me on the
shoulder because he’s impressed I know the music. Andre’s got his arm draped over my knee he’s got a joint in his mouth
and a drink in his hand and I’m thinking I really should care about this but right now I don’t. Andre doesn’t drink much so
I’m not worried about him getting drunk anyhow. It almost feels like I’m on a road trip with 4 of my best friends from long ago.

We start playing pool again and Jacko actually beats me! Andre raises his eyes up at me and teases me that I’ll never
beat him before I leave. Andre beats Jacko and so it’s my turn again. At this point Barber is over at the bar chatting up
some girls so we leave him to it. It’s my turn the games good and we’re down to the black ball it’s my shot and it’s easy.
I can do this. Jacko is now up out of his seat, Barber has joined us and his face holds the biggest smile on it because we all
know that I am finally going to beat Andre and he will not be undefeated anymore. I hit the white ball softly and it put the
black ball in the bottom right pocket. Jacko is jumping up and down and Andre looks confused and then…

The damn white ball drops in the pocket too and Andre is laughing. I can’t believe I have messed up and lost the damn game
I drop my pool stick to the ground and walk away. But it’s all in good fun and who doesn’t love some healthy competition.
Andre says to me it’s about 11pm now and we should hit the road.

On the road and now I’ve had about 5 smirnoff’s and 6 red stripes and I’m feeling good. You know that feeling before you’re
drunk maybe 2 steps behind drunk. You’re happy, you’re laughing your body feels loose. This is the perfect time for dancing
because you’re tipsy enough that you can move but not drunk enough that you look like a complete imbecile where your legs
might move faster than your body and your head doesn’t feel like it’s too big for your body. It’s party time in the car. Now I
wouldn’t suggest this to anyone. I don’t drink in vehicles at home and so my judgment on vacation is a lot more lax but Andre’s
got a drink in his hand a smoke in the other. Barber and Jacko are partying in the back. The music is loud. And for once I’m too
busy to worry about the road so I’m not actually gripping on to the “holy S h&t bar” We’re in Black River and Andre shows me a
high school “we create our own destiny” it reads.

“STOP! I need a picture of this!”

This was like some sort of omen. it was a sign and it felt like the my trip and the weeks before it and my decision to book a flight
all wrapped up into one small sentence that was far bigger to me than I could possibly explain. We create our own destiny and
that is just what I had done.

Andre decides we’ll enter in the school just a bit so I can see the building. Jacko n Barber both jump out of the car and disappear
into the dark. And now I see a security guard with his hand on his hip approaching us. I don’t know if he’s got a walkie talkie,
a stick, a gun no idea.

“Um Andre I don’t think we’re suppose to be here.”

Nah we’re not babes.”And he yells out the window to the boys.

We arrive to what Andre calls a niteclub. We drive in through an open gate and park up next to the building , the building actually
says “niteclub” There are a few guys standing outside and no women yet. Because I’m feeling tipsy I didn’t once think about walking
through the crowd of locals who may or may not have been surprised to see me there. Because at this point I’m comfortable and I
feel like I belong here and plus I’m with family now.

Now no one prepared me for this I’m not sure if Andre or either of the guys knew but when I walked in right in front of me was the
largest circular cement stage I have ever seen. I mean it felt as if it was higher than me although I’m pretty short. The bar was
to the left of the door which was lined with men in bar stools. There was a very attractive woman on stage that was bent
over hanging on to a pole and staring at herself in a mirror. Yes .. I was at a Jamaican Strip Club.


Now I’ve been to strip clubs in Toronto both male and female so it wasn’t an issue of being uncomfortable. But I was in a different
country I was tipsy and I was the only white person let alone other female in the entire place that wasn’t dancing on a massive
circular cement stage. Talk about putting your strippers on a pedestal eh?

So I veer off to the right and stand up against the wall there’s a window with shutters behind me. And Andre stands with me
the music is loud and the girl on stage is just about finished. Jacko and Barber haven’t come in yet and Andre tells me he’ll be right back.
Girl #2 starts her set and she’s a heavier set girl. You go girl! You wouldn’t see this body type on stage in Toronto. But I’m at a loss
of what to do. I have a cold beer in my hand I’m alone, I’m a tourist so what to do. I dance why not. But to myself, by the wall.
There is a guy to my right a few feet away from me I’m not sure if he works here but he’s the only other guy standing that isn’t
lined up at the bar.

Please don’t come up to me.. Please don’t come up to me…

Sh &T

Hey, what’s your name, where you from.. blahblahblahblah”

I don’t catch the last thing he says.

“I’m sorry it’s really loud in here.”

Blah blah blah blah

“I can’t hear what you are saying.”

Apparently this is an invitation to get as close to me as possible. I’m leaned up against the wall and now he’s got his hand posted up next to my head and he’s leaned up on me in my ear.

”I said, what’s your name? Do you want to dance?”

“Oh Umm.. “

Now I’m looking around, I look back through the shutters, I can’t really see where Andre is but there are people on the front porch area.

“Umm, well my friend is outside.”

”Your friend? Well he’s just your friend.”

This entire trip I have been careful unlike Andre to refer to him as anything other than my friend Andre but in this situation
I’m at a loss. Normally I would have just brushed someone off at home, why do I feel less inclined to be as blunt as I
normally am in a different country?

“He’s more than a friend and I don’t think he’d .. “

Next thing I know Andre’s got his hand posted next to the other side of me and these two are face to face leaned up
with my head between them.

“She’s good she’s with me.”

The guy looks at Andre and then looks at me and I try and look somewhere beyond them to the girl dancing on the stage.

”Aite Aite’ and he walks away.

“Manda what did he say to you?’

“I dunno it’s loud in here I told him I was with you and you were outside he wanted to dance or something.”

“Mmhmm well I’ll be watchin out for you and you can tell your father I beat up a man in a bar for you if that guy comes back here.”

“Andre, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

I look away from Andre and smile.

Apparently the owner of the bar isn’t impressed that 4 non regulars have showed up to his bar with their own bottle of rum.
Andre starts talking to the owner outside.

“My girl is inside buying beer and we just want to drink from the rum but we don’t want her up in
there by herself so I’ll buy you a flask of rum and you drink that for yourself if you let us in the bar with our bottle. “

There was a bit of back and forth but the owner looked at me accepted his drink and let us continue with our night in
his umm… establishment. Who would have thought that I might have the best time in Jamaica at a little strip club in Black River.

I’m somewhere between more than tipsy and drunk now.