DAY 6 PART 1


”OMG BABES WAKE UP!”

“Ughhh what time is it??”

“It’s 1pm”

“WHAT!”

This is the latest I’ve slept in since I’ve been here and we’re suppose to check into the Rui Montego Bay in 2 hours.
Okay we have enough time. The night before comes rushing back to me, what a great night and I’m sort of reminiscing
to myself in a bit of a daze.

“Um Manda?”

”mmmhmm” Still day dreaming.

”Come look out the window…”

There was the rental with a flat. We’re up the Santa Cruz mountain and the nearest place would be Junction but Andre
is pacing back and forth complaining that this could take hours and hours to fix.


Everything takes longer in Jamaica.


“I’m going for a shower, check for a spare.”

After my shower I check on Andre and he’s pouring sweat trying to get the spare on.

Babes I don’t get it, it wont fit I dunno if I’m doing something wrong but how hard is it to change a tire.
I’m gonna call Jacko he’ll know what to do.”

Jacko, what a great, guy walks down from his place and in less than 2 minutes he tells us the spare is not the right size for
the car that there is no way this tire is going on the car.

”Great!”

At this point I’m lying on Andre’s bed relaxing. What can you do? I’m not going to stress over this.

Jacko being the stand up guy he is offers to take the tire down to Junction and get air in it and test it for leaks.
Now this is no easy feat. Jacko’s going to haul our tire on his own down to Junction but we’re in the middle of nowhere and
he’s first got to wait for a taxi to pass buy. I hand him 500j for taxi and air for the tire and I hand him another 500j.

I wont need that much”

“Just take it Jacko you’re going through all the trouble.”

”It’s nothing.”

Andre hangs out with one of his neighbors for a while and I decide to turn on my phone to call the car rental
agent, Anton. My phone starts lighting up like 4th of July fireworks. Emails, bbm, text messages, facebook.
I’m skimming through and I have a text from Brasi.

“Are you alive, Manda are you okay?”

“Hey I’m having a blast I’m good”

"Where do I live?"

"Huh? What do you mean where do you live Brasi? Lol

"Manda I’m worried you have been kidnapped and your phone was stolen, where do I live?"

I can’t help but laugh I mean the sentiment and the worry behind the message is heart felt and appreciated
but I’m laughing outloud.

"You live in Albany, NYC and we will meet in nowhere, NY lol Brasi I’m okay, having a blast!

”What’s so funny babes?”

”Brasi thought I might be kidnapped and my phone stolen.”

Andre gives me a weird look. ”Why would he think that?”

Jacko returns, he lets us know that they tested the original tire for holes with water and nothing was found that he
put air in it and we should be fine just keep an eye on it if stopping for gas put some air in it if it’s low.

Jacko comes up to me, “Manda, I didn’t need this” and he hands me the 500j back

I look at Jacko slightly confused.

”No Jacko, that’s for you. For going out of your trouble to fix it when you didn’t have to.”

”It wasn’t a problem honestly I was happy to help’ and he’s still holding out this money.

“Jacko, it’s yours and that’s that.”

I have to wonder how many people would have come back with change? That Jacko is a really good guy.

So now it’s time for packing number 3, I really am starting to hate packing and I have to say that you can tell
at the state of my clothes that I’ve decided that being neat and folding anything is a waste of time.

We get on the road and pull over to where Jacko wants out and I realize that this is it. I wont see Jacko again
for a while and I’m sad. I’m gonna miss my new friend and his contagious smile.

”Manda, it was nice meeting you and you come back soon okay we’ll be here.

“Please tell Kedesha and Chrissy that I said goodbye and thank you for having me in your home.”

Anytime Manda and he holds up his hand.

I’m not quite sure what I’m suppose to do are we doing props or what? But he grabs it and sort of swipes his thumb
against mine a few times and I’m awkward and have no idea what’s happening.

Jacko laughs… ”It’s our handshake I want you to know it.” So for the last minute of my time
with Jacko on this trip he teaches me the boys “handshake” I’m proud and honored and part of the family.