When we arrived to the area, Tommy pulls the car to the side and nestles it close to the bush. He turns off the engine.

“Why are you stopping here? You have to P?
He laughs. “No, we are going in though the back way. We are taking the path.”
“The path??? Why??? Tommy I don’t mind paying. Besides, hiking was not part of today’s agenda.”

He mentioned adventure…pictures of rare flowers & tings…he even threw in “exercise”. All the above appealed to me, including the workout. So I gathered my gear. Just as I was about to get out, I noticed a woman sitting off to the side, in the bush. She was stripping stalks of sugar cane.

“Tommy, I don’t think she’s there just to strip and bag cane. Maybe you can’t take the path anymore. Bet she’s the gatekeeper. Fine with me…let’s go.”
“No this is public property. Come.”
I didn’t move.

He greeted her. She greeted him. He said he wanted to go down to the river. She said no. I put my gear back on the floor and re-strapped my seatbelt. Soon came the patois loud and clear. Part of me wanted to tell Tommy to leave her alone and get in the car, but she didn’t need my help. He had brawn, but she had a machete. I just made sure the keys were in the ignition just in case she went from slicing cane to slicing Tommy.

The voices soften and Tommy returned to the car.
“She said its private property and we are trespassing. She will let us walk the path if we pay her 1000J each. But I’m not paying her because this is public property. She’s being rude, rude. No, I’m not paying and I’m not going to take her disrespecting me and threatening me and stuff.”
“Threat?!?! Tommy, sweetie pie, I just wanna feed the little fishies.”

He paused, looked down at the container of rice then got in the car without saying another word.