Every year the ordeal at Sangster seems to get easier and easier and within 40 minutes of the plane landing, I came out to meet my caretaker and her brother. We loaded up his car and headed towards Sav on the old route through Anchovy via Ferris Cross. I wanted to hit the Cambio on the way, but they convinced me that would not be necessary. It was Saturday and market day so it would be very busy plus she would be going back on Monday to shop for food so I could come along on that trip. I just leaned back into the seat and let them take control.
We headed out of Sav towards Williamsfield and my excitement was wrestling with my concerns over my feelings when we pulled off Principal Road into the driveway up to the house I had never seen. My caretaker and her brother took out my luggage and guided me up the stairs onto the verandah. Inside the house, I saw a group of possibly a dozen or more people from small children to 30-somethings sitting in the living room as they bade me to sit on the verandah into what was destined to become MY chair for the rest of my stay.
For the next hour or so I was bombarded with names some I had heard before, but most were new to my ears along with their relationship to my caretaker from grandchild to child on to second cousins. It wasn’t long into this process that I gave up trying to remember names and relationship vowing to add this information one at a time over my stay. I was taken by the politeness and calmness of such a large group of Jamaicans in one small room.
It was getting near sundown and my caretaker wanted to show me my room where my luggage had been taken. It was usually occupied by her daughter, but she offered it up when she found out I was coming to stay. I quickly unpacked my luggage and checked out the bathroom next to my room before returning to the verandah to enjoy one of my favorite Jamaican dishes; Curry Chicken with coconut rice and peas along with some fresh June plum juice from a tree in the front yard. Wiping my lips with the napkin provided, I stared out and reflected on how satisfied I was with my choice to stay here. I included this in the trip report because it set the tone of what my stay would be going forward. Although there were a lot of family members around a lot of the time, they worked and played as a tight knit unit and invited me to become part of that family unit.
It was still early but I was tired from traveling since 5:30am that morning and I like to go to be early so I can get enough sleep to get up early as well. I retired to my room and lay in bed examining my room surroundings and the sounds from the neighborhood. It was remarkably quiet and no long after I fell into a deep and restful sleep.
