One of my most important missions to accomplish on this visit was to visit my deceased best friend, Marshall’s grave in Accompong Town. I delivered a eulogy at a service held last year in the community center but was not emotionally ready to attend the graveside burial. I felt a need to let his community friends and immediate family grieve without any distractions. We had been friends for 28 years and his mere presence acted like a validation for me over the years but now it felt like I was sort of a widower and back on the market (so to speak). The difference was subtle but even my caretaker remarked on how it felt to her and we agreed after leaving last year.
I decided to travel to Accompong Town on Saturday, November 2nd and asked my caretaker’s brother to help me arrange transportation. I was very pleased and somewhat surprised when several family members asked to come along if it was only a day trip and not an overnight stay which was just fine with me. Our group of five consisted of me, my caretaker, her daughter, a 10yo granddaughter and my caretaker’s brother who would be driving.
I am a big proponent of using Red Plate Taxis but in this case, I was just tagging along with my new family so agreed on a car rental deal that is quite popular in rural Jamaica. Private car owners regularly rent their vehicles out for 3-day minimums. I ended up paying $30K total for the car, petrol and some bratta for the driver and got the trip to Accompong Town, a following day trip to Negril and another day to shop in Sav for groceries.
The previous day was November 1st and my 72nd Birthday and All Saints Day…. How appropriate. Ha! Ha! I was getting a lot of subtle pressure or call it subtle hints that I should buy a lot of alcohol and a ram goat for Mannish Water and I pushed back by replying that it was MY birthday and THEY should buy the alcohol and goat which kept them confused. I finally agreed to buy an ice cream cake for the immediate family and grandkids which make at least the kids happy.
During the cake eating party, I took time to call Kerry Ann Robinson up in Accompong Town to reserve her time to take the group on a historical tour while I visited with friends. She is somewhere in her 30’s and Marshall’s cousin and on a 1990’s visit to the town, she sat on my lap during a taxi ride in a packed 1957 GMC panel 10-seater van when she was just a school child. We have a lot of history together.
Full of ice cream and cake, I decided to excuse myself for some Internet time and go to bed for an early start the following morning around 9-9:30 but because it is Jamaica, I knew 10am was more realistic.
