How I got to Jamaica...too.

[Accompong]

I took my wife out to the garage to the dart board on the wall and grabbed a dart while she took a well-worn map and placed it over the board. We decided to just throw a dart and, if Eastern Airlines flew to any country it landed on, we would go there. I stood at the prescribed distance and threw the dart. Wouldn’t you know it? The dart landed in the middle of Cuba and we could not go there! She suggested I throw it again, but I declined and came up with an alternative solution. I tied a piece of thread to the dart and made ever increasing circles until it hit a land mass. Bingo! Galina Point, St. Mary’s Jamaica.

It was Providence. In 1978 I worked as a Stage Security Guard at the Santa Barbara County Bowl for a Bob Marley and the Wailers concert. I was transfixed by Bob and the band as his lyrics seemed like they were talking to me and me alone. And so, began my fascination with most everything Jamaican from the food to the music and from its history to its mystery.

And, I started with my digestion of the Eastern Airlines Route Schedule with a goal of fitting all three destinations into a maximum 21 day time period while also being mindful of the rules such as only being able to stop at any airport once which proved to be more difficult than I anticipated.

Nearly one month later I had an outline of a plan that would do all three stops and take almost all the 21-day limit too. Now I needed to work out a ground plan for when we arrived for things like places to stay and car rental when public transportation was not available. We would be backpacking taking sleeping bags and a tent as an alternative cost saving measure when appropriate.

On July 3rd, 1983, the adventure began.

[Accompong]

I was struck speechless. What the hell? This could be looked at through many different lenses and all of them bad in my mind. Where did this “best domino player in all of California” come from? That was never said. I suspected and soon came to understand that Peter could be quite antagonizing at times though otherwise a great friend too.

The domino table closest to us seemed to just ignore Peter and went on like nothing was ever said but the one towards the rear reacted quite differently. They shot looks back and forth at each other before two players on one side reluctantly got up and walked away from the table. Peter put a hand on my shoulder and seemed to push me forward and we sat down in the two empty seats.
To say I was intimidated would be an understatement. Our two opponents both glared at me as I tried to just relax a little when the barmaid brought four beers to the table. A warm Guinness for Peter (his usual), cold Red Stripe for me and two warm Red Stripes for them. My wife was smiling. She always seemed to know what to do. It loosened the atmosphere considerably.

Peter mixed the bones and pushed them to the center of the table. I noticed right away that they were old, and all seemed to have some distinguishing characteristics to them like discolorations and chips. In other words, those that played with them all the time knew which domino had which number. A definite advantage. The mad scramble for the good numbers left me with mostly double numbers on my draw. A definite disadvantage. Plus, when at home, we would all stand our dominoes up in front of us and play them one at a time. Here, they picked all seven into two hands hidden by their fingers. I tried but I kept dropping them. What have I gotten myself into? The double six is pounded to the table.

It is my turn and I play a six-three. In my opinion, an exceptionally good play and look for approval. Get none. It seems I only get to follow with the only domino in my hand the rest of the game or pass until the other side slams their dominoes and wins. Peter explains the “six-love” concept which I know nothing about and chides me to pay better attention. And so, it goes for a few games before we manage to win one and break but then lose right away again.

By this time, it seems that every resident of this area and some of their friends from up and down the hill are watching the game. It is about this time that I realize that I am playing a different game of dominoes than they are. In California we play “All Fives” where the object is to put fives or combinations that add up to fives on the ends. They are playing “Partner” dominoes where the object is to get rid of your dominoes first or have the lowest total of any dominoes once the game is blocked.

It was a true epiphany. It was now nearing midnight and I had stopped drinking and smoking some time ago and the fog was lifting from my brain just in time to figure out how to play. And it went back and forth for an hour or two more with neither side getting a “six-love” win when it finally happened.

“Six-Love!” “The best domino player in all of California has just…….”

[Accompong]

On the way back to Jah Mike’s house, Tony asked if we would like to take a swim to the island. When I remarked that Cabarita Island was way too far, Tony laughed and said Allen’s Island. It turns out that Hurricane Allen in 1980 had bunched up a lot of coral a few hundred feet offshore and locals have beaten a lot of the sharpness off the surface making it easier to sit on. We agreed to go if Jah Mike had not yet returned.

Jah Mike had not returned so Tony scooped up three sets of snorkel equipment while my wife and I changed into swimming suits. We headed down the path to the beautiful ocean below. The water was very clear and even though the bottom was 20 or more feet below, you could see it clearly with all the colorful reef fish darting here and there. Suddenly, Tony dove to the bottom and retrieved a large conch shell and brought it to the surface giving it to my wife. Tony offered to take it to the beach where we could pick it up when we returned and for us to continue swimming and he would catch up to us.

We started swimming to the small outcropping in the distance. We were starting to tire as it appeared that Allen’s Island was a lot further offshore than it appeared. About that time, Tony effortlessly swam up and coaxed us to go on. We did and were glad we continued. Especially when we got to the island and took in the view of the coastline. “There! On the hill”. Tony pointed. “That is Firefly where we just came from”. I looked over more to the right where the coast came to a point. “What’s that called?” “Oh, that’s Galina Point”. My wife and I looked at each other and smiled. We had come full circle.

After a time, we swam back to the beach and Tony offered to take the conch shell up to the house to soak and clean it while my wife and I took a short walk up the coast towards Galina Point for a look. A few minutes later we returned to the path and started our climb back up to Jah Mike’s house when we heard some loud talking and swearing. As we approached, the talking stopped, and Jah Mike came forward and introduced himself.

“Peter told me to give you an envelope and we would like to stay for a couple of nights.”