We pull into a nice roadside stand above the Grand Palladium, it has a nice big parking area but it’s empty. Chris gets out and greets what is obviously an old friend. “Coupla Jelli’s,” says Chris and the gentleman pulls out two green coconuts from an ice chest. With two quick chops he has topped our coconut and hands it to us with a straw. He has left just the thinnest bit of soft coconut meat to keep the whole thing sealed. You have to pop through the skin like a children’s juice box. The water is really cold and delicious. He has lopped off the top of Chris’s completely and he turns it up and slugs it, water splashing over and dripping down his chin a little. “That’s how I remember it!” I say to Chris as Sweetie Pie and I finish off our jelli. The coconuts are busted open and we use a little bit of the husk to scoop out the jelli. “Like coconut custard,” I say. “One a day, every day I can,” smiles Chris. As we’re getting back in the car Chris points out to the massive sea of industrial looking rooftops on the Grand Palladium. “He used to have a great view here,” He says, “One of the best, lots of people stopped.”
“You want something to eat before you get to the airport?” Chris asks as we approach Mo Bay. We are hungry and know what awaits us past the terminal doors. “You want to go back to Pork Pit or do you want to try another place?” We loved Pork Pit but ask what the other place is. “Called Jerky’s,” says Chris. “Well I think we need to try a place bold enough to declare themselves Jerky’s in Jamaica,” we say. “Yah, mon, you compare and tell me what you think.”
We pull in and order a couple of jerk pork’s and Stripes. While we’re waiting, which isn’t really long, we witness one of the more unusual encounters of the trip. A Jamaican fella in his late twenties, probably, comes up to the young lady behind the counter and just rips into her for the service. Slow, unprofessional, discourteous, etc. He riffs long and hard and the poor girl just takes it. “You got no business being in business,” he says, “You need to find different work.” Then he leaves. I have no idea where this came from, she was quick, kind and corteous with us and the half a dozen other customers who were there in the few minutes we were. Weird. Jerky’s is good. We really enjoy our first bite of it and when the jerk cook notices he tosses some festival in our baskets. I don’t think the jerk at Jerky’s got free festival. We finish our jerk in the car. “What do you think?,” asks Chris. Sweetie Pie and I agree. “The pork is better at Jerky’s, the sauce is a lot better at Pork Pit.” Yah, mon.”
At the airport we say our goodbyes and make sure we have plans for the future. I am reminded again, at this final farewell, that yes, “You have a special lady.” Thank you, Chris, blessings my friend.