Written by Kareem LaTouche
Whenever I am heading towards St Elizabeth, I am always looking out for two things: watermelon and cantaloupe. Despite it being a rainy Thursday afternoon, I was not discouraged. As I exited Spur Tree descent, I looked for my left turn onto Gutters main road, with my destination being Junction.
After about five minutes, I saw a vendor, a young boy about 14, clad in a torn polo shirt, a shorts and fully-worn slippers, sitting beside his mother. The two shared a warm embrace as he leaned on her shoulder, with his head tilted towards her neck. Wanting to be certain I was in the right direction, I slightly cracked my window and asked, “This way to Nain?”
He then shouted from under a frailly built wooden shack, “Yeah man!”
As the rain subsided, I started to scout out which vendor I wanted to stop at. Alas! I spotted a melon truck unloading at a vendor’s staff, right beside an establishment called Uncle Cowskin Soup. With the rain drizzling, I quickly came out of the car and ran towards the stall.
The vendor, Courtney, a tall man, with a broad physique and a stern demeanour, was concentrating on the count, as he felt it wasn’t adding up. Kareemsquest.com then hear him say “Oy sah, you suppose to give mi undred melon and I ongle have 90!”
Sensing his frustration, the young man offloading the melons looked to his supervisor, who calmly assured Courtney, “Boss, memba seh we gave you one box full before the rain start and you put dat one inside.”
Courtney’s friend, with a spliff cotched on his ears, mumbled slowly, “Ah true him ah talk, I memba the box.”
At that point, Courtney calmed down, and seemed more approachable, so I asked him, “How much for a nice melon?”
With the rain coming back down, he quickly said, “Give me seven bills and I’ll give you a big and sweet one.”
While heading to my car, an old man, who I presumed to be in his mid-70s, came up to me and reluctantly asked, “If you heading in Junction direction, can I get a drop down the road?”
To which, I answered, “Yeah man.”
Outfitted in a brownish overall and a duffel bag over one of his shoulders, he quickly took the melon and briskly went to the passenger’s seat.
“Tank you. I goin put this melon right beside mi foot suh it don’t roll. Not everybody would let me in their car, especially wid mi dirty clothes. But is work mi coming from.”
His contentment was very evident, as he grinned, showcasing his top gum and bottom teeth. “Is over 50 years I doing welding enuh, boss. Yeah man, I work pon car, everything,” he disclosed to kareemsquest.com.
As we spoke more, he started to share stories about his experiences and having noticed my amusement, he continued talking.
He then stopped mid-sentence, pointed to a spot and said, “This is my stop right ere suh.”
Finally he left me with some parting directions, “Follow the main and look out for the square, yuh caan miss Junction.”
Watch video below on Turtle Nest Villa, which is located in St. Elizabeth
Quick Facts
Who is it for: Persons who love to drive out, fruit lovers.
Tip: bring currency in small denominations to support the local vendors, and ask to taste a piece of the melon before you buy it.
What stands out: the prevalence of fruit vendors.
What to carry: an igloo that can store the fruits without them being crushed.
Where does it remind me of: Pinky the shrimp vendor, Spanish Town Bypass
Must try food: A hybrid pine melon.
Location: Nain, St Elizabeth.
Vehicle needed to access property: sedan
Length of journey from central points
Kingston: 2 hrs 3 mins
Montego Bay: 2 hrs 22 mins
Ocho Rios: 3 hrs 3 mins
Savanna-la-Mar: 2 hrs 2 mins
