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No relaxation, Frank-ly
Published: Tuesday | April 2, 2013 0 Comments
Beach-goers enjoy more peaceful waters in Port Royal.
A boy watches as an elderly fisherman rows past him in Port Royal. - File photos
For the uninitiated, the heat was near unbearable, the seawater was ominous and the skinny old man in shorts was nothing short of obscene. But, to the dozens of merry children and enthusiastic adults who gathered along the Port Royal beach yesterday, there was no better place in the country to spend Easter Monday.
Frank, a Kingston man who I spotted standing by himself not far from where the waves crashed to the shore, said he visits the beach every day. He wasn't altogether happy about the invading hoards of holiday visitors.
"Mi like to come out here because Hellshire always too ram, and dem edda beach is too far," he said, picking at his scraggly beard. "Now every Frighten Friday hitch up yah. Mi nuh like beach when it too crowded yuh know, man. Mi like have likkle room fi chuck off and fi do mi ting without any molestation."
Nearby, five or six children were building a sandcastle as some adults sat close by watching them. Some teenagers were having fun in the water in front of us, throwing each other around and splashing to their hearts' content.
I asked Frank why he didn't just stay away from the beach since he could have assumed it would have been crowded.
"Why mi must stay and is me deh here all di while?" he snapped. "Is dem must stay away, not me. Is my likkle relaxment fi cool out. Ef mi did know mi woulda come earlier and just mark out mi spot."
Really strong breeze
The breeze coming off the sea was really getting strong and sand isn't the most steadying of surfaces. I nearly lost my balance. "Tan up, young bwoy!" Frank bellowed. "Yuh fi drink up some tonic and roots, man. Heh hee."
I let the disparaging remark slide and instead told Frank that the beach would likely get more crowded as the day wore on.
"Yuh right," he said, seeming annoyed by the thought. "Mi soon gone. It better mi go back home and try come out back early ah morning."
The breeze hit me again. This time, I pulled out all the stops to ensure I didn't stumble. It required a mighty effort. A little girl ran by me and a beach ball nearly hit me on the head.
"This sea too shallow fi pickney, yuh know," said Frank. Is ship alone use around this side. Dem likkle pickney yah nuh suppose to into di water."
I asked him if he planned on warning them.
"Cho!" was all he said.
I told Frank that he shouldn't be so upset about his beach day being ruined. I suggested that he instead take the day and do something he has always wanted to do. My efforts at elevating his spirits, apparently didn't work.
All dis holiday business. Di Government need to cut it out! All people do is go beach and swim. People can love go beach so?" Frank asked. I thought it best not to point out the irony of the question.
"Always want to do?" he said. "What I always want to do is to swim into the water in peace. Dem don't want mi do dat and now yuh telling me bout do what me want? Look yah nuh man!" Frank was properly riled up at this point.
"Mi caan bother. Mi going to find a next likkle beach and go lay down. Mi better off by mi self anyway," Frank said. I told him I agreed.
Where should Robert go next? Let him know at robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com
Published: Tuesday | April 2, 2013 0 Comments
Beach-goers enjoy more peaceful waters in Port Royal.
A boy watches as an elderly fisherman rows past him in Port Royal. - File photos
For the uninitiated, the heat was near unbearable, the seawater was ominous and the skinny old man in shorts was nothing short of obscene. But, to the dozens of merry children and enthusiastic adults who gathered along the Port Royal beach yesterday, there was no better place in the country to spend Easter Monday.
Frank, a Kingston man who I spotted standing by himself not far from where the waves crashed to the shore, said he visits the beach every day. He wasn't altogether happy about the invading hoards of holiday visitors.
"Mi like to come out here because Hellshire always too ram, and dem edda beach is too far," he said, picking at his scraggly beard. "Now every Frighten Friday hitch up yah. Mi nuh like beach when it too crowded yuh know, man. Mi like have likkle room fi chuck off and fi do mi ting without any molestation."
Nearby, five or six children were building a sandcastle as some adults sat close by watching them. Some teenagers were having fun in the water in front of us, throwing each other around and splashing to their hearts' content.
I asked Frank why he didn't just stay away from the beach since he could have assumed it would have been crowded.
"Why mi must stay and is me deh here all di while?" he snapped. "Is dem must stay away, not me. Is my likkle relaxment fi cool out. Ef mi did know mi woulda come earlier and just mark out mi spot."
Really strong breeze
The breeze coming off the sea was really getting strong and sand isn't the most steadying of surfaces. I nearly lost my balance. "Tan up, young bwoy!" Frank bellowed. "Yuh fi drink up some tonic and roots, man. Heh hee."
I let the disparaging remark slide and instead told Frank that the beach would likely get more crowded as the day wore on.
"Yuh right," he said, seeming annoyed by the thought. "Mi soon gone. It better mi go back home and try come out back early ah morning."
The breeze hit me again. This time, I pulled out all the stops to ensure I didn't stumble. It required a mighty effort. A little girl ran by me and a beach ball nearly hit me on the head.
"This sea too shallow fi pickney, yuh know," said Frank. Is ship alone use around this side. Dem likkle pickney yah nuh suppose to into di water."
I asked him if he planned on warning them.
"Cho!" was all he said.
I told Frank that he shouldn't be so upset about his beach day being ruined. I suggested that he instead take the day and do something he has always wanted to do. My efforts at elevating his spirits, apparently didn't work.
All dis holiday business. Di Government need to cut it out! All people do is go beach and swim. People can love go beach so?" Frank asked. I thought it best not to point out the irony of the question.
"Always want to do?" he said. "What I always want to do is to swim into the water in peace. Dem don't want mi do dat and now yuh telling me bout do what me want? Look yah nuh man!" Frank was properly riled up at this point.
"Mi caan bother. Mi going to find a next likkle beach and go lay down. Mi better off by mi self anyway," Frank said. I told him I agreed.
Where should Robert go next? Let him know at robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com
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