Carmel

Carmel

My Hometown - Growing Up In Sandy Bay  

I was born into a large family of ten: five girls and yes, you guess it right, and five boys. I am child number seven, an awesome number I think. Unfortunately, I lost two sisters in the 1980’s, both three months apart. Needless to say, It took a toll on our close-knitted family. However, we pulled through the difficult circumstances.

At a tender age, I realized that I had an aptitude for the Arts and Crafts. My skills shone in sewing, baking, and cooking my favorite of the lot. Interestingly, if I may, at the time I could be described as self-taught. At eight years old I baked my first cake, without a prescribed recipe all in a condensed milk can. Yes, I did share amongst some of my siblings and curious neighbors. Yum!

By the time I was nine years old I was already cooking complete meals for my entire family. I thought that I was a genius with my hands. 

A year later, I was already the designated cook for my father and workmen, tilling the soil and planting ground provision on our important  farm at Morris Pasture. My menu: Chicken Back Soup seasoned with scallion and Maggie chicken noodle, complimented with limeade. This was a popular menu on farms, with limited ingredients, but a sure shot of tastiness. It’s called “bush cooking.”Just saying ...Recalling these things for salivation. In hindsight, I often think about my assignment on the farm. Of course, there were my older sisters Angella, Freddie and Evelyn.

Angella wasn’t designed for such domestic chores. Freddie was always beach bound and Evelyn was constantly engaged in accounting and money handling.

Reflecting, these were blissful and happy times. I miss my childhood when we played dandy shandy, bat ball, elastic games, cricket, football, gig, hopscotch, moon shine baby and Jacks. I even made cloth dolls with wool hair extensions to play with. My mouth still waters when I think of all the rich sweet succulent fruits that we had in abundance like, nesberries, sweet sop, soursop, mangoes, coconut, ripe bananas and watermelon. I still remember nearly thirty variety of mangoes that we ate. 

Not to be outdone by my late mother Kathleen,  affectionately called KathPaw, who was always cooking and baking something delicious to feed her tribe. What could have been better than my mother’s hot homemade bread with melted butter, or freshly baked cornmeal pudding with the hot jelly-like slush on top? 

Church was a must on Sundays. We had to be on our best behavior wearing our Sunday best. Mama KathPaw, was a disciplinarian who never failed to keep us in check. A couple of her quotes are : “Children must be seen and not be heard”. “Even the devil has rules in hell” Now you will understand who we had to deal with. My highlight at church was standing at the podium in front of the entire congregation to recite the golden text learned earlier that morning at Sunday School. I collected a few gifts during this proud moment. I also loved harvest time. The display and decorations plus singing on the choir was a very exuberating experience.

There were certain events that I looked forward to as a child, and they were: daddy coming home from work; Christmas for the early morning caroling, our formal Christmas dinner (dress to impress) complimented with a variety of food; Easter for bun and cheese; summer time, and getting sick. Hahahaha yes, getting sick was a big event in our family. 

Getting sick was everyone’s desire, we would do anything to get a fever. Special extra care and love were given to any of us as kids who got sick. We didn’t eat regular food especially dinner. Anything our heart desired that was what we would get. Those days it was bun and cheese and aerated water. (now a days called soda). It was like a taste of heaven, everyone wanted to get sick just for all that. Plus we got to sleep in the bed with our parents while being pampered.

Credit: Grace Foods

When daddy got home it was our greatest delight. We would shout, “daddy come” and we all jumped on him. Later he would play the guitar and sing for us with my mother harmonizing. After that we were on the dance floor with him, we all held on to him and danced together. Followed next was the greatest story teller of all times Harry Blackhall telling us duppy stories. We always looked forward to hearing these stories but aftermath was horrible. After being tucked to bed, we were so afraid even to breathe fearing our breathing under the sheets would make a sound and the ghost also called duppy would snap us away. Falling asleep was such a terrifying moment after those stories. After a while we got exhausted fell and asleep without realizing. Shhhhhhhhh Wow! those days are priceless. 

At times when we went on the streets we were often teased about some stories daddy allegedly told. Some of the stories were obviously made up but we had to endure them anyway.

I could climb any tree like a lizard. I remember one summer we were getting ready to cook Ackee and roast bread fruit for lunch (in Jamaican terms, “run a boat”). We had a piece of land in McGann Drive area with lots of bread fruit trees, so I decided to go pick some. I left home without telling anyone. 

Breadfruit

When I got there, I climbed a tree that was close to the road. There was this nice big roasting bread fruit on a limb that I tried to reach. I still believed that I was a lizard and climbed out on the very thin branch. The branch broke and on my way down, Beryl’s cry caught my attention. She  lived close by and was passing on the road. I could see her two hands clenched to her head with eyes and mouth open wide and screaming, awaiting the impact of me falling on top of her. I went flying feet down fast like a scud missile and hit the ground with a big bang or like a ripe breadfruit😳😳😳

“Lil yo alright!!?” Beryl cried. My response was “hooooo yea”. They often say “shame brok neck”  but it nearly bok mi foot, I was so ashamed. “Yo sure?” She asked again. I got brave and said yes. By then my knees were shaking and on the verge of collapsing and my body felt like a bag of sand was shaking up, the impact from the adrenaline rush created inside of me. I quickly pull myself together, picked up my bread fruit stick without any breadfruit, and wobbled home. I never told anyone, especially my mom about what had happened. If I did, I would have gotten a fine beating. Even then, I could still feel the impact of the fall, sand-like grains shaking inside my body over and over again.

Sometimes we would go crabbing, mango searching (in Jamaican terms, mango bush) or we may go on a family beach day. It was hilarious to see my mother swim like a dog.🤣🤣🤣🤣

We caught galapot or otherwise called sea cockroach for fun. A vital part of our summer that was mandatory, was that we attended Vacation Bible School at the Baptist and The New Testament Church of God churches. We were also allowed to attend a Family Fair that was held at the community center, but we had to be home before dark or by 6:00 pm, whichever came first. This was a big community event. 

An example of what it’s like to go crabbing in Jamaica - Thanks to SOAI Vlogs for this trip down memory lane.

I also recall accompanying my mother many times on her visits to care for the elderly and shut-in neighbors. My mother would give them a bath while I cleaned their houses. There was one particular old man name Carney who never liked to be bathed. At the sight of my mother and myself approaching his house, he would shout out“ Wa mi sey, mi sey, mi naa bathe teday!!” That never meant anything to my mother, she still bathed him. Hahaha

On Fridays, my mother always cooked a big pot of soup consisting of red peas, cow’s skin, salt beef and corn pork to feed the Blackhall tribe and the rest of the community (so to speak). She packaged food for the indigents and others, then we had to distribute them accordingly. She was a very generous woman who gave her all.

Credit: Healthier steps

I attended Sandy All Age school from grade one to grade four. I hated school but always looked forward to going to 4H competition, cultural festivals and sports day. One act that resonates in my head is “Slide Mongoose” It was a sin for them to have dressed up Guinea Pig as the mongoose wearing a little wire glasses sliding on the ground. Hahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣Those were the good ole days!!!! 

All roads led to Lollypop On The Beach the popular hangout spot especially on the weekend. I still have a vivid memory of those community concerts, the Rising Stars moments of Sandy Bay. Talent after talent were being showcased on the Lollypop stage. We had a popular dance group called “Poison” Rest In Peace Markie Melody and Bobby; other members were Jason, Griff and Dirk. Who could dance like any child out of Bronx Lane? Vision, Isaacs, Skinny Culture and Jombo were among the singers and Deejay stars. I tried to sing a couple of times but was booed off the stage. 🤣🤣🤣 Singing would have been a doomed career for me.

Poison - Dance Group

I can still remember some serious characters Sandy Bay produced. Let me name still a few: Misa Hood, Luther Bruck Gun, Bedo, Alice Cow Tripe, Bredda Goat, Dylon Black Dwaag, Tummy, Kingston Crepe, Germs, Annie Puss, Gabby; but my favorite of them all is Timmy-Lee HarryRamRat 🤣🤣🤣

There is no place like Sandy Bay, my humble beginnings, my roots, my fond memories and my home.