COVID blues in Above Rocks
Published:Wednesday | December 16, 2020 | 12:20 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
Farmer Clifford Wilson, who also goes by the name ‘Dennis the Menace’, had returned from his field and was relaxing across from the shop operated by Miss Precious. He was chatting with the shopkeeper and her daughter-in-law, Shanice, when The Gleaner caught up with them in Above Rocks, St Catherine, recently.
When we asked about the impact of the COVID-19 on the community and the measures to contain it, in light of the coming Yuletide season, Wilson and Miss Precious were in favour of the restrictions continuing, despite the serious economic fallout, while the much younger Shanice wanted some space to celebrate.
“You know how you usually have a little jolly feeling fi December? But now we nuh have no jolly feeling,” she uttered.
Both Wilson and Miss Precious were swift in their rejection of the State lifting COVID-19 restrictions.
“No, if them gi we Christmas, you see January, February, a dat time you a go see a whole heap of COVID. I think them should just leave out Christmas because that a go spike up the thing (COVID-19). Anybody want to keep something at them house, that is fine, but not the public thing.”
“Dem can still gi wi Christmas,” countered Shanice.
This prompted a strong warning from her mother-in-law.
“You see when you take Christmas and ketch it, nuh come up ya!”
Undeterred, Shanice was quick with her retort, “But you can catch it just the same.”
Admitting that there was some truth to that statement, Wilson pointed out that the health officials were right in setting out the COVID-19 protocols, so the public at least could be guided in the necessary precautions, if they were so inclined.
Turning to the recent rains which have wreaked havoc across the country, Wilson estimated that food production in his area has taken a 30-40 per cent beating, most of this due directly to the impact of the excess water on crops.
“It rock we left, right and centre; things bad sah. Things naw sell, can’t go a road so people a travel less. Not much really happening in terms of trade. If a man coulda buy three tin a mackerel, now him can only buy two.
Miss Precious cut in, “And sometimes him can’t even buy two, him can only buy one.”
The combined effect of the COVID-19 and the rains have definitely put a damper on the prospects for Christmas in Above Rocks, according to Miss Precious.
“No sah, dat nuh deh no weh bout yah. Mi no see it!”
Wilson was, however, grateful that while Above Rocks with its hilly terrain had suffered some landslides, none of them amounted to roadblocks, and the road surface, outside of the usual potholes, was holding up.