'East meets west' - Couple makes Brown's Town their home

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

BROWN'S TOWN, St Ann:

DESMOND SMITH'S love of Brown's Town, and especially the home where he has lived with wife Mauva since 1974 and raised their four children, is obvious as he speaks about his adopted parish.

He has good reason to be happy, having left Delve Land, Westmoreland in 1964 to work in Alexandria, St Ann as an agricultural instructor, they would encounter each other three years later in what Smith describes as 'east meets west'.

A trained teacher, Mauva who was born in Marlborough, St Mary, was realising a childhood dream. Having promised herself that she would someday live in either Manchester or St Ann, having heard about their cool climate, she took up the easier option, which would allow her to keep in touch with her family.

"She came in 1967, and we met and fell in love," Desmond proudly spouts, going to explain that, come October 1, they will mark 43 years as a married couple.

Assigned to work at the St Christopher's School for the Deaf, where she used lip reading, instead of the now more-popular sign language to interact with the students, the attraction between the boy from west and girl from east was only natural, given their mutual interests.

Retirement

As the daughter of a farmer and housewife, Mauva's first-hand knowledge of agriculture led to her being selected as Miss St Mary Farm Queen. However, with the National Farm Queen finals being held on the same night of the competition in which she represented the parish as beauty queen, she opted to compete in the latter.

This notwithstanding, agriculture was in her future as, in 1968, Desmond went to Germany to pursue an agriculture course, specialising in beef cattle production. Having ventured into a cattle-rearing business, he eventually opted out.

Now, with their children all grown up and having flown the coop, the couple is enjoying retirement on their one and a quarter-acre plot, where, according to Desmond, they have almost every orchard crop, along with yams and vegetables; and he is eyeing a return to bee farming.

"I get a lot of exercise by walking up and down. It helps mentally and physically greatly. We have callaloo sometimes, we have oranges, just name it, almost every type of fruit. So, we don't have to buy a lot of stuff."

Keeping busy as she makes me a cup of coffee, before proceeding to dissect a jackfruit, Mauva finally settles down to share in the journey down memory lane, but defers to her husband, who takes up the mantle.

He explains that the children, who all enjoyed tertiary-level education, have since flown the coop, with the eldest, Sean, now working as an accountant in Toronto, Canada, where his youngest sibling, Sabina, is employed in education. Damon, who spent 15 years at Air Jamaica as flight attendant/purser, is now doing his own business in agricultural exports, while Nicole is the safety officer at the state-owned refinery Petrojam.

Upon reflection, they both agree that they have had a blessed and fulfilling life, even with the many challenges faced.

Unable to find a job in agriculture to support his growing family after returning home from a year's study in Germany, Desmond joined the staff at Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he spent 26 years. Outside of his job, the Westmoreland native has, over the years, immersed himself in Brown's Town's social and civic life, as well as being a very active member of the Brown's Town Baptist Church.

Now a retired pastor, he left theological college at age 60, but has never had a dull moment as he has been involved in a number of activities.

Even though he claims to be taking things easy these days, between farming, preaching on Sunday and reading, Desmond still finds himself gainfully occupied.

Retired as well, after a life dedicated to the teaching profession, Mauva now spends time visiting with neighbours and church members, comfortably rooted in the parish she has come to know and love for more than four decades.

- rural@gleanerjm.com

Photos by Christopher Serju