Running along the Palisadoes

She seemed blissful standing there. She was athletic with muscular arms that were no doubt proudly exposed in the sleeveless blouse she wore. I waved hello and noticed then that she was panting heavily, and that her forehead was covered with sweat.

"How yuh do?" she said, eventually.

It was early morning, sometime before six o'clock and this woman and I were among several dozen out at the Palisadoes main road in Kingston. There were runners, walkers, fisherfolk and idlers in surprisingly large numbers. A few cars sped by heading in the direction of the Norman Manley International Airport. "I just doing some morning running, man," the woman said. She told me her name was Sue and that she was a regular at that spot in the mornings. "Have to get in my exercise, you see," she said, smiling. "Have to keep the heart beating and these things." I nodded.

"But I don't see you out here more time," she said, looking me over. I told her that she was right and that I was quite surprised that so many people were there exercising.

"Oh yes, man," said Sue. "People start exercise more, you know. People not fool like one time and think that you can eat whatever you want and not exercise. Everybody want to be healthy now."

The sun had now risen, and the heat shot up significantly in a short time. Sue bid me goodbye and dashed off.

I walked over to a man sitting in front of a stall of sorts. He had a bald head and chubby cheeks. He appeared half asleep but was jolted by my arrival. "Eh, what?" the man said, sitting up straight. I chuckled.

"Oh, yeah man mi deh yah, man," he whispered. I introduced myself to him and asked why he was sitting near an empty stall. "Mi waiting on di man dem fi come drop off di coconut dem," he said. "Mi and some other man sell coconut out here, but the man who sell it to we come early. Mi have to come out here early and collect dem," he said.

Near to where we were chatting were two elderly men, both wearing running shoes and shorts. They were close to the roundabout at the entrance to the airport where famously stands the tail of an Air Jamaica airplane. I wished the sleepy man well with his sales for the day and jogged over to the two men. They were engaged in an animated conversation. After introductions, during which I learned one fellow's name was Headley and the other was called Smith, I asked them what they were talking about.

AIR JAMAICA TAIL

"This plane thing, man," said Headley. Smith nodded. "People asking why the Air Jamaica plane tail still out here, even though the airline dead. But I say nothing is wrong with that, for it still represent Jamaica." Smith was not having it.

"Rubbish!" he snapped. "We pretending like we have plane and we don't have no plane. Is foolishness that," he said.

Now, both men, in my estimation, must have been nearing 70, so I was concerned about the exertion they would be experiencing from this squabble. I tried to be a mediator, saying something along the lines of, "Now hear this, good sirs, let us put aside such petty matters and be united on this day." It didn't work. The greying men ignored me and went on quarrelling. "Dem should lick it dung and carry it go Riverton," said Smith.

"And when dem do dat, dem should just throw you in the truck too," Headley shot back.

I tried a few more times to interject, but it became abundantly clear that neither man even realised I was still standing there. Eventually, I just walked away. I could still hear the men arguing from several yards down the road.

"Di scrap metal people dem would have good use for it. Dem must come take it," said Smith.

"You is a clown. I hope if dem come for it dem collect you too," Headley retorted.

Where should Robert go next? Let him know at robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com