Curry fights for brighter days

Marie-Liese George, Gleaner Writer

Coronation Market was a hub of activity and commerce yesterday despite the effects of Tropical Storm Nicole on vendors and shoppers alike.

Handcarts moved wildly around, music played loudly, and there was much bustling, as many carried on regardless of difficulties.

"Business kinda slow still, you know, but it can gwaan," Denham Luke, a vendor from St Ann, told The Gleaner.

He was unable to get to Kingston until 9 p.m. on Thursday night because of the heavy rainfall that made travel difficult. Usually, Luke would have arrived at the downtown Kingston market by daybreak.

Luke spoke of difficulties he and others were having as they were unable to charge much for their goods because of the lack of variety in what was available.

A shopper told The Gleaner that she had gone specially to the market on Friday, although her regular day for shopping was Saturday, because she heard the prices were lower than usual.

no variety

She felt that there was not a great variety of goods, and that about three-quarters of the vendors had the same kinds of goods, but that the quality was good.

"Before the rain, you see from the war especially, it just go down. Some people fraid to come, and a lot of people go out of business," she said.

Jean, one of Coronation Market's many vendors, believed the problems that she and other vendors are facing are not caused so much by the recent weather, but by the recent security operations in neighbouring Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town.

"Remember all those likkle roadside people weh used to set up dem likkle supm, come buy a ten lb ah Irish (potato) every morning? Most ah dem stop cah di bwoy dem pon di corner weh drink dem Guinness and dem dis and what have you kill dem off wid extortion, so most of dem just cut it off," Jean said.

The extortion, which reportedly followed the extradition of west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, was a major issue on the lips of market vendors.

The sellers say they have lost a major contingent of their customers.

"Cah dem eva ah look money, and when dem nuh get it, dem kill off di people dem," one woman said, underscoring the point that the combination of social difficulties and natural disaster had made business at the Coronation Market unreliable these days.

Many who eat from or make their bread at the market say they are unsure of how things will pan out in the future.