Strangers Helping Strangers

Today is a rather special day for me… not so much that’s it’s my birthday (62 and counting), but that I’ve been shown such kindness by strangers, really, here on Carriacou. Sure I’ve been here for a month and a half and while there’s been lots of visitors, I haven’t seen a single white visitor with a long ponytail like mine. So yes, while I am distingtive I’m still a visitor and not a Kyak, a local of Carriacou … yet/maybe/hopefully.

My plan is to have a little gathering, a party – a fete here at Dave’s Bayaleau Point Cottages to celebrate. So I have asked Barbara Ann, who works for Dave and his wife Georgie as housekeeper and babysitter, to help out as cook… just because I want to just relax and enjoy myself on my birthday party. You can ask any of the old KZAP N Street House family about how I do birthday partys.

This AM I met with Barbara Ann and got the shopping list and head off into the main town, Hillsborough. I walk first to Popo’s, because he’s making the charcoal to barbeque the chicken and he’d like me to see the process.

Now, Popo’s is just a 5 minute walk in the other direction, but he’s at thhe bottom of a track (dirt road) that leads up to the top of the island in Belaire, where I spent a few weeks at Michael and Becca’s Belaire Garden Cottages. I also need to hand off some photos I took during Carriacou’s recent Maroon and String Band Festival  and talk with Michael about setting up a new wifi router for Dave.

Now, this track is about 1-2 miles through the bush and uphill; uphill about 600′-800′ from sealevel. It’s about 80 degrees, with 90% humidity and overcast, so by the time I get to Michael & Becca’s I’m dripping, a little outa breath, but doing good.

After a short visit, I head off walking down to town and happen to catch a bus about 1/4 mile away. It’s Cee Pee, one of the several buses that service the island. And I do mean service! The basic fare is EC$3.50 or about US$1.30.

When we get to town I tell Cee Pee about my shopping trip that will include a case of beer and chicken legs for the barby, and that I’ll need to pick up a few things around town before I head back to Bayaleau. As usual, he tells me “No problem, alright,”

One of the first stops is at Evette’s Easy Shopping market where I get several items and the case of beer. I let her know that I’ve got to pick up several more things at a few other shops and it’s “No Problem” and she proceeds to box up my groceries.

Next, it’s a stop at Bullens market for the potatoes for the salad and a few more things; few enough that I can carry them in my own shopping bag. Then I hit the ATM and get a real surprise… as I complete the transaction, I get my credit card back, open my wallet and get the reciept and as I’m putting that away I hear the ATM machice whir and look just in time to see the money disappear back into the cash slot! Yikes! But all is well as I go into the bank and after several minutes I get my cash

Last stop, I think, will be across the street at Ade’s Dream Market and Guesthouse for the case of frozen chicken leg. On the way to Ade’s I meet Cee Pee’s conductor; all the buses have a conductor to open the door and handle any packages that need to be picked up or dropped off.. including babies, groceries, propane tanks, etc.

He asks if I’m ready and I let him know I just need to stop at Ade’s for the chicken. But nope, Ade’s doesn’t have a case in stock, but let me know that back into town, The Family Store. Outside Cee Pee’s conductor meets me and when I tell him I’ve got to make another stop, he asks for my bag of groceries and tells me they’ll meet me on Back Street at Evette’s.

At The Family Store it takes several minutes for them to get the guy to go back and confirm that there really is a case of chicken leg. After waiting for awhile, Cee Pee pulls up and lets me know that they’ve already got my beer and groceries from Evette’s and the case of chicken leg. They’ve already handled it fr me and all I have to do is pay the lady for the chicken and off we go back to Bayaleau Point.

I am so stoked that the merchant’s and bus drivers have it so together to take such good care of the locals and visitors here. Sure Evette & Cee Pee recognize me, but this was the first time I stopped at The Family Store, and still everything’s all picked up and taken care of for me!

I don’t know how to express how I feel except to say that just thinking about how these folks, that are really living a rather hard scrabble life, can be so kind and helpful to strangers, tourists and visitors to Carriacou.. it really chokes me up. I am so thankful and blessed to have found this little island, this sanctuary in such a helter skelter world.

It’s not a 5-star paradise resort island… there’s lots of mosquitoes, it’s been raining and overcast, my right ear is barely recovered from a painful excess wax issue after a week, I gotta remember to watch my back so it doesn’t go out again, I gotta cook for myself, the internet’s flaky and spotty, the roads are rough and often very bumpy and muddy, there’s no small amount of government foo and difficulty … but it’s just real life with real people that really care about eachother and I couldn’t be happier on to be here on the day I turn 62.

Stay tuned… more will be revealed.

Advertisement