By Vernon Derby, ContributorIT WAS creating a storm in the Caribbean and from all indications Jamaica was a sure hit. The people of Jamaica were taking no chances. Gilbert taught them a serious lesson and as short as our memories are reputed to be, we have not forgotten Gilbert. Gilbert was no nine-day wonder. Enough of us have vivid memories of Gilbert unleashing it's terrors on this struggling nation. I gather some who had no ability to buy a dish for their television sets had some donated by Gilbert. I remember sheets of zinc being ripped off roofs darting though the skies like bits of paper.
Gilbert brought some good though, because we learnt to be our brothers' keeper for a time. Well while we took Ivan seriously, Jamaicans who are famous for being the 'No Problem Nation', started to make up some very comical stories about the impending danger. It is said that some declared that, "Ivan nah come ya because 'im fraid bad man shot 'im up!" Others sent up prayers to the Almighty asking him to make this cup pass from us. "Wi wicked massa gad but a no di whole a wi... a di shatta dem a murder people like say wi a dawg", some were reported as saying.
POLITICAL CYNICS
Some political cynics amongst us declared that a hurricane is already here and enough destruction had already been done to the island and that massa gad would not give his people more than they can bear. People started to prepare themselves for the onslaught of this terrible creation of nature which was dubbed Ivan the Terrible by one broadcaster. Ivan got another name, Ivan the Terrorist and I believe this is because the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York was just days away. The anniversary of Hurricane Gilbert was also days away. We battened up, we stocked up and we built up our courage for the onslaught. All of a sudden the country was thrown into darkness. This was a planned outage as JPSCo had no intention to enter into a fight with the 'Terrible'.
I peeped through my windows and I surveyed the landscape. Lovely fruit trees and ornamental trees were fluttering in the wind and had started to bend in the direction of this monster to which they had no intention of putting up any strong resistance. I looked at the utility poles and I wondered how long they would last. I took one last look at my roof which I know could depart this very night. I squeezed the last drop of water from the pipe which by now had reduced to a mere trickle. My family for the first time learned what it was to pack up into one room because we all crammed into what we perceived was the safest room.
RADIO BROADCASTERS
The hurricane howled sometimes and at other times it roared like a lion and sounded sometimes like the continuous rolling of thunder. It lasted many hours but I was comforted by the calm and reassuring voices of the radio broadcasters. I am still wondering if these broadcasters live anywhere. It was now the calm after the storm. I looked outside and I again surveyed the landscape. ..much less damage than I had expected. The nation became ecstatic. "Boy wi lucky ", many declared, "because we still have life and Gilbert was worse than this".
Oh yes, Ivan didn't come, because it left the 'I' and only the Van came and gave us a little brush. Some places in Kingston are even looking better after Ivan. The zinc enclosing that area in Cross Roads bordered by Old Hope Road and Half-Way Tree Road, no longer has that unsightly zinc fence. Ivan has created a little park for us in Cross Roads. We just need to fix it up and plant some flowers there. Was it divine intervention that redirected Ivan, or did Ivan lose its way because there was no light on the land? Did the gunmen actually scare Ivan away? Was Ivan embarrassed because he knew that he could not take 1000 lives in one stroke and just decided to call it a day?
HOW LONG?
Oh yes, Ivan has come and gone but there is a hurricane still blowing and it cannot be categorised. It has killed over 1,000 persons already for the year. Did we batten up for this hurricane? Did we stock up? How long will this hurricane last? How long? Ivan was terrible but this hurricane is wicked, and no supplies, no relief from overseas is enough to stop this hurricane as it continues on its destructive path in one spot, Jamaica Land We Love.
Vernon Derby was the head and one of the founders for the Citizen's Initiative Organisation, a citizens lobby group. He can be contacted at vderby@yahoo.com.
