Yallahs Pond supposedly changes colour at least 10 times a day and many people who live close by are convinced that this is not normal. - Robert Lalah photo

When 79-year-old George Buchanan gets up in the mornings, the first thing he sees is the glistening waters of the Yallahs Pond. From his modest home perched precariously atop a small hill in St. Thomas, Brother George, as he is known to his brethren at the Mount Zion Episcopal Church of the Living God, can almost see the entire pond. He says he's lived on top of that hill for more than 40 years, which makes him an expert on the pond by default.

I had heard some time earlier that there's an interesting story behind the forming of the Yallahs Pond, but most people I came across said they had heard the story once or twice but with time their memory of the tale had faded.

I met Brother George when he was on his way back home from a plot of land he owns some miles from his house. He uses it to grow some fruits, peas and potatoes. It helps keep him active, he says. At the side of the road, as a couple cars went flashingby, Brother George pointed to the Yallahs Pond.

"Many people will tell you about it, but I have the true story. Come siddung wid me and mek I tell you wah clock a strike," he said.

Brother George is a shaky little man with a striking white beard and brown eyes, which he claimed helped him create many memories with the ladies in his younger days.

In the shade of a tall, leaning coconut tree, Brother George started to talk about the pond.

The real story

"Well my father tell me di story when I was a bwoy so mi know dat dis is di real story. One time you did have these two brothers and dem father did own piece of land. Well anyway, di man was very rich and one day him go doctor and di doctor tell him dat him was very sick. Anyway, two twos di man tek sick and dead. Yes sah. Him never leave nuh will so when him dead now him two sons start argue over di piece of land. Di two a dem did want it so dem argue fi months. Di whole town get fi know bout di two man argument. Well, one day di bredda dem start fight and one tek knife and stab di edda one. Well, him mussi dead and den di edda bredda go home go kill himself. Dem say dat when dat happen one loud rumble start come from outa di sky and di earth start shake. When people look dem see water start come from outa di ground and cover di whole a di land what di two bredda dem was fighting over. Well, ever since dat day, we have a pond right here so."

But Brother George had to stop there. He glanced over my shoulder and widened his eyes. It seems that a lady friend of his who lives in a neighbouring community was coming down the road and Brother George understandably wanted to waste no more time with me. With a quick wave of the hand and a half smile, Brother George was off.

"Young man! Young man!" I heard a woman shouting. I looked up and noticed a small, graying woman sitting on a wooden bench about 50 feet away from me. I hadn't noticed her before. "Come here young bwoy!" she said.

I walked over to her. She gestured for me to stoop to her level. When I did, I noticed that she was about 60 years old. She had an attractive face and was sporting impressive white teeth.

"So what is fi yuh name now?" she asked, while for some reason pulling on the bottom of my shirt. I told her. "Well, me is 'V'. You can call me dat. Anyway, is what you want to know bout di water? Mi see you a chat to dat idiot. Mine him tell you foolishness," she said.

Water colour

I told 'V' what Brother George had told me and she shook her head slowly. "Well, him get it right dis time," she whispered. "Him tell you about di colour of di water?" 'V' asked. I told her he had not and she shook her head from side to side.

"But dat is the most important part. Dis water is different from any other water. Sometime it have all three colour. If you look now you see it have a brown colour and if you look further up it have a purple colour. By evening it red like blood. Something strange bout dis water but is because di two bredda dem kill off dem one aneda over it. Young people fi look pon it and know seh dem fi live good wid dem family. Is God send a sign fi di people dem," said 'V'.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com