It was a cold and windy morning and I was standing on the Carenage just outside of the Port waiting on the Osprey to retrieve a package. The boat was late (more of a rule rather than an exception!). To compound my frustration, the door to the seating area was firmly shut with a rather stony-faced lady standing guard.
I then noticed a rather stately gentleman standing there. I greeted him and enquired if he knew what time they were going to open the doors and allow us inside, given that there was no sign indicating any information to that effect so one could be guided accordingly.
He informed me he’d been standing there for ages and had in fact tried to find out from the lady in question. He’d been told the door will be opened ‘ when d boat come’!
We stood there trying to ease our discomfort by chatting. A rather enlightening conversation, punctuated by our glances upwards where the skies darkened ominously threatening to drench us in a matter of minutes!
The question begs itself. Why is it that everything seems carved in stone? One wonders if, in an Island as heavily dependent on Tourism as this obviously is how much would it have taken to simply open the doors and afford us the opportunity to sit in comfort whilst we awaited the vessel?
After all, was it our fault it was late? In addition, we both felt like having a cup of coffee, Again, couldn’t the powers-that-be have the foresight to establish a cafeteria, serving breakfast? Surely, they would have gleaned some much-needed revenue. One wonders who really does the planning in these areas!
So, there we were, standing outside as we looked longingly at the seats inside, wondering what would happen should the rains eventually descend upon us, or God forbid, one of us needed to use the restroom?
We even pondered whether if there was a pregnant or elderly person standing there if good sense or humanitarian gesture would prevail and the rules may have been relaxed a bit! I shudder to think!!
Anyway, all’s well that ends well! God smiled on us and before the rain came, the long-awaited Osprey sailed into port. But wait a minute – while chatting with my fellow ‘sufferer’, I was busy comparing this experience to a rather refreshing one I had on the sister isle at a place called ‘KIM’S PLAZA’.
As I expounded on the owner’s attitude which was so astonishingly superb, he smilingly introduced himself as the brother of KIM!! Hey bro, you guys are a REAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR!!! GRENADA NEEDS MORE LIKE YOU.
KIM’S PLAZA, WATCH OUT, I’M DEFINITELY COMING AGAIN!!! KEEP MY ROOM READY!!
Miss Gairy