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I didn't want to leave without one last story, Enjoy!
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When I first visited Negril,Jamaica, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of a group of long timers ....stayed in Red Ground ...got the whole real Jamaican treatment, right from the beginning
So, I was fully aware of the dangers of the beach people, in particular, the rent-a-dreads and the rasta wanna-bes. Who, from the day I first arrived all those years ago, follow me around like they think Lacy is going to pick one of them. (They will NEVER be in my league! I sometimes can't help but laugh to myself at their silliness.)
So I figured I better set down some ground rules....right from the beginning, I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding about what it meant to hang in Lacy's Circle.
Rule #1: Lacy will NEVER EVER put out. So if you want to be part of my family, while I'm visiting you better get sex off the brain. Otherwise I'll just cast you off without another thought.
Rule #2: - No rubbing up against me while dancing. If I feel your big bamboo anywhere pon mi body, you are breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #3: - Don't even try to kiss me. I may be up close to your face when having a discussion, but you are not allowed to close that gap and steal a kiss. Breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #4: - It's acceptable to give me a hug. But if your hands start to wander or you try rubbing up against my breasts, also breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #5: - You may walk me to my door, but must leave immediately. No more talking, I'm not inviting you in, I'm going to bed....Good Night. If you give me a hassle or linger for more than a moment, you're breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #6: - If I hear any chat about you saying you have broke any of these rules (which will absolutely NOT be true), I will come looking for you .....with some of my friends.
Though these rules don't apply to the tourists I may want to link with. (Hey, they are going home in a week anyway!) They have held me in good stead, here on Negril Beach.
I have always been a very good girl...no chat bout Lacy ANYWHERE up and down the beach, only respect, (mixed with a likkle longing and wishful thinking), but hey, you can't have everything your heart desires.
...and now, I will tell you about why I broke ALL these rules in My Rules & Di Rasta.
I have been friends with Jan since the early 80's. She comes from a very large and connected family here in Jamaica. When we met, we found that we
were 'on the same level' and became fast friends immediately.
When she picked me up from the airport, she mentioned that she would be making another trip to Mo Bay later that day to pickup her brother, who was arriving from Europe.
I have never met this brother, as he has been farrin for several years, both in Europe and the States. Though I have heard of him, it seems that our visits to JA have never overlapped. (His last in October, mine in November.)
When Jan and her brother arrived back to the yard, Jan introduced us, he looked at me, cocked his head and said, 'Are you sure we have never met before?' I replied, 'I don't believe so, but you look really familiar to me as well.' (and he did!!)
Now I KNOW we had never met. The dozens of times I have been to Jan's family home, I know he had not been there (his JA home is somewhere else). He would NEVER come to the beach (definitely NOT his thing) and the parts of the country that were his home were off limits to tourists.
So.....why was the hair standing up on the back of my neck? And I was having this strange feeling of deja-vue? But the discussion some fishermen were having got loud again and the moment passed quickly.
He sat down and joined in on the conversation. When I spoke to a Canadian tourist who had been listening, but not understanding their patios (Jamaican diliect), The rasta realized I could understand everything that was said.
He sat down next to me and stared into my eyes...I held my breath.... he didn't say a word for the longest time. I could tell he didn't know what to make of me. He was intrigued and puzzled by what he assumed was just a white woman tourist... although unlike any he had ever met.
And when he finally spoke, the whole conversation we then had 'traveled above, on a different plane' from those we were with. Their voices, the music, the whole discussion on fishing just fell away leaving just the 2 of us.
I knew this man was different....special. And from the way he held my eyes when we talked, I could tell he understood that I was special as well.
Shortly afterwards, the group dispersed, the fishermen and other locals went on with their daily business, leaving just me and the rasta, alone on the verandah.
ALARMS went off in my head. 'My Rules' ...can't forget the rules. I can't be seen sitting here alone with this man, someone might pass and get the wrong idea.
So, rather abruptly, I said my good-byes and almost RAN out onto the beach....looking for someone, anyone, that I could start a conversation with, in case the rasta followed me.
But he never did....and I was both relieved and disappointed.
Later that same evening, I was sitting on the verandah with Jan and another girlfriend. Drinking good cheap drinks before we headed over to where the music was playing, when a shadow cast upon the table and I could feel someone standing behind us and knew immediately, it was the rasta.
He leaned over and spoke to his sister. I didn't catch what he said except the very last...something about the West End. But when Jan replied, 'I don't know, ask her yourself.' I knew that their conversation had been about me and I turned to him and said, 'Ask me what?'.
But with all 3 of us now staring at him, I think he got alittle uncomfortable.....and once again the moment passed. We girls started chatting again and when next I looked, he had gone.
With 2 good rum drinks in my belly and 1 in each hand, we headed off to listen to the music. Ran into many more friends and spent the next hour catching up on things. Not too much after that, the rasta again appeared (was he following me?).
But he did not approach the group, just stood in the back of the crowd and watched 'the party that was Lacy'. I could feel his eyes upon me, though I never once looked up and acknowledged his presence.
It was getting late. The 2 friends I came with wanted to leave. Jan asked me what I was going to do, and I replied; 'I think I'll stay awhile and talk with your brother. Go along, I'll be fine.' (By this time, the rasta had made his way up to our group and was standing close enough to hear this conversation.)
Jan leaned over and said something to him (I later learned that she told him, I was one of her best friends and that he better take good care of me or he would have to deal with her later.) And off they went. Though there were still many of my friends standing around me, I felt like we were alone again. He couldn't stop looking into my eyes and I couldn't pull them away from his gaze.
We talked.....about what, is not important to this story, except to say that with each word we were drawing closer and closer to each other.
Just like I had felt with Jan, the first time I met her, so it was with her brother...we were 'on the same level'...the vibes were good. I could feel the place we found together had everything to do with the heart and soul. I knew he wanted me, but there was no trace of the lust for sex I have seen in so many other men's eyes.
The music ended and we walked back to the yard together in silence. Those alarms started ringing again. What am I doing? I said to myself over and over again.
He is my best friend's brother, knows all the same people I know and though he just came today from farrin (and was technically a tourist), he would be returning to Europe soon and his life there.
Of all the things we talked about, I had never mentioned 'My Rules'. And of all the times I had invoked these rules, this was the one and only time that I had ever considered breaking them. But I knew that this was not possible, even for him.
When we reached my verandah, I was prepared for him to make some kind of a move, though what my response would be, I didn't have a clue.
We talked for a little bit longer and then he reached over and kissed me...it was tender, tentative. And when he drew away, he looked into my eyes and for the first time, I saw the longing in his. Yikes!!! My heart was beating way too fast. I had to swallow a couple of times just to breathe.
But then I sighed and looked away....the moment again passed. He broke the silence with something about how we both had a long day of traveling and that we should get some sleep and talk again tomorrow. I said nothing.
He didn't try to kiss me again, just said his good-nights and left me standing there on the verandah, alone.
+++++++++++
When I first visited Negril,Jamaica, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of a group of long timers ....stayed in Red Ground ...got the whole real Jamaican treatment, right from the beginning
So, I was fully aware of the dangers of the beach people, in particular, the rent-a-dreads and the rasta wanna-bes. Who, from the day I first arrived all those years ago, follow me around like they think Lacy is going to pick one of them. (They will NEVER be in my league! I sometimes can't help but laugh to myself at their silliness.)
So I figured I better set down some ground rules....right from the beginning, I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding about what it meant to hang in Lacy's Circle.
Rule #1: Lacy will NEVER EVER put out. So if you want to be part of my family, while I'm visiting you better get sex off the brain. Otherwise I'll just cast you off without another thought.
Rule #2: - No rubbing up against me while dancing. If I feel your big bamboo anywhere pon mi body, you are breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #3: - Don't even try to kiss me. I may be up close to your face when having a discussion, but you are not allowed to close that gap and steal a kiss. Breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #4: - It's acceptable to give me a hug. But if your hands start to wander or you try rubbing up against my breasts, also breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #5: - You may walk me to my door, but must leave immediately. No more talking, I'm not inviting you in, I'm going to bed....Good Night. If you give me a hassle or linger for more than a moment, you're breaking Rule #1....out you go.
Rule #6: - If I hear any chat about you saying you have broke any of these rules (which will absolutely NOT be true), I will come looking for you .....with some of my friends.
Though these rules don't apply to the tourists I may want to link with. (Hey, they are going home in a week anyway!) They have held me in good stead, here on Negril Beach.
I have always been a very good girl...no chat bout Lacy ANYWHERE up and down the beach, only respect, (mixed with a likkle longing and wishful thinking), but hey, you can't have everything your heart desires.
...and now, I will tell you about why I broke ALL these rules in My Rules & Di Rasta.
I have been friends with Jan since the early 80's. She comes from a very large and connected family here in Jamaica. When we met, we found that we
were 'on the same level' and became fast friends immediately.
When she picked me up from the airport, she mentioned that she would be making another trip to Mo Bay later that day to pickup her brother, who was arriving from Europe.
I have never met this brother, as he has been farrin for several years, both in Europe and the States. Though I have heard of him, it seems that our visits to JA have never overlapped. (His last in October, mine in November.)
When Jan and her brother arrived back to the yard, Jan introduced us, he looked at me, cocked his head and said, 'Are you sure we have never met before?' I replied, 'I don't believe so, but you look really familiar to me as well.' (and he did!!)
Now I KNOW we had never met. The dozens of times I have been to Jan's family home, I know he had not been there (his JA home is somewhere else). He would NEVER come to the beach (definitely NOT his thing) and the parts of the country that were his home were off limits to tourists.
So.....why was the hair standing up on the back of my neck? And I was having this strange feeling of deja-vue? But the discussion some fishermen were having got loud again and the moment passed quickly.
He sat down and joined in on the conversation. When I spoke to a Canadian tourist who had been listening, but not understanding their patios (Jamaican diliect), The rasta realized I could understand everything that was said.
He sat down next to me and stared into my eyes...I held my breath.... he didn't say a word for the longest time. I could tell he didn't know what to make of me. He was intrigued and puzzled by what he assumed was just a white woman tourist... although unlike any he had ever met.
And when he finally spoke, the whole conversation we then had 'traveled above, on a different plane' from those we were with. Their voices, the music, the whole discussion on fishing just fell away leaving just the 2 of us.
I knew this man was different....special. And from the way he held my eyes when we talked, I could tell he understood that I was special as well.
Shortly afterwards, the group dispersed, the fishermen and other locals went on with their daily business, leaving just me and the rasta, alone on the verandah.
ALARMS went off in my head. 'My Rules' ...can't forget the rules. I can't be seen sitting here alone with this man, someone might pass and get the wrong idea.
So, rather abruptly, I said my good-byes and almost RAN out onto the beach....looking for someone, anyone, that I could start a conversation with, in case the rasta followed me.
But he never did....and I was both relieved and disappointed.
Later that same evening, I was sitting on the verandah with Jan and another girlfriend. Drinking good cheap drinks before we headed over to where the music was playing, when a shadow cast upon the table and I could feel someone standing behind us and knew immediately, it was the rasta.
He leaned over and spoke to his sister. I didn't catch what he said except the very last...something about the West End. But when Jan replied, 'I don't know, ask her yourself.' I knew that their conversation had been about me and I turned to him and said, 'Ask me what?'.
But with all 3 of us now staring at him, I think he got alittle uncomfortable.....and once again the moment passed. We girls started chatting again and when next I looked, he had gone.
With 2 good rum drinks in my belly and 1 in each hand, we headed off to listen to the music. Ran into many more friends and spent the next hour catching up on things. Not too much after that, the rasta again appeared (was he following me?).
But he did not approach the group, just stood in the back of the crowd and watched 'the party that was Lacy'. I could feel his eyes upon me, though I never once looked up and acknowledged his presence.
It was getting late. The 2 friends I came with wanted to leave. Jan asked me what I was going to do, and I replied; 'I think I'll stay awhile and talk with your brother. Go along, I'll be fine.' (By this time, the rasta had made his way up to our group and was standing close enough to hear this conversation.)
Jan leaned over and said something to him (I later learned that she told him, I was one of her best friends and that he better take good care of me or he would have to deal with her later.) And off they went. Though there were still many of my friends standing around me, I felt like we were alone again. He couldn't stop looking into my eyes and I couldn't pull them away from his gaze.
We talked.....about what, is not important to this story, except to say that with each word we were drawing closer and closer to each other.
Just like I had felt with Jan, the first time I met her, so it was with her brother...we were 'on the same level'...the vibes were good. I could feel the place we found together had everything to do with the heart and soul. I knew he wanted me, but there was no trace of the lust for sex I have seen in so many other men's eyes.
The music ended and we walked back to the yard together in silence. Those alarms started ringing again. What am I doing? I said to myself over and over again.
He is my best friend's brother, knows all the same people I know and though he just came today from farrin (and was technically a tourist), he would be returning to Europe soon and his life there.
Of all the things we talked about, I had never mentioned 'My Rules'. And of all the times I had invoked these rules, this was the one and only time that I had ever considered breaking them. But I knew that this was not possible, even for him.
When we reached my verandah, I was prepared for him to make some kind of a move, though what my response would be, I didn't have a clue.
We talked for a little bit longer and then he reached over and kissed me...it was tender, tentative. And when he drew away, he looked into my eyes and for the first time, I saw the longing in his. Yikes!!! My heart was beating way too fast. I had to swallow a couple of times just to breathe.
But then I sighed and looked away....the moment again passed. He broke the silence with something about how we both had a long day of traveling and that we should get some sleep and talk again tomorrow. I said nothing.
He didn't try to kiss me again, just said his good-nights and left me standing there on the verandah, alone.
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