‘Downtown nuh love when rain a fall’

While many people welcome the rain as a showers of blessing, some vendors in and around Coronation Market in Kingston are disgruntled when it rains.

Patsy Evans, also known as Soupy, told THE STAR that she watches the weather before she makes a move.

"When me see it look like rain a go fall, me nah go put on a big pot a soup cause it nah go sell off," she said. "If me do dat, when me a pack up six o'clock fi go home, me will a fi pack up me pot a soup and dat woulda mean seh me waste me money and waste me time. If di rain jus come dung sudden so, it nuh really fall long and dat nuh really affect nothing."

Fortunately, Evans says it's not a total loss when it rains.

"Inna rainy time, one and two driver will run outta dem car and come buy a soup, but you nah find nobody inna dem place here a linger. Sometime dem nuh come out and me jus walk go cross wid me piece a umbrella. A guess a because me a sell soup, cause nobody nah run outa dem car fi nuh Irish and pumpkin," she said.

Vendors selling ground provisions echo Evans' statements. Marjorie Gardener, 54, says she wanted the rain, but not at the expense of her business.

"Boy, me glad fi di rain but now me nah sell nothing. The rain gwan bad and di place wet up, slippery, raw and people jus a try go through fast. And now my business deh pon pause ... if me nuh sell me caa eat. Hopefully, me get some money from the Friday, and Saturday crowd," she said.

Damian Andrews, 36, says when it rains, potential customers avoid the market.

"Nobody nah come inna di market at all, a jus we alone in yah. Pon a regular day, me can depend pon a one and two sale a evening time ... people nuh haffi plan nothing, dem jus woulda pass and see something weh dem want like some tomato or lime or something," he said. "But di rain a mash up me work star. Di place mucky mucky and stink."

Tavio Williams, 29, says he sells at 'yam ground', but on a rainy day he calls it mud ground.

"Me thank God fi di rain but mi want him hold on likkle man. Betta him send it through the pipe bredda. No disrespect to the Most High, but I and I waa self off a eveing time," he said.