PAID MOURNER hit by duppy

Professional funeral mourner Dalkeith Wright has blamed a ghost for him spraining one of his legs, leaving it swollen.

Wright, better known as Kingston 11, earns his keep by attending funerals and crying for the deceased. He told THE STAR that the injury is not enough to deter him from crying at funerals.

"Mi go country where one a mi relative dead, and it look like mi a walk in front a him, and a take mi own merry likkle time a walk, suh him push mi down out a the way and mi sprain mi foot," Wright said.

"Mi nuh have him up still, a just one a dem ting deh. Dat nah stop mi though. Mi have to wear mostly slippers now, but mi still a guh do mi bookings dem fi dis month," he said between laughter, while pointing at his swollen right foot.

Prior to his recent incident, Kingston 11 has never had a duppy experience. He has been in the business since 2006, and is adamant that no ghost or swollen leg will prevent him providing his 'bawling' service.

"The people dem love di vibes because mi add entertainment to a mournful situation. A nuff time mi deh a funeral and it mournful, and when mi come and start perform, people just start laugh. Sometimes it start out as entertainment when mi a cry, but after mi all hear about how the person dead and ting, the tears dem come genuinely," he said.

Currently, his funeral package starts at $3,000 and could go up to $10,000 based on the type of performance required. Mourners have been put on notice, however, that a price increase is in the making.

"Mi a guh raise mi price but not now. Things hard on everyone Mi a wait until things kinda settle little, and then raise in bout summer. Food and dem summen deh a raise now suh mi a make dem do dem ting and den mi raise mine," Wright said.