'Beryl haffi fraid a mi!', declares Coronation Market vendor braving hurricane at work

Vendors in Coronation Market in downtown Kingston are putting their faith in the structure to protect them from the life-threatening winds and storm surges expected from Hurricane Beryl. 

"One a di safest ting is Coronation Market," said Marcia Curtis, a vendor from Clarendon told The Gleaner.

Curtis said she intended to go home last night but got stuck in the market.

So far, sales have been sparse as she only made about $3,000 selling cantaloupe and okra.

Nadine Sergent, who is from St Ann, has not made any sales from morning, and is blaming the island-wide curfew that Prime Minister Andrew Holness has put in place. 

Holness declared the entire island a disaster area for the next seven days in a broadcast on Tuesday night. A 12-hour curfew took effect at 6 a.m.

But, according to Sergent, this is first time she is experiencing a total shutdown in a hurricane, noting that she as weathered many storms in the market.

"Beryl haffi fraid a mi," she said. "I have my goods suh mi a stay wid my goods and watch it see wah gwaan."

Cynthia Allen lives close to the market, and came out this morning to sell her wares in order to buy food to sustain her through the hurricane.

"Mi sell one case a tissue and mi buy potato, banana, yam and mi go home go cook curry chicken, with some soursop juice wid some mix up, mix up, suh mi haffi come and touch di road, if mi nuh touch di road," she said.

Another vendor, Alecia Deacon,, said she intends to leave the market to her corporate area home soon.

But for now, she takes comfort in the fact that she is one of many vendors who decided to come out today.

"A nuh like a mi alone, maybe if a mi alone mi wudda feel more afraid, " she said.

- Sashana Small

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