Chop Your Head Off!

     It was our last day in Nassau. My sister Sandra was due to fly in later in the afternoon and we planned to head out first thing the next morning to begin our Exuma Islands tour with her. Of course, we needed to stock up on fresh stuff like produce, eggs and milk as it could be weeks before we could buy those things again.

     We were anchored not far from the local fresh market situated under the bridge to Paradise Island where the gigantic Atlantis resort presides over the landscape. The stalls are roughly built with scavenged wood (it seems) and tarps. Several places sell beer and there are rough counters with stools to sit on. On this Saturday morning the customers were locals. Men only, it seemed. They were having lot of fun if the shouting and laughter was any indication.

     We passed a guy polishing a car with old newspapers He offered us his services but of course we declined as we don't have a car. I told him he could polish our boat which he thought was hilarious. We started to walk away and he said "I be glad to see you back." which I think was Bahamian for "I'll look forward to seeing you again" or possibly "I like your butt".

     We stopped at the first produce stall. The elderly lady there told me her goods were from Andros Island which is part of the Bahamas. Agriculture is big there. Then she explained that, sadly, Hurricane Irene had wiped out some crops there and she couldn't get certain produce. However, she did have big beautiful green peppers, plantains, cabbages, sour oranges (for conch salad and ceviche), regular oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, mangoes, small hot peppers, small sweet peppers, sweet potatoes and white onions. We took some of each.   She sweetly picked everything for us.

     Her sweetness changed abruptly, though. A man from a nearby stall came by and took, for a second time, one of her plastic bags from a roll that she had sitting on the potatoes. Her eyes glared needles, her jaw jutted out and she shouted a string of Bahamian at him which I didn't understand but could tell she was pissed. Her final words were clear as a bell: "Am gonna CHOP yo head off!" She did not want him using all her bags!

    Just then Dwight came back to the stall and I told him "You behave or I'm gonna CHOP you head off"! The lady liked that. Her face immediately changed back to its sweet self and she laughed. Loudly. We were friends after that.

    Back at the boat I washed all our goodies before storing them away.  This is the only picture I have. I think of the lady vendor every time I enjoy our purchases.  And of course I remind Dwight that I will "CHOP his head off" if provoked.