‘A just mi cock alone left’ - St Elizabeth senior says Melissa robbed him of his livelihood

The only thing that Kenneth Hanson saved when Hurricane Melissa swept through his community on October 28 was his rooster.

The New Market, St Elizabeth resident said he had a dozen 'common fowl' cooped up, with plans to cook a few for Christmas dinner.

But then Melissa intervened.

"About 12 common fowl mi did have but all a dem wash way. Melissa gone with all a dem and just left mi with mi cock (rooster) alone," Hanson said.

"A just mi cock alone left ... Mi nah guh kill him. Mi did have mi mind set on the fowl dem, but because is just him alone mi just a go cook any little ting now," Hanson said.

Hurricane Melissa left a trail of destruction across western Jamaica, creating havoc in the parishes of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Trelawny, Hanover and St James. When THE STAR visited New Market last week, Hanson was still counting his losses.

"This little lady name Melissa do much and just take away the entire shop," he said.

"Mi raise up the common fowl dem in a little coop and thing did a gwane okay, but Melissa is not a good little girl," he lamented.

As the Christmas holidays approaches, all that Hanson, 67, has are the memories of merriment in years gone by. This year, all that he sees is gloom.

"Normally, every single Christmas a right out a the shop mi deh with mi bredren dem, and we gwane eat some food, listen music and play domino," he said.

That warmth has now been replaced by silence, rubble and darkness. The Category 5 hurricane didn't just destroy his livelihood, it nearly took his life.

"But right now, mi not even know what a gwane," he said.