Lovers, friends make Reggae Falls flex

Kerromie Chambers and his sweetheart, Moya McFarlane, of Seaforth, St Thomas, were a sight of love and comfort as they cuddled next to the cascading waters of Reggae Falls, just outside their community, on Sunday afternoon.

The couple were among hundreds of people who travelled all over the country to enjoy a much desired day at the river.

Beaches and rivers were ordered closed to contain the spread of the coronavirus since the Easter weekend in April. Those orders were lifted last weekend and people were wasting no time to celebrate the normal they once knew.

Chambers said that due to his job, he had to be quarantined at work and had not got the chance to go home to his girlfriend in months.

"Mi couldn't go home. I was confined at work so a months we nuh get fi see each other and spend time. We just had to communicate over the phone and make the long distance thing work for the time being," he said.

Chipping in, a glowing McFarlane, who was tightly clung to her other half, revealed that she had to spend time with family members as she counted down the unknown numbers of days before she would be reunited with her boyfriend.

"I just had to do things with my sister, my niece, nephew and my best friend ... Just try to find things in the home to do, play games, cook some food all day, every day, then repeat. I couldn't see him. So you know it did kinda rough," she said. "This is the most time we've spent together in about three or four months, so we feel good to not only have him home, but also to have an opportunity to enjoy some time outside. It was rough but we had to do it for our own safety."

Also among the hundreds gallivanting at one of the parish's favourite water stops were people from St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew.

One fun-seeker, who was seen relaxing with a cup of liquor and a spliff, told THE STAR that he was among two car loads of people who travelled from Portmore to enjoy a day at the much talked-about Reggae Falls.

"We guh through round three roadblock to come enjoy weself. When we reach St Thomas, soldier stop we and a ask weh we a guh, and we tell dem seh we free yah now so dem just search we and let we through," he said.

"When we hear Andrew [Holness] seh road free up, we did feel good, cause look how long we lock up. A bay house party we affi a hide and a keep in a quarantine. When we leave here suh we all a guh stop a beach. We feel good inna the road man. A long time Andrew fi leggo the road," he added.