This is a true story which is centered around a weekend of activities as a teenager. I had just collected my pay and thought that it would be fun going to a movie at the parish's capital. Instead, I travelled an additional thirty two miles to the country's capital, all because the bus conductor did not collect any bus-fare from me. Of course, I considered the bus ride very exciting and would travel as far as I could, with no cost being incurred. On arrival in the city of Kingston that Friday night, I went about exploring and was like a rude street boy all around town at times. The encounters and other experiences I had were numerous, exciting, and challenging in some instances. There was no real hurry to get back home, as I wanted more and more information to share with my peers. The available means of communication were then quite limited as there was no mobile telephone service in place. Family members and friends would therefore have no other option than to hope for the best once I could not be found. With only a penny remaining in my pocket at approximately eleven o'clock on Saturday night, it then occurred to me that it was time to go back home. It turned out that I walked for over twenty miles during my bid to get back home. Numerous situations were experienced on my way back home. Hunger, thirst, and tiredness were among the challenges faced. Featured in the book, is an area which I referred to as the "dreaded Enterprise Gully". A number of persons died there when the bus they were travelling in overturned many years before. Approaching midnight on Sunday, fear of travelling unaccompanied past this dark and lonely area was a real issue for me. All of this culminated into a vivid encounter with ghosts during the wee hours of Monday morning. The story is a colourful one and considered to be very exciting by all my audience. Incorporated in the book are a number of subject areas inclusive of history, general science, geography, literature psychology and psychiatry. The book is very descriptive and readers will no doubt find it quite intriguing and amusing. Descriptions of various scenery and specified situations are exciting and thrilling in many instances. The Editorial letter has stated: "Your descriptions of landscapes are hauntingly beautiful". Certainly, readers will also share the same sentiment. Descriptions of the night sky, Caribbean Sea, Blue Mountain Range and other settings will no doubt fascinate the reader. There is something in this book which will capture the imagination and arouse the interest of every reader. Most importantly, the information included, will be of particular interest and benefit to students and other individuals who are excited about literature.
About the Author: I am a Registered General Nurse who specializes in Psychiatric Nursing. I pursued further studies in "Advanced Nursing Administration'' at the University of the West Indies during the early 1990s. Subsequently, I worked at the Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital (Jamaica) as Deputy Director of Nursing Services. As a result of my resourcefulness and passion for helping individuals confronted with critical challenges, Registered Nurses and other health workers looked forward to my representation. Consequently, I served as 1st Vice President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica on four occasions. During my tenure of office, my leadership ability enabled me to solve many critical problems beneficial to the nursing staff. I grew up in a rural area of Jamaica - specifically the historic town of Bath in Saint Thomas. The Bath All-Age School was where I gained my early years of formal education. During childhood, I had to endure very challenging social and economic situations. As early as the start of puberty (age 14 years), I had to do odd jobs in order to survive. Some of these challenging situations were cited as flashbacks to enrich my book. My ability and ambition to achieve along with will power and discipline, has facilitated my progress. How could I forget to mention the Almighty One? Without him, I would have fallen by the way a long time ago. At age 18 years, I was employed as a Field Assistant at the Public Works Department but lost my job a year and a half later. At age 21years, I got a job as a pre-trained teacher at the Hayfield All-Age School. I was assigned to teach Grade Nine and it was really fun. However, this was short-lived as I received a telegram to report for Nursing School four days later. Choosing Nursing School was more economically and strategically beneficial to me so I had no problem taking that decision. I was trained at the Bellevue School of Nursing which was then a branch of the Kingston School of Nursing. Following graduation in April 1978, I was employed at the Bellevue Hospital. I worked at this psychiatric facility for thirty two years until being controversially re-assigned to another area in November 2010. I served for thirty five years in the 'Jamaican Public Health Services' and now focused on writing. I have written letters to the "Editor@gleanerjm.com." These letters on various issues are accessible at jules2712@yahoo.com. This is only my first book but I am aspiring to write others in the very near future.