Exploring Old Jamaican Factories – Smart?

If you ever grew up in the country, you would know it is one of the best places to grow up because there is just so much nature to see. No matter where you are in the countryside you can walk to many places, do many things for example. This is the story of friends who decided to explore an old factory, but it turned out to be a terrible idea. 

A Scientific Mind Leads to Adventure

Well, it was one of those days for Craig; he had a very scientific mind and always wanted to explore and build things. He, for some reason, had a sudden interest in chemistry, in creating chemicals and making glass. It was at this moment he enlisted his friends Junior and Lemmy to journey through the bushes and into the old factory that had been long abandoned. It was the old Reviere cement factory that once symbolized production in the local rural Jamaican sprawl. Jerk Chicken was the food of choice that day, and when Craig went to Lemmy’s house, he found them eating jerk chicken. Jerk chicken is, of course, one of the more traditional Jamaican foods in that sense and is delicious, especially when it is made using an authentic Jamaican recipe.

The boys decided to go to the old abandoned factory and set out there. Now this journey is usually very long and filled with a lot of bush and mud. They went through Dumpland, as it was called, where a cow chased them. Lemmy being a bit heavy and slow, had trouble running from the cow and, when trying to climb under the fence, ripped his pants. To make matters worse, he tripped over his own legs and fell splat in cow dung. He got up, screamed, and ran for the local river, which he hurriedly jumped into.

Fun Times for Curious Minds

The factory was close by, and they went to look. However, they soon found that they had encountered something different that they had no plans to deal with. Walking through the abandoned factory, the guys stepped into a white substance they did not know about. Feeling afraid, they decided to run away, thinking it would cause their feet to rot and eventually kill them. Little did the boys know it was harmless limestone, but they did think it was a dangerous chemical and set off for the river. This river was at the base of a little hill, and being in a rush, the boys did not take the small trail and instead ran directly down the hill.

Running Through the Wasp’s Nest

The boys hadn’t counted on a wasp’s nest being hidden in the bushes, and on their way down, Lemmy being the unlucky guy that he was, got bitten by three wasps, and Junior got bitten by one. Craig, being slow, lagged behind far enough to see the other boys get bitten by the wasps, and he was able to avoid being stung. However, Lemmy was once again at the short end of the stick when he dove into the river, landing FLAT on his belly. Both Craig and Junior heard the loud splat as Lemmy landed. They tried not to laugh as they knew it was a hurtful experience. The boys went home after this arduous affair and learned not to journey into the unknown.

This was another exciting rural Jamaican adventure that showcased the freedom kids had to roam and play. They could do whatever they wanted as long as they acted smart. However, this adventure was not smart for the boys. They put themselves in real danger with the wasp. On top of that, it is even worse when you consider that the chemical could have been something worse. It’s a good thing that most of the things in that area weren’t dangerous. It was certainly not the crazy experience of hunting for Jamaican mangoes. It was a more subtle and refined experience for kids who just had curious minds and were willing to do anything to discover what was around them. 

That’s the beautiful part of living in Jamaica. It offers so much freedom to allow kids to explore and grow.