AN inexperienced selector blasts music from portable speaker boxes, pockets of smoke permeate the air from the pots of vendors, young and old dance up a storm — it is grave-digging time and grave digging is a lucrative business in rural Jamaica.

“When it a gwaan good you sell, trust me, but when it poor a just suh,” said Charmaine Douglas-West, a vendor looking to benefit from the day’s business.

“Mi work inna bar in general, but mi seh, ‘you know, bar slow inna di day’, so mi come out here. You see people do it and you seh ‘alright mek mi try it’. And it work, trust mi; it work because even when mi sell at di ninth night den mi get good sale. Mi follow some of the bands dem and dem will call mi sometimes and tell mi where dem playing,” she continued as she watched the day’s proceedings at the Buff Bay cemetery in Portland.

Wednesday is the traditional grave-digging day for parishes in eastern Jamaica and many seek to benefit from it. The Jamaica Observer North East team observed nine graves being dug in the neighbouring parishes of St Mary and Portland.

“It’s a way to earn, trust me,” those attending will tell you, while advising that you exercise patience coupled with a sociable demeanour to meet your goal.

That is how you get by, that is how you capitalise on earnings from those mourning or celebrating the dead.

“Yuh have some places weh yuh can’t give it out in private to the funeral home. Yuh have to give it to community people or dem will vex and seh how yuh nuh mek dem help you bury your family and dig di grave,” Patrick Green said from the back of his van, which was loaded with items for sale.

Green noted that sales for the day depends heavily on the person who has died or that dead person’s family.

“Some people carry a bigger crowd. The more famous the person is or family member, the bigger the grave digging. Normally mi bring mi sound, play some gospel, then some big people music, then later on down inna di evening when it touch 5 o’clock mi play di young people dem song,” he said as he described how he operates on a typical grave digging day.

For Calvin Hill, a man who has spent 27 years digging graves, business is always good.

“Sometimes mi get five, sometimes mi get six, according to how di people dem dead. Mi will bury five Saturday and four Sunday regularly you know,” he explained, though admitting that he would dig graves every day if it were up to him.

For the Portlander, it is the easiest way to make $8,000 — digging the earth four feet deep, then finishing up with six blocks.

“Yeah man, a suh mi mek mi money. Mi nuh work wid parish council; mi mek mi money offa di people. I work with di people. You come and doing a grave, I work with you, you give me something.

“Yuh come and mi seh, ‘Bwoy, gimmi a $8,000,’ and yuh can’t pay dat, mi naah kill yuh. Yuh seh, ‘rastaman, yuh know seh mi can’t pay eight,’ mi seh ‘give mi five’. A it help mi fi live,” Hill added.

While concurring that it’s a job many would shy away from, the 57-year-old said it is something he loves.

“I don’t afraid of nothing. You see on earth, only live people can do you things. Dead people can’t do you nothing. A live people obeah yuh, a live people shoot yuh, a live people stab yuh. Mi an’ dem [duppy] live an’ dem never do mi nothing from mi an’ dem live.

“I am here every day and somebody soon come in and mi have a food to eat. A suh mi live. Wi must affi die; yuh think mi count out myself? I would never do that. a nuh mi mek life, a God mek life,” Hill said.