A cool breeze made the wait a bit bearable, but only a bit, as the mid-morning sun, in a cloudless sky, beat down mercilessly on the scores of persons who waited in line yesterday to file past the casket with the body of former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, at Tivoli Gardens Community Centre.

It was Seaga’s final trip to his beloved Tivoli, the modern, low-income residential community that he created out of the slum that was Back-O-Wall in the 1960s.

“Me no business ’bout the sun, me will stay as long as it take to pay my final respect to ‘The Boss’,” said one woman who gave her name only as Marcia.

She was waiting in line behind dozens of students from Denham Town Primary School, who were among the hundreds who turned out as the farewell to Seaga continued.

As more people entered the community centre, where the flag-draped coffin was the only attraction, Marcia slowly approached the entrance in an almost festive mood.

“See it deh, me soon reach in. and even though me did want to look in him face, me still ago say respect,” said Marcia.

For “Niha” his reason for being there was more personal.

“In 1984 my domino team from Denham Town won the competition and we fi go Canada. and Mr Seaga bought tickets for the 24 of we fi go Canada and we go up there go win, so we have to always respect him,” said Niah.

It was a similar story for Cecil “Sarge” Walker, who recounted an incident where he was shot in the hand and head while trying to protect Seaga, who seemed unnerved by the shooting that was taking place.

“Mr Seaga is my boss because him love him people dem,” declared Walker.

Annmarie Lowe was decked out in her green outfit as she relater her pleasure of getting the chance to see the coffin.

According to Lowe, she had to be there, as more than 18 years ago she became a member of the Tivoli Gardens Drum Corps and could not pass up an opportunity to say goodbye to Seaga, who had opened several doors for her.

Councillor Alvin Francis of the Mavis Bank division earned a nod of approval from several of his neighbours as he declared that there was no way he could miss seeing the coffin in Tivoli Gardens.

“I come to pay my last respect to the greatest prime minister Jamaica has ever seen — Edward Seaga,” said Francis as he joined others in a toast to the man who represented West Kingston for 43 years and served as Jamaica’s prime minister from 1980 to 1989.