No flight, no problem: Absent friend honoured on Carnival road march

A missed flight meant Melissa Jones could not make it to Jamaica for Carnival, but her best friend Kia-Simone Bell made sure she was still on the road in spirit.

While whining and trekking along the Yard Mas route on Sunday, Bell clutched a photo poster and waved it in the air as soca music pulsed through East Kings House Road, ensuring her friend did not miss out on the Carnival road march magic.

Bell told The Gleaner that Jones was supposed to be the one revelling at one of Jamaica’s biggest celebrations - an event many members of the diaspora travel home for - but fate had other plans.

“My friend missed her flight and didn’t get to come so she told me to come in her place,” Bell said. “She told me that I should come and jump for her and I take it seriously because I know she wanted to come.”

Dressed in her Ebony costume, Bell said her outfit was not complete without her friend in spirit, adding that the moment was as much for Jones as it was for her.

“I had to get things ready to be here, it was unplanned but I managed to get ready and be on the road early. Yard Mas always has nice costumes and we wear the same size so I didn’t have to do much,” she said.

Despite the disappointment, Bell turned the moment into a heartfelt tribute.

“Every stop we make, every wine, every song—my friend is with me. A two a wi a jump today, even if a just one body.”

- Tiffany Pryce