Carpenter rises from devastating fire
After a 2013 fire destroyed carpenter Leon Morrison’s shop in Jones Town and everything in it, not only did he have to start from scratch, but he also had to rebuild furniture that he had for customers.
Morrison, 47, said that even in cases where the damage to the furniture was minor, he had to remake them.
“Fi tell yuh di truth, a portion a things burn up fi some people,” he said.
However, five years later, he has managed to get back on his feet.
“God work out a thing so mi coulda build back some things fi give back di people dem,” he told THE STAR.
And, four months after relocating to Hanover Street, he said that business is looking up.
“Right now, mi kinda level and a try do mi thing and a get mi thing balance, cause mi nuh have nutten fi nobody. So mi just a try build mi thing and find mi own market and build some table and dem likkle thing deh too,” said Morrison, who is a former employee of Total Surface.
WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS
By creating a wide range of products which he displays outside his shop, he said that he has managed to attract a wide range of customers. “When mi build something it nuh tek two or three days fi it sell or even sometime the same day. Mi just build and pile up so people will pass and see dem and buy. Plus, sometimes the store owners dung a town, dem will say dem want all 10 jobs one time. A so dem buy, so it nice when yuh have yuh thing pile up and can sell dem all a portion one time,” he said. And with a variety of creations, he said that his products are in high demand. “Mi build all aquarium. Mi get all di glass and join dem and create all type of design. Mi even build some likkle table, and bwoy, mi nuh have hand fi sell dem,” he said.
Having been in the carpentry for almost 20 years, Morrison said that he had to make small steps until he was able to design creations on his own.
“Mi start as a ‘prentice. Mi used to do sanding, and from deh so mi tell miself say mi waah learn di trade and mi mek one step to another. From sanding to spraying to building,” he explained.
Devoted to his job, he spends several nights at his shop.
“Mi nuh leave yah so. Yah so mi sleep and do everything. Mountain View mi live, but yuh see inna life, yuh have bills fi pay and dem thing deh. Yuh haffi a put out extra energy fi put out yuh thing and balance yuhself,” Morrison said.
And although he is dedicated to his job, he explained that he has tried his hands at acting.
“A whole heap a thing mi try inna life cause mi do all movie and all dem them likkle thing deh. Mi do a movie name Bwoy A Yard and one name Blind Shatta,” he told THE STAR.