![](https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://d1vof77qrk4l5q.cloudfront.net/img/conradsuperb-enjoying-an-ice-cold-red-stripe-with-my-friend-dwayne-rqs8ydzy-1574088122836.jpg)

It doesn’t get any better- sipping an ice cold Red Stripe with a friend you met while on vacation and listening to some live reggae tunes. I can’t quite remember where we were this night on the 7-mile beach, but I remember it was around the corner from Dwayne’s place at Roots Bamboo.

He rented a room there for a decent price. I met Dwayne the first day in Negril that year (2014). He’s been a friend ever since. He treated me like _family_, and looked after me like I was a _bredda._ Whenever I was with Dwayne and someone would try to heckle me, he would start speaking in patois and they would immediately stop what they were saying. I didn’t know what he said during the exchanges, but whatever it was - it generally worked.

We would chill, workout, swim and go out on the glass bottom boat. He hooked  us up with a price that was the _”family rate.”_ The other tourists didn’t need to know.  He would show me around and take me to places where locals would hang. I felt as though I was one of the breddaz whenever I was with Dwayne.

He offered to take me to the “country”  where his family was. It was a far journey away from Negril, so this never happened, but the fact that he extended the offer speaks volumes about Dwayne. A real down to earth human as many Jamaicans are — he was one I will never forget.

**Always Respect,**
[@conradsuperb](https://steemit.com/@conradsuperb)

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