A dog sits among the possessions of the occupants living under the bridge. In the background is the canal. - Contributed

Many residents of Edgewater, St Catherine, were shocked when it was brought to their attention that four people are living under a bridge along George Lee Boulevard in the community.

The bridge, which has a canal running under it, is home to two couples who had gone unnoticed to residents for several months.

It was brought to the residents' attention on Wednesday morning, after two of the four occupants were engaged in a dispute, which escalated on the side of the road above the bridge.

A resident told THE WEEKEND STAR: "I heard four people arguing under the bridge, two men and two women, one of them had a machete and another had a big stick and I heard one of them say 'Yuh not gonna stay under here, yah gwaan like unda deh a fi yuh!"

She said police on patrol quelled the fuming occupants and confiscated their weapons.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the occupants on Wednesday they were not there and we were almost forced to make a hasty retreat as we came face to face with dogs at the 'premises'.

While touring the dwelling, we observed a large bed on a wooden base, numerous buckets filled with clothing, cookware and bottles filled with water. On our second visit yesterday, we made contact with one of the occupants.

neva save nutting

Kimone, 23, was busy cooking up a storm at a corner of the dwelling under the bridge. She explained how she ended up calling the bridge home.

"Mi used to live near town centre (in Portsmouth) and mi did build a house but a man who seh one a mi dawg bite him guh throw gasolene pan di wood part a di house and light it a fire. Mi couldn't save anyting! All a mi clothes bun up! Mi bed! Everyting! Mi neva save nutting! Nutting at all!"

She said she and a man named Paul whom she affectionately calls 'Daddy', along with a friend and her spouse, have been living under the bridge for more than two months since then. The four all lived at the Portsmouth house before it was razed.

"Mi have family weh live inna Greater Portmore and dem know seh mi a live under the bridge, but dem seh dem naav no space and nuh weh fi put we up," she revealed.

Despite her deplorable living conditions and lack of sanitary convenience, Kimone was notably clean and well kept. "Wi guh roun' behind market guh bade and ketch water," she added.

It was revealed that although homeless, they all go out during the day to peddle items such as bag juice, air freshener along with other knick knacks to sustain themselves.

A jovial Kimone told THE WEEKEND STAR that the only reason we caught her at 'home' was due to the injury she sustained on her finger during Wednesday's altercation.

"If a neva fi di chop pan mi finga, mi wudda deh outta road a sell bag juice right yah now."

While speaking to Kimone, Paul approached. He told THE WEEKEND STAR that they are in desperate need of a proper place to stay.

"When rain fall we get wet up and the water smell bad, last week Thursday mi did talk to Mr (Alrick) Campbell (councillor for the Edgewater Division) and tell him bout we situation and him seh him will get back to me and all now," he shared.

Efforts to get a comment from the councillor were unsuccessful as his cellular phone rang unanswered.

Kimone and Paul, two of the four occupants, stand outside their 'home'. - Sheldon Williams photo