‘Miss King’ is Jarrett Lane’s centenarian

Birthday fever was in high on Jarrett Lane, Kingston, yesterday, as relatives and friends showered Orinthia 'Miss King' Francis with gifts and well wishes for her 100th birthday celebration. When THE STAR team went to Francis' dwelling, a broad smile and a heartfelt welcome to have a seat beside her on a verandah chair was how she greeted us. This told a thousand tales.

This radiance and humble spirit might just be Francis' secret to a long life.

"Me nuh know why me live so long, but me just do every little thing to keep myself happy and I just satisfy with everything I have because time is so stiff," she told THE STAR.

When asked how she feels to be a centenarian, Francis responded with, "Them say that when you live to see 100 it is a long time and a good thing."

Aside from arthritis pain in her lower back, Francis said that she is healthy.

Worked assiduously

"I'm not feeling too bad, a just did get a fall and hurt here suh (her lower back) and doctor tell me that the arthritis come in and damage it and there is nothing else him can do about it so me just live with it," she said. The mother of three said that she was a domestic helper who worked assiduously to provide for her children after she fled her St Mary home decades ago.

"When I was a big woman I start to live up here (Kingston)," she said. "In that time all my younger friend them leaving the country coming to town. So I kind of get jealous and leave and come to town. I never find no fault in coming here because I found work as a domestic helper and I work very hard and for very long."

Giving credit to her mother's resilience, her youngest daughter, Dorothy Francis, 60, said her mother cared a lot for them.

"Me feel good that me mother live for so long that we can celebrate with her and we enjoy the day. She is very strong for her age and she worked very hard to make sure we pass the worse. She took care of us, grandchildren everybody," she said. Though Francis was a stickler for discipline, Dorothy said she barely gave spankings.

"She just always threatens us and say wait until your father come," she laughed. The only thing that bothers Francis right now is that she can't attend church as she would like.

"I become a Christian a long time ago from in my 20s or 30s, but because of the pain I can't go to church. The only time I go out is when my daughter take me to doctor because I'm afraid to fall down or so forth," she said.