Are we there yet?

Upon arriving at Tortola (Beef Island) we got our first dose of island time. There was like 4 1/2 people on our plane and it took about 40 minutes to get through Customs.
Before we left I made a concerted effort to arrange for a taxi both ways. After a week or so of no reply to my email I called down there. "What, you mean so-and-so didn't give you a confirmation email? I'll tell her to send one right away." Never happened, but I was told I'm all set.

When we get through Customs and get out to the street we start looking for our pre-arranged cab. Hmmm, that's funny. No JP Transport. This big black guy dressed like Charlie Harper notices our confusion and wanders over. He has this huge scar right across his face and one of his eyes has been knocked slightly askew. It reminds me of a documentary I saw about Sierra Leone. I was looking for his machete.
I show him our piece of paper and he says "He awready lef, mon". "What?" says I. "He got some udder guys and he awready lef, mon". He motions us to another van. "She take you now." "Same price?" I ask. "Feefty". "What?" "Feefty" as he throws our stuff in the back.

We get in and there is a kindly looking old lady driver and another young couple. We set off down the road. A couple miles later, she stops for this rasta mon standing on the side of the road. I'm thinking "Uh oh...I hope we don't end up on a made-for-TV movie". A few miles later she drops him off at a house with about 13 of his homey's standing out on the porch. A couple miles later she drops off the young couple at a B&B and asks me if I want to move up to the front seat. I move up there and she drives along giving us the tour guide schpiel. It's about 11 pm by now. She's sitting on my bad ear side so I can't make out anything she says. I try to read her lips but it's so dark all I can see is her teeth. By and by we make it to Soper's Hole where the old folks are getting ready for bed. Let the adventure begin.