My name is Adrian and I live on a small island in the Caribbean called Martinique with a population of about three hundred and fifty thousand. I'm a nurse at the public Psychiatric hospital and lately, the job has been stressful stemming from the fact that the facility is inundated with young people presenting with substance abuse disorders.
The main drug of choice is Cannabis. I remember back in the day, the THC levels in the drug were low but now, it seems like the producers are pumping higher levels of the chemical into the drug increasing the potency.
I used to smoke weed during college but that shit made me extremely depressed and unmotivated to complete my assignments and just like that, a four year program turned into six. I quit cold turkey and never went back.
But to get back on track, the effects of the drug are catastrophic. People's brains are fried. Literally. It just seems ironic that a drug that's supposed to be "calming" fuels such violence. In most cases, it's domestic violence that we're seeing. The most recent case is a 35 year old black man who bludgeoned his father over the head with a brick. The facility has a very close relationship with the Police department and they allow us to review the police report and the court report to see what we're dealing with. I've learned that Brandon Van Laar smokes up to twelve joints a day and he believes his parents like his other siblings more than him. He and His mother Mrs. Van Laar argued one morning because she refused to give him money. Obviously, he wanted the money for drugs and she told him it's time he moves out and look for a job because she can no longer support him and his drug habit. Mr Van Laar, upon hearing the commotion, came out of his quarters to see what was going on. The argument got very heated and due to Brandon's hostility, Mr Van Laar asked him to leave. Brandon refused and there was some shoving, some struggling, and the scuffle ended up outside and the two men fell down the stairs that lead to the front yard. Whilst Mr Van Laar was on the ground, Brandon took up a brick and bashed his father's head in until he was unconscious.
Don't worry, the father is fine....to some extent. His head wound required ten stitches. As for Brandon, the court ordered that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation before he is sent to Ducos Penitentiary.
Let me tell you, these evaluations are no easy task. I've had awful days where I had to wrestle with patients who were feral during their detox. I've had patients spit on me, threaten me, curse at me. One time, a huge man punched me in the throat and I couldn't talk for three days.
It's no surprise that the stress of it all gave me hypertension. I exercise and do other things that help me regulate my blood pressure. The thing I like best is going to the beach. I live in St Pierre and I adore St Pierre beach.
As I submerge myself in the turquoise blue water, it feels like I'm cleansing myself of my sorrows and worries, symbolic of being ducked underwater during a baptism.
The best time to go is in the late afternoon. I stand in the water and look towards the ocean that rests behind the many fishing vessels ahead of me. I observe the setting sun as it casts an orange hue all around me. To my right in the distance is the great Mount Pelée Volcano which rests against a backdrop of lush green vegetation.
The water is calm and the sea gulls take advantage and hover dip to hunt sprats. It baffles me how they're able to see the fish so clearly and pick the right timing to take the plunge. I watch as they fly ahead, twirling and swerving here and there, keeping their eyes on the prize, their white wings sparkling in the orange sun.
Sometimes, when they hit the water, they flap their wings dramatically and I fear they're unable to levitate again but they always do. I watch them for a long time before I head out the water. It's getting dark but not dark to the point where I can't see where I'm going. I pick up my bag from the sand and head to the car park. I feel great. The stress and burdens that come with my job evaporate from my body for a little while. I open my van and start to dry myself off. There are no changing facilities so between the doors of your vehicle is all the privacy you're gonna get.
"The best time to go is when the outside is like this."
I look to my left and see a man looking in my direction.
"Huh?"
"I was saying you should come back in. Most people are gone, anyway. I never have anyone to talk to when I come."
From the dim lighting of the car park, I can tell that he's handsome. He's tall and he has a low haircut.
His eyesight upon me makes me feel self-conscious. After a few more seconds, he shrugs and starts to change.
Now, it's my turn to watch him.
I try to be covert in my spying, but Christ!
I can't help but take in all of him. He's wearing long navy cargo pants with splotches of some substance all over it. On top is a black t-shirt.
"What do you do?" I ask him.
"Construction."
He takes his shirt off and my blood pressure accelerates.
"How about you?"
"Psychiatric nurse."
He nods and I notice the furrow in his brows as with everyone else who learns I'm a nurse.
He starts to unclasp his belt and step out of his pants--
AND UNDERWEAR
.
Wow, there's a penis. I'm staring at his penis. Am I the only beach goer that's privy to the sight of this man's penis?
There is no shyness about him. He's not sheepish or hurried as he changes into beach shorts. It's almost like he's inviting me to look and it's actually working because now my pants feel a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. He locks his car door and begins to walk down the pathway to the beach.
He looks back at me and asks "You coming?"
God, please don't let him be a serial killer.
*****
His name is Anthony. He likes to jog during the weekend and he likes to watch detective shows after work at night. He lost his mother to cancer a few years back and his father, who is still alive, currently resides in a care home. He suffers from dementia and Anthony, every morning before work, visits him in the home and reads the entire newspaper to him to keep him abreast of what's happening in the outside world. His father cannot speak due to his condition but his facial expressions, no matter how slight they are, let Anthony know that he hears and understands every word that's being said to him. His job site and his father's care home are in the same parish while he lives on the other side of the island.
I learned all of this over beers and pizza after our moonlight swim. At the beach, we mostly made small talk and talked about our jobs and plans for the future. We were the only ones at the beach and at times there was a comfortable silence between us while we enjoyed the cool water. It felt like we've known each other for a very long time and I didn't understand why. As time went on, My fear and inhibitions dissipated and I felt so serene.
It got a little windy and the water absorbed the chill and we decided to head out. We dried off and got changed, I put my slacks back on and he put back on his cargos with the stains which I found out to be mortar from cement mixture.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah."
We walked to a pizza restaurant a few paces away from the beach and we sat on a bench under a street lamp and enjoyed it. The lighting allowed me to see his features more clearly. He has a low-cut mustache but other than that, his face is extremely smooth, like satin. It's the same type of precision you see in military personnel who keep their face clean shaven.
He has bushy eyebrows, big ears, a big nose and a nice pair of shapely lips. His arms and legs are also big.
It seems like everything about him is big. From the look of his penis, I can only hypothesize about it's might when he's fully hard
After a while, he checks his watch and tells me he has to go. He says he wants to check into a hotel because the drive back home is a long one and he doesn't want to take the risk and possibly fall asleep at the wheel. I check my watch and notice it's way past 10.
Today was a late day for him and our time together added to that.
The words leave my mouth before I play them over in my head. "You can stay with me until the morning."
