Stash danced along to the music and was keeping the vibes going but his wife was not happy with his friendly attitude although he is a major part of the gathering.
"Watch him nuh. Yuh know how long mi a ask him to come here," Karel said to her sister-in-law. As they watched him dance up a storm with some younger girls.
"Let him enjoy himself, Karel," Sheryl responded.
"From morning him just up and down wid di gal gal dem, and not even would come and see if me or him son alright. From mi come back him not even look pan mi."
Karel's anger could be heard in her voice as she watched him keenly from the gate to the house. From the house to the bar and from the bar to the darkly tinted bus parked across from the packed bar.
Karel who returned to the island for the holidays was not comfortable going out on the road so she stayed on the inside with her son and the older in-laws. She frequently checks on his movements trying hard to hide her jealousy each time she sees him dancing with one or a few of the younger girls.
The night grew older. Her son was put to bed. Most who left were dancing to the latest dancehall hits but Stash was nowhere to be found.
"Have you seen my husband?" she asked her mother-in-law. The same question was asked to almost all she knew. Nobody had an answer from her but she noticed that a trio he was dancing with had left or was not seen anymore and might have either gone home or elsewhere with her husband. She didn't find him after a long search. The music continued to play. The people continued to enjoy themselves and the dancers had arrived.
Four youths cleared a path and started to do their moves to the delight of the patrons. Blanks and firecrackers sounded to their moves and the hits like it was a street dance. Karel watched on. A pack of firecrackers was thrown at the dancers and one got injured when they exploded in his shirt back and some went down his pants.
The injured dancer left the area whilst the others continued to kick up dust literally.
"You need some ice on that," Karel told the young man.
She went to get the ice and was helping him when she noticed that he was so bruised it was bleeding. She pulled his underpants below his buttocks to find more cherry colored scars. She applied the ice to the young man's cuts and bruises before she offered to dress it with purple dressing.
She nursed him back to fitness. He was pleased and ready to return to the other dancers but he was too embarrassed to move because he was now sporting an erection. She left the settee to return the dressing and cotton. The dancer quickly tried to get up and masked his happiness before she sees him. His efforts didn't work because the pants were too tight.
"Do you need more help?" she asked him not recognizing his dilemma.
"No Miss, I'm good."
He was still struggling with the erection that was getting harder instead of being relaxed for him to leave. With his back to Karel, he held it with his right hand and attempted to force it into the pants but it just would not work.
Karel thought he wanted help with the pants and went behind him to pull it up trying not to touch the purple which had already dyed his white underpants. His slender body was lifted from the ground with her pulling up of the pants.
"Oh, lord!" She said upon seeing his erection. "How old are you?"
"Old enough to vote, Miss."
"You don't look more than in your mid-teens but that a man's tool you walking around with. You have a girlfriend?"
"No, Miss."
"So that mean yuh not using it then?"
"No Miss."
"Have you ever used it?"
"Yes, Miss. But no sex yet, Miss."
"Why not and yuh say yuh can vote?"
"I was a Christian, Miss. My mother got it cut when I was twelve for me to get baptized and from then I don't really touch it."
She showed him to the shower and told him to run the water cold and long in order to relax the erection. She left him in the bathroom and was outside searching for her husband once more and just like before he could not be found. The music was still playing the vibes was still high. The smell of weed and firecrackers smoke were clouding the immediate atmosphere.
Karel went back inside to check on the dancer. She opened the door to see Sheryl sitting on the toilet seat surprised to see her.
"I thought you were in the shower, Karel. You left the water running."
"Someone is there though."
Sheryl pulled back the shower curtain and was even more surprised when she saw the young man standing with his hands trying to hide his erection.
"This is new," she said looking at Karel. "I don't mind if you used my bathroom."
"I just want it to go down, Miss. The cold water thing is not working out at all. I feel like I'm sweating under the water."
"Karel, did you find your husband?"
"No, why?"
"I think I want to help him out."
