In Ibiza

by Kheraden Perumal

Night gathers over the marina.

Yachts drift against their moorings,

white hulls rocking in the black water.

Bass carries across the harbour,

glassware flashing beneath blue and violet lights.

He steps from the car

to a chorus of names.

Phones rise around him,

brief and bright as matches.

Inside, the room opens

in waves of music and perfume.

Women lean close to be heard.

Champagne sweats in silver buckets.

Someone places a pill in his hand

as casually as a mint.

He swallows it

with the last of his drink.

For a while,

everything softens.

The lights blur into colour.

Laughter comes easily.

Hands find his shoulders,

his waist,

the practiced shape of his smile.

He tells a story he has told before.

Everyone laughs

at the right places.

A woman with glitter at the corners of her eyes

asks if he is having the time of his life.

He kisses her

instead of answering.

Beyond the terrace,

the sea keeps folding itself against the shore.

He remembers hotel rooms

where applause still rang in his ears

long after the audience was gone,

the silence arriving

as soon as the door clicked shut.

He remembers waking at noon

with his sunglasses on,

his phone lit by messages

from people who loved his name

more than they loved him.

The music climbs.

Someone pulls him toward the dance floor.

Hands rise around him.

Voices carry the lyrics back to him

as if they belong to everyone else.

For a moment,

the pill does what it promised.

The room feels full enough

to resemble joy.

By morning,

the sky pales over the harbour.

The women are asleep.

Champagne has gone warm.

His watch lies on the floor

beside an empty glass.

He stands alone on the balcony,

looking at the first light

spreading across the water,

the ocean returning his gaze.

His phone brightens in his hand.

Tomorrow’s dates wait on the calendar.

A name appears across the screen.

He swallows,

lets it ring once more,

then slips the phone back into his pocket.

Below,

the waves keep returning to the shore,

glittering briefly,

then disappearing into themselves.