Dr. Skye Series: "Trapped"

Session #1

Pulling up to this place early Monday mornings are dreadful, but it is for the best. I walked inside the gym. Noticing things have changed since I was last here. A new paint smell filled the air. The walls were this bright golden yellow with timers all over the place saying 30 minutes only. To my surprise, they have even updated to newer and better equipment. I should have been out longer.

As I put my bags down, I felt this big dark shadow covering my backside. A voice said, "Yo, Charles, I wasn't expecting you to be back this soon." I knew that voice. I looked up, and of course, it was Monty. I turned around to shake his hands. Willingly, he grabbed me, giving me a bear hug. It felt like one of those grandma hugs.

Once he let me go, my arms were thumping. I responded, "Yeah, my guy. I feel trapped! There is nothing in that house but walls, memories, pictures, and old voices." I hope I didn't scare him with my tone and facial expression. He looked at me in fear saying, "Voices?" It was not a question, more like a scream. "What the hell are you seeing ghosts now?" he said.

By that time, I was halfway in my feelings. Before I knew it, I yelled, "Watch your mouth!" I scared myself. He jumped back into the offense position. "Mane, chill. Hell is in the bible." I am a PK, "Preachers Kid." Trust me, I am far from perfect, but to your surprise, cussing has never been my portion.

At this moment, my mood changed, and on the inside, I was cracking up laughing, but to keep this vibe, I replied, "Yeah, it is there, and it talks about a place you are going to if you don't change your life." If you should know, Monty gets upset fast and will react in unbelievable ways if you joke too much. He is a human form of Godzilla. I get a kick out of it all the time.

"My life? You may be a doctor, and you might help others, but they are paying you. I'm just here to make sure you get this work in. Let's go! Before I say stuff that will hurt your feelings." Monty tries hard not to sound soft. In all, honestly, he's just a big, buff, light skin baby.

His response took me by surprise "Sorry for your loss." As I mentioned, I have been out for about a week or more. My life is not all put together. I just had to return to life as usual. "Everyone is not here to stay forever. I got two angels watching over me right now." Yes, I said two. I lost two very close family members at one time. I'm sorry. Let us keep this story going because I do not want to talk.

I tried to hide my tears by looking inside my bag, but my body langue said something different. Monty made me sit on this low, metal purple bench. "Are you sure you are ready to return to your life?" he asked. "It's only been a week since the funeral."

Immediately, I jumped up, " Didn't I tell you I'm good!" Looking at him with a serious face, "Now let's go! I go back to the office today too." Actually, on the inside, I am crumbling and falling apart.

I didn't mean to scare him again, but he got up and started walking toward the center of the room. "Okay, this is your session and money." While grabbing two black mats, he said, "We are starting simple. Let's do Yoga & Stretches today."

By this time, my mood has switched again. Feeling aggravated, I used my authentic deep voice and spoke from a place of anguish, "Simple! After what I just experienced in life, nothing is simple. Give me the hard stuff."

Monty started shaking as if he was talking to the Hulk, "Charles, you are speaking out of anger." Now furious, I replied, "Negro! What did I just say? I am the Psychologist & you are the Trainer!" Walking to one of the new machines and looking over his shoulder as if he was hiding from someone, "You are right, that I am. Let's go with cardio and abs," he said to me.

I was still standing in the same spot. Telling myself, "Get out of your feelings, Charles. Life must go on as usual. You are not TRAPPED, You are not DEPRESSED, You are just experiencing life differently." I took a deep breath. Expressing to Monty, "Now you are talking!"

I walked over to this new machine examining its beauty. While I was amazed and Monty was giving me instructions. I only heard, "Five minutes speed burst & 10 minutes slow pace." He said some other stuff before that, but I was not listening. I just wanted to admire this machine and try it out. I replied, "Then what?" Monty said, "Repeat that for 30 mins." With excitement, pressure, and hard work, I completed that workout so fast that it felt like I was a newborn baby. My legs weren't sore or breathless. I guess those two weeks did not make a big difference.

He had walked away to take a phone call. Monty must have some superpowers because right before I screamed, "Ready!" He looked up and said, "Charles, you have 30 more minutes in this session. What do you want to do?" Still feeling energetic, I replied, " Let's work!" The crazy thing is, you would not believe this man still had the old school phones on the wall, the ones with the long cords grandma had walking around the house. He held the phone down and covered the bottom with his hands, "Ok, next is abs. Give me one set of 25 crunches & one set of 30 scissors."

I knew time was running out. I was feeling so refreshed I asked, "Just one set?" Putting his hand over the phone. Monty said, "Yeah! Let me be the trainer, and you stay the psychologist."

"You got me with my own words," I laughed. Monty grinned and kept talking and writing. That call must be valuable, I thought.

Finally, I completed those sets. Monty walked over and slapped my forehead. "Great workout on your first day back, Rookie!" We laughed as he went to his cleaning corner. I walked over to my bag and grabbed my water bottle, body wash, and deodorant. While walking over to the shower room, the same meadow scent met me at the door. Then, I knew it was not up to date. But Monty said one final thing that made me think. "Listen, if you want to chill, hit me up." Ever since the event, no one has reached out to me. Monty was the first one.

Guilelessly, I looked back and replied, "Appreciate it, real talk. I'm about to go shower and tighten up for work! See you on Friday."