/me cringes in pain, crippled by the debilitating exorcism of nicotine from his system.
Time. That's all it comes down to. How long before the next cigarette? How long before things get uncomfortable? How long before the irritability, the rage, the blindingly painful headache?
How long before you succumb? Hands shaking, heart pounding, mind racing, a lighter flicks to life.
Kris and I are sitting out on his balcony, his bong between us. The
session is over and it's time to think. I like to think with a
cigarette in my hand.
The pack is on the ledge. I grab it, pull out a loose, offer one to Kris (I don't want to be rude), and light up. The first thing that hits me is the slightly spicy aroma of
butane from the lighter, followed closely by the gag-inducing taste of burning cigarette paper. Thankfully, it lasts only a second and by now I've learned to never inhale the
first hit. Once the
tobacco is burning, all is well.
Every hit is like medicine to an ailing mind. When one goes without a cigarette for too long, a hunger takes over. Not a physical hunger that can be satiated with food and nutrition, no, a hunger for nicotine. In fact, physical nourishment is the last thing on your mind when you're
really jonesin for a stogie.
"Cigarettes are funny," says Kris, breaking the silence. "It's like the
tobacco companies have somehow convinced you to kill yourself." His laugh is a brief giggle, almost monkey-ish.
I ponder the accuracy of his comment over mid-cigarette.
Mid-cigarette is a comfortable time. The
buzz starts to kick in by this point and every puff adds to it: a
positive feedback loop of sorts. The hunger starts to subside and the world becomes a more beautiful place. I pause to adore the breathtaking view of a moon-lit ocean.
Smoking makes me feel better, I tell myself. Nicotine focuses me when I study and calms me when I'm angry.
Smoking makes me feel good. The cigarette after a meal is truly a great feeling; a gentle sigh of contentment as your stomach and your brain dually appreciate the feeding. Smoking after a workout also feels pretty good, ironically enough, and it takes the edge off. The best cigarette, however, is indisputabley the
after-sex cigarette. It's the equivalent of a feast for your brain; an all-you-can-eat buffet of soothing
hormones.
I tell myself this, though I know better. Despite all of these "justifications", there isn't a single good reason to smoke cigarettes.
"You're right," I tell Kris, "It is about slowly
killing yourself. I don't think the tobacco companies have to convince anybody, though."
He nods his head, slightly confused by my response. By now I'm nearing
the end. The last part of a cigarette is the worst. Looking down at the short remains of what used to be a full cigarette can be a little depressing. All the tar and poisons start to build up on the filter as well and make every hit harder; the taste goes to shit. I like to finish about a quarter inch away from the filter so as to end on a good note. I casually flick the remains of my
cancer-stick over the balcony, noticing the tragic beauty of the orange sparks flying off the lit end; ashy embers suspended 14 stories above sea level until the moist Florida wind extinguishes them with a satisfying
sizzle.
"One cigarette closer to death," I mumble as we pick up our chairs and go
back inside.