Absalon was like a sweet brother to me. I worked with this man from the Philippines for over 15 years on board several yachts. Good looking, tall, built, Absalon’s nature was that of a beautiful person inside and you wanted to be around him. Over time, he acquired a new girlfriend, the chief stewardess, Tanya. One day they decided on their day off to go ahsore, swim in on rafts, as the yacht was anchored off the beach in the Bahamas, Exumas to be exact.

Tanya and I were not always on the best of terms. We both were type A personalities and she was also from Russia and so of course we butted heads. She was a doctor in her country but the USA did not recognize her medical degree so to support her children back home, she went to work on yachts.

Neither one of them knew I was in the galley, (kitchen) and they were sneaking past me when i asked them, do you have your radios with you? As yacht crew, you always carried your radio with you, no matter where you went. It was a premonition on my part but something told me to ask them if they had it. Indeed they responded they did.  I asked again. I had to be sure.

Tanya in a short quip, almost as though she was pissed off that I asked, retorted back to me and I let it go. Then I heard from Absalon, that he did indeed have his radio. I always trusted Absalon. I would trust that man with my life and have before.

A few hours later, a boat is speeding towards the yacht and it is full of men in the back, DEA agents who work in the Bahamas. Word came over the VHF that there was an accident and that they were working on someone heading to our yacht.

My heart sank as the small boat approached. The person they were working on was Absalon, he had died on the beach with Tanya and neither one of them had taken their radios with them.  My premonitions came once again to pass.

You can warn the person, inquire to ensure your message gets across to the person, but when it is their time to leave this earth, you can’t stop God’s will.

Absalon had a heart condition so bad that even if he did have his radio on him, no one could have reached him in time to save him.

I miss him and I love him dearly. Truly a brother I lost that day.