111304

 

Odessa to Big Spring, TX

Saturday November 13, 2004

     6:36am  Guess where I am. I'm in front of the Target. Sue gave me a ride from the truckstop. Man, it's raining. I should have stayed at the truckstop. It's raining hard. It's supposed to sleet. It's cold as hell. I'm dumb, I gave a layer away earlier. Hopefully I can remember where those guys lived.

     6:42am  It's drizzling now.

     7:08am  I'm going to walk to Texaco and buy something with my dollar. I'm hungry. I'm going to ask people for rides to the truckstop.

     8:02am  Rosa, at the HEB gave me a cigarette. I appreciate it, Rosa. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     8:15am  I came to the HEB and ate these Chips 'a Hoys that I bought. I talked to this Olga lady and told her my mission. I told her I was trying to get to San Antonio and she suggested I go to the back of the HEB and ask the truckers. That they go straight to San Antonio. That's headquarters. HEB Grocery stores. That's Howard Edward Butts.

     8:20am  Jose Carbajal me va dar un ride a la truckstop. Te lo agradezco, hermano. Todo el mundo recibe crédito.

                   I already got my ride back to Warfield! I just followed my signs. I had walked around to the back and saw some guy pulling in with a Parkway truck.

 

I asked him when he walked over and he said yes. He's from San Antonio, too. He's not going there though.

     8:28am  Back at Warfield!  

                   Man, what a magical time I'm having. This guy's all about my ideas. He brought me back to Warfield! We even came inside and he bought me a big burger in the restaurant. I'm full. He bought me a milkshake and two packs of cigarettes! The universe provides.

     1:11pm  I crashed out again. I put my head down on the table.

                   This truck driver just told me, "I saw you the other day in El Paso." I told him, "I'm everywhere."

                   I saw some kids at the truckstop. Some news crew. I thought I'd go talk to them.

                   Ahh, their van pulled up. Yeah, I went inside and took a shit. I had seen them before and when I came out I thought, "Screw it, I should have talked to that news crew." I went outside and walked towards them, but their van pulled off. They were young too. Like three kids. They would've loved my story.

     2:02pm  I want to tell my story to somebody. I'm all stoned. I went in the TV room. I saw that on top of the TV it had like a little ceramic cross on top. I got the idea, "You know what would go perfect on that cross?" I grabbed this little green crucifix bracelet I got back at the Santuario in Chimayo, reached up and got the ceramic cross and hung the crucifix on it.

                   Please Love, take me home.

                   Oh yeah, that guy earlier who gave me a ride to the truckstop, he gave me his number. He's from San Antonio. He told me if I needed a ride anywhere, that he was going back and forth across the country weekly. That if I ever needed a ride somewhere to let him know.

                   Money has made people forget how to be human. 

     1:52pm  I had a really ignorant conversation with a really ignorant fat girl. She kept interrupting me. She asked me, "Do you get mad?" I told her, "Never, I just get frustrated because people don't listen." She was all, "Oh, like me?" I told her, "Exactly like you."

                   I just asked this guy if he could give me a ride to San Antonio. He told me, "No, I'm local, but I've seen you before. Your always here." Ha, I told him, "I'm everywhere."

     4:04pm  I got my ride! I'm going to Abiline. He's going to Dallas, but I'm getting off in Abiline and head South.

     4:08pm  Abraham is the brother who's giving me a ride to Abiline. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     4:21pm  Abraham just gave me half a Subway sandwich! I appreciate it, brother. I was hungry. He just finished fasting and he hooked me up!

     5:00pm  Guess where I'm at. I got off in Big Spring. I'm going to go 87 South to Sterling City again. Thank you, Love for answering my prayers.

     5:09pm  I'm over here at the Fina station across the street from the Chevron. 87 and 20. There's a Town and Country on the other side of the street. And there's a big truckstop on the other side of the highway. Maybe I'll go over there.

     5:18pm  Vicente Alvarado me dio dos dolares. Te lo agradezco, Vicente. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

     5:22pm  Manuel gave me a dollar! I didn't even ask him for it. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Nine dollars so far. I'm not asking for nothing. This guy pulled up and he just pulled out his wallet.

                   Don't you see everybody. People are inherently nice. They want to help.

     5:39pm  Without me even asking Jason came over and handed me a whole five dollar bill. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                    Ten dollars so far. I'm just going to try to get enough money for bus fare.

                    Another person I didn't ask for anything from. This brother just up and handed me some change. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     6:28pm  Santiago Valencia me dio unos dolares. Te lo agradezco, señor. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

     6:31pm  Brandon, who works at the Town and Country just offered me a slice of pizza! I appreciate it, brother.

     7:04pm  Santiago me dio cambio para mi boleto de cammion. Te lo agradezco, Santiago. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

     7:52pm  Without me asking Robert came over and handed me a five dollar bill. Thanks a lot, Robert.

                   Whoa, he gave me ten dollars! 

     8:35pm  I asked this one younger guy if he knew where I could buy some weed. Some redneck dude. He was all, "What? What?" I told him, "Do you know where I can buy any marijuana?" He told me, "No, I don't want any." I told him, "I wasn't offering you any, open your ears." Then he goes inside and starts telling all the cashiers, "Oh, this guy is trying to sell me weed." They don't care. They're on my side. He was all getting in my face and trying to pick a fight and shit.

                    I went to the truckstop across the highway, Rip Griffin's. I walked in there and asked the lady by the door, "Will you run me out of here for asking for rides? I'll only ask as they leave and one complaint and I'm gone." She was a bit hesitant but told me, "Okay, one complaint." I wasn't out there for more than two minutes when a cop pulled up and started asking me questions. He ran my ID and asked me what I was doing. I told him, "Umm, trying to get a ride." Then he asked me what I was doing at the Town and Country. I told him, "Same thing. Trying to get a ride." He told me I had to leave. I told him, "I already asked permission." He went inside and came out with the manager who told me, "You can't be here." Oh well, back to the Town and Country I go.

     9:30pm  Vanessa here at the T&C hooked me up with a free Hawaiian Punch refill in my water bottle. I appreciate it, Vanessa. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Oh well, I'm tired. I'm going to put my head down on the table and get some sleep.

Next day..