Drugs Are Bad, M'kay?

Thursday started out like any other normal night at work. I should've known things were going to get weird when a clearing company showed up and pumped $953.30 of off road diesel. That is a whole lot of fuel.

For those of you who don't know, on road and off road diesel are the exact same thing, except for the fact that off road has a dye in it. Anyway, off road fuel is usually 30 cents cheaper per gallon than on road. I think the most I've ever sold was like $75.00 because whoever it is (DOT?) that checks it will give you a hefty fine if they catch you running it in your regular on road/tagged diesel vehicle.

Anyway, when I came in, they'd already been there 30 minutes and me and my assistant manager were both kinda what the heck about it. The truck had been parked kinda funny, so we couldn't see the name of the company, truck number, nada. So... I get the brilliant idea to go check the trash can out by the pumps. I made conversation with the guys who were pumping and I checked it out. It was a 1000 gallon tank in the back of a box truck. What can I say? I'm a paranoid freak like that. (This becomes evident later that night.)

So anyway, the night rocks on and I'm dusting when one of our regular customers comes in. She and I chat all the time. She'd just finished paying when another regular pulls up to the pump. She automatically backs away from the door and asks me if it was a certain kind of car. I confirmed it and she said, "That's my cousin. He and I have bad blood. Watch this, I'm gonna fix him." I distinctly remember telling her not to start any trouble up there.

About 30 minutes goes by and the guy finally comes into the store, followed by my mom and two police officers. (That time is completely normal. I've had folks stand outside and talk for an hour before coming in to pay.) I've seen the cops before and they ask me if I know who is driving the car on pump 1. I shook my head no and the guy that had walked in pipes up with, "It's mine." (Oh, yeah... I'm thinking. I swear, every single time I see his car, I wonder whose it is because it has TN tags on it.) They ask him to step outside and he said that he would after he paid for his stuff.

My Mom's eyebrows couldn't get any higher on her forehead, at least I don't think so. We were both tripping hard. Another thing you might not know. Anytime there are cops in a gas station parking lot, everyone and their brother shows up. Everybody must know what is going on... Right that moment.

So in between customers, we watched as they talked to him. (The whole time they're conversing, he's eating a Caramello and drinking a Mountain Dew. I kid you not.) Then, we watched as they put him up against the back of the car, frisked and cuffed him. Out of his pockets, they pull bags of pills. Oh Em Gee, I was tripping. One officer stood with him between his car and the police car, while the other started searching the car. Out of the car came more stuff. Several bags of pills and what I'm thinking was marijuana. Needles, rolling papers, and other paraphernalia.

At this point, I was tripping hard. This guy was a regular. Always extremely sweet. Never rude. Total flirt. I always thought he was a stoner. That's his business. I never once thought he was anything else. And then... they pulled three shotguns and two pistols out of his trunk. I dropped the F bomb then. Mom didn't even look at me when I did it either. She was in shock too.

The police put him in the back of one of the cruisers and then came in to talk to me. They said they needed to talk to me. I figured it was just because I was on duty or whatever. WRONG. They said that I was the one who called it in. What The Truck? I remember hearing Mom gasp and her head swiveled a full 90 degrees in a nanosecond. I'm flipping out, oh no I did not call you. I know my voice was rising and I was panicking.

Apparently, his cousin that didn't like him had stepped into the bathroom and called the police. She claimed that he was out here selling drugs to kids while pumping gas. When they asked who she was, she replied, "I'm the lady at the gas station."

Now there is a reason I am panicking. In July of 1991, my Great Uncle Ronald, was kidnapped from Collinsville Trade Day. This happened in plain sight of Ronald's son Christopher (10 at the time) and my brother B. (12 at the time)

Uncle Ronald hauled produce from Florida to Alabama. He had also hauled some other, non legal things between states. Well, he got caught. Then he did the worst thing he could ever do. He turned snitch for the feds. Someone was dirty and leaked it to the people he had told on. (Happy Holler, anybody? Local people will get that.)

My uncle had a partner, Hollywood. (Don't ask, I have no clue where he got that nickname.) Hollywood took B & Chris to get a drink? I'm not sure. On their way back, they saw Uncle Ronald being shoved into a car while being hit in the head with a ball peen hammer. His body was later found in Wills Creek. He had been beaten and severely mutilated before they finally shot him.

What does his story have to do with mine? I learned my lesson from him. You do not snitch. The area in which I live is know for drugs. Sand Mountain Slim Fast - aka Meth. Happy Holler. There are just things you don't run your mouth about and that is one of them.

So when I found out chick had snitched and used me as her cover, I went on the defensive. The video from our store has been pulled and it shows I did not touch a phone at the time the call was made. I also let it be known to his family that I had absolutely nothing to do with it. Then I called a few.. um let's say acquaintances and put the word out on the street that I knew who the real snitch is. Ya'll may find that harsh, wrong, whatever.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a dang. I refuse to die for someone else's stupidity. I will not put my mother through what my family has already been through. Personally, I like my life. I'd kinda like to stick around a few more birthdays. (Today, btw, is my 29th birthday)

The moral of this story? Mr. Mackey said it best. Drugs are bad, m'kay? Bonus points if you said it in his voice.

Love to all,
Allie