Having been on the interstate for a while now, the industrial, orange streetlights began fading. It doesn’t take long before you’re out of Laredo. I was too afraid to ask where we were going and made a plan to make a run for it… the minute we stopped somewhere.
The four men were quiet for the most part making only small talk between them. After a few minutes of this, Insane, who was sitting on the passenger seat in the front, said, “fuck it” and took out a plastic bag containing what appeared to be a few hand-rolled cigarettes. He took one out, lit and and passed it to Otro who was driving. Otro took a few hits then passed it to Sobres who was sitting directly behind him. Sobres did the same then proceeded to pass it to me. I politely said, “no, thank you.” Then he stretched his arm across me and passed it to Ruthless who was sitting to my right. They continued this rotation for a few more rounds then Insane lit up another one and they repeated the routine.
“You don’t dip your pen in your company’s ink, huh?” Sobres asked me as he reached inside the pouch on the back of the driver’s seat and pulled out a Snickers bar.
I looked at Sobres to my left and asked, “huh?”
He looked at me a bit annoyed for having to repeat himself, “I said, ‘you don’t dip your pen in your company’s ink, right?’”
I chuckled nervously and just said, “yeah,” pretending to understand what he was talking about.
“Me neither,” he said, “good thing this is YOUR ink now, ese!” There was a burst of laughter that lasted an eternity followed by some giggling and eventually they all quieted down again. Insane reached over and turned the radio on. “I hope you like Gangsta Rap, ese!” he said to me then turned the volume so loud it was hard to make out what was playing, but one thing was for sure… there was plenty of bass.
After about 30 minutes of driving, everyone in the truck started giggling over a billboard advertising a strip club. The giggling turned into laughter and the laughter grew ever-more intense. I had no idea why this was funny, but I couldn’t help myself. I was laughing hysterically right with them. It took me a minute to realize they were smoking Marijuana.
I wasn’t really exposed to drugs growing up, so I wasn’t sure if I was high or not (or if it was even possible to get high off the second-hand smoke), but I sure as hell couldn’t stop laughing.
