The missions group from the church in Colorado Springs bought me a ticket to New Jersey where the carnival was and the owner, Morris bought Chris a ticket under the stipulation that he’d work off the debt.
Our bus broke down before we were able to even leave the state, at a truck stop. Any hopes into hiding Chewie from the bus driver went right out the window. Hours went by before Greyhound was able to send another bus driver for us. That bus took us to Amarillo, TX. I will always remember Amarillo as being the worst town I’ve ever visited in America. The people running the bus station were anything but hospitable. All together our layover between our bus breakdown and our stay in Amarillo ended up being a 9 hour additional layover because the ticket desk messed up our tickets. After a great deal of complaining, we were finally rewarded with two complimentary meal tickets for our inconvenience. Afterwards, Chris lost his wallet with his drugs inside and took it up with management to try to locate it and instead of offering us assistance he threatened to kick me off of the bus for having a fake service animal with me. The entire ordeal was unforgettable, to say the least.
When we finally did board our bus the route we had to take took us all the way through throughout Texas instead of heading north East towards New Jersey like our original itinerary had planned. The entire bus incident made our already long 56 hour bus ride into 156 hours of bus riding and layovers but we both just appreciated not having to experience withdrawal this bus ride. We had to appreciate the little things in life.
We arrived in Camden, NJ but, unlike the year before there was no heavy set lady putting Percocets in my apron. The carnival was a nice break from living the life of a drug addict but, before I knew it mine and Chris’ behavior was getting out of hand. It started with Chris acting out because he didn’t like the opinions my mother had about him so he lashed out and said some things to her and me that I found to be incredibly unacceptable and immature and I used his behavior to justify me flirting with guys I worked with on the show.
Our behavior towards each other and the arguing we started with each other is why we ended up leaving the carnival early. We had just left Asbury Park for Eatontown. We did set up for the rides and games and the first night on the show we got in an argument. I took my tent and pitched it under Red’s 5th wheel, walked to 711 and got a slurpee and filled it with half vodka. I was drinking so I didn’t have to focus on the reality that was my life at that moment. The next day I tried to patch it up but ended up sleeping in the back of Keith and Mary’s Jeep Cherokee and that next day the rumors flooded in to Chris about what drugs I was supposedly doing and with who I was doing them with.
Evidentially, yes I can’t have any space to yourself while working for a carnival because God forbid anyone sees you strike up a conversation with a person of the opposite sex. Apparently I was having sex with Keith and Mary’s son and snorting cocaine all night and when word of that got back to Chris he took it up with the main office and then they wanted to drug test me. Of which, I refused just because of the principles behind it all.
We argued all day until the show started and that’s when Chris decided to quit. He packed up all his things and took off leaving me and Chewie behind. I saw him leaving and I took my apron off and handed it to Rob with all my cash in it and I took after him. Packing up my stuff in record time and chasing him down.
Morris refused to pay us for the week even though it was the last day of the show so we had no money to our name, but that’s never scared it’s in the past and we were always able to make due. We hitched a ride back to Asbury Park, getting dropped off at the train station where they were doing a “Make Food Not Bombs” and after we ate a nice man allowed us to stay the night, and also helped us score some dope. We got high then formulated a plan to get us back to Salisbury.
Walking down the streets of Asbury Park, panhandling and eating some of the best pizza money could buy, at just $1 a slice. We got a phone call from Chris’ mom, who wasn’t doing okay. She had been up for a few days after ingesting some of what she thought was MDMA but was quite obviously methamphetamine. She was having a lot of the same side effects I was showing back in Colorado. Her mental status was being seriously affected. Tears welled up in my eyes as I could hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice as she cried out to Chris on the phone.
We ended up taking a train south to Cape May and once again, after panhandling a few bucks for our tickets, we boarded the Cape May Lewes Ferry to Delaware. From Lewes DE we walked a few miles until one of Chris’ friends, Jesse picked us up off the side of the road. We stayed at Jesse’s house for a few da
Allie Willey 