checkpoints.”
Nicky,
Greer, and Dreysi locked arms and went around the corner to the rest rooms
while Tony and I walked into the gas station. I was surprised to see there was
still water, toilet paper, and food stuffs still on the shelves and said so.
The old
guy had moved behind the counter and was looking at something underneath, “When
things first started getting out of hand, there were lots of people heading
east or west, or north, or south. Most of them had already filled up their rigs
with whatever they could carry from wherever they were coming from. They only
thing they needed from me was gas. What about you? Where you headed?”
“We’re
heading up into the mountains. My friend over there has a cabin,” I replied,
“Do you still have gas? Most stations were running out in Albuquerque.”
He
looked again beneath the counter and replied, “Mountains? Good choice, although
my brother, he’s a Ranger up there. He says that all sorts of folks have been
moving up into the mountains, too. You might want to be careful up there. Seems
like most everyone has the same idea as you,” he said looking at the gauges
underneath the register, “Yep. Looks like I got a few hundred gallons of gas
still. Let me just turn on the pump.”
“How
much?” I asked as I pulled out my wad of bills, “I have cash.”
The old
guy looked at me, then out at the girls who were getting back into the Bronco,
“I don’t think cash is going to be worth anything for very much longer, do
you?” I looked over my shoulder at Tony and was about to reply when he
continued, “Nope not much longer. It’s on the house, son. And take anything
else you can carry too.”
“Are you sure?” I asked and stuck out my
hand.
He took
it and pumped it twice. I could see his eyes filling up with tears. I don’t
know why, but that scared me more than anything else I seen had.
“I’m
sure, friend. Get as much gas as you can and take anything you need.”
“Thank
you,” I said and stuffed my money back into my pocket, “Tony, I’ll pump the
gas, take a look in the back and see how much room we have, then fill it with
anything we might need.” Tony nodded as I walked out into the hot, dry air and
started pumping the gas. I looked around
the empty gas station and out towards the highway. It was completely devoid of
anyone or anything. I guess that was OK. It could have been crammed with people
running to the city, running from the city, or just plain running. I topped off
the tank while Tony loaded more water in the truck, then cans of food and
toilet paper while I filled up the reserve tank and two more portable gas cans
the old guy gave me. Tony crammed in the last cases of tuna and water and
sealed the old girl up.
I put
the nozzle back on the pump and stood next to him, “We ready to go?”
“Guess
so. Creepy isn’t it?,” Tony replied, “It’s like the whole world just ended.”
“Not
yet, old friend,” I said.
Inside I
could hear Dreysi complaining, “Oh, god! It’s so fucking hot! Can we get this
piece of shit rolling anytime soon?”
I looked
at Tony and smiled, “If the old guy wasn’t going to take our money, I was going
to offer him Dreysi.”
“Do you
think he’d take her? We might have to pay him even more just to get her off our
hands.”
“Yeah,”
I laughed, “Hop in. I just want to thank the guy before we get moving.” I went
inside the store and told the old man we were done and would be heading on.
“You all
take care now,” he said, “And of you find yourself coming back this
Nicky,
Greer, and Dreysi locked arms and went around the corner to the rest rooms
while Tony and I walked into the gas station. I was surprised to see there was
still water, toilet paper, and food stuffs still on the shelves and said so.
The old
guy had moved behind the counter and was looking at something underneath, “When
things first started getting out of hand, there were lots of people heading
east or west, or north, or south. Most of them had already filled up their rigs
with whatever they could carry from wherever they were coming from. They only
thing they needed from me was gas. What about you? Where you headed?”
“We’re
heading up into the mountains. My friend over there has a cabin,” I replied,
“Do you still have gas? Most stations were running out in Albuquerque.”
He
looked again beneath the counter and replied, “Mountains? Good choice, although
my brother, he’s a Ranger up there. He says that all sorts of folks have been
moving up into the mountains, too. You might want to be careful up there. Seems
like most everyone has the same idea as you,” he said looking at the gauges
underneath the register, “Yep. Looks like I got a few hundred gallons of gas
still. Let me just turn on the pump.”
“How
much?” I asked as I pulled out my wad of bills, “I have cash.”
The old
guy looked at me, then out at the girls who were getting back into the Bronco,
“I don’t think cash is going to be worth anything for very much longer, do
you?” I looked over my shoulder at Tony and was about to reply when he
continued, “Nope not much longer. It’s on the house, son. And take anything
else you can carry too.”
“Are you sure?” I asked and stuck out my
hand.
He took
it and pumped it twice. I could see his eyes filling up with tears. I don’t
know why, but that scared me more than anything else I seen had.
“I’m
sure, friend. Get as much gas as you can and take anything you need.”
“Thank
you,” I said and stuffed my money back into my pocket, “Tony, I’ll pump the
gas, take a look in the back and see how much room we have, then fill it with
anything we might need.” Tony nodded as I walked out into the hot, dry air and
started pumping the gas. I looked around
the empty gas station and out towards the highway. It was completely devoid of
anyone or anything. I guess that was OK. It could have been crammed with people
running to the city, running from the city, or just plain running. I topped off
the tank while Tony loaded more water in the truck, then cans of food and
toilet paper while I filled up the reserve tank and two more portable gas cans
the old guy gave me. Tony crammed in the last cases of tuna and water and
sealed the old girl up.
I put
the nozzle back on the pump and stood next to him, “We ready to go?”
“Guess
so. Creepy isn’t it?,” Tony replied, “It’s like the whole world just ended.”
“Not
yet, old friend,” I said.
Inside I
could hear Dreysi complaining, “Oh, god! It’s so fucking hot! Can we get this
piece of shit rolling anytime soon?”
I looked
at Tony and smiled, “If the old guy wasn’t going to take our money, I was going
to offer him Dreysi.”
“Do you
think he’d take her? We might have to pay him even more just to get her off our
hands.”
“Yeah,”
I laughed, “Hop in. I just want to thank the guy before we get moving.” I went
inside the store and told the old man we were done and would be heading on.
“You all
take care now,” he said, “And of you find yourself coming back this
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