2003-10-29 - 8:01 a.m.
I ran out of smokes last night at 8pm. I was too busy to go get more so I figured "Meh, I'll be going to bed soon because I have to get up extra early. I'll just buy some tomorrow". Sensible plan.
I got up at 4:45 this morning and got ready for work. Dad and I stopped at our usual coffee spot and I bought some smokes. Considering it was so early, Dad dropped me off at the coffee shop by my work and I bought a bottle of water and headed outside to have a long awaited smoke. Ahhhhh.
I reach into my pockets... no lighter.
No big deal, I have approximately 9 lighters I’m sure to have one in my gigantic purse. So, I start digging through it... no lighter.
Maybe I missed it. I'll check again... no lighter.
Now I'm getting a little frantic. I have an unlit smoke dangling from my lips and a frown of consternation on my face, I'm sure I look lovely.
So I check AGAIN... no lighter.
I look up and start looking around for a fellow smoker, but in an industrial area at 7:00 AM there aren't many people around. So there I am, standing in front of a coffee shop that sells smokes but not lighters (who thought THAT was a good idea!?) and is run by two non-smokers, with not another soul in sight. Okay then, I finally take the smoke out of my mouth and decide I'll start walking. I'm convinced I'll run to someone with a lighter on the way to work..
Half way to work I haven't seen another living soul except for the people whizzing by me in cars. So now I'm looking at every car that goes by, trying to find someone sucking on a smoke, because at this point I would actually consider running up to a car at a stop sign to ask for a light. No luck.
3/4's of the way to work now, and my eye's are darting around so fast I'm sure I look like a psychotic with a wicked bad tick.
A tanker truck passes me and the first thing that pop's into my mind is "I wonder if what it's hauling is flammable?"
I haven't had a smoke in 11 hours, I'm certifiably insane at this point.
I reach work and there is only one vehicle in the parking lot. It’s a huge white truck that belongs to the painters supply place next door. It's running but there's no one in the truck...Damn!
I lean against my building, trying to look nonchalant but my eye's are GLUED to the door of the Paint Supply place. I’m sure I look like a stalker but at this point I could care less. 11 ½ hours now people.
About 5 minutes later a very tiny older lady comes out of the store towards the truck.
...Calmly Amy, don't frighten her...
I walk as slowly as I can force myself towards her and smile. At least I hope it's a smile, it might have been a grimace of pain by this time.
She doesn't smoke BUT! There's a lighter in the truck!!!!!
JOY, RAPTURE!
I take my first drag off my smoke, close my eye’s in pleasure, and Thank her profusely.
She says with a smile "I saved your life huh?" I smiled back and told her "Mine, and all the people I work with." Ha ha ha ha haaaaaaa...
I was serious.
Welcome to life of a smoker. Such as it is.
A.G.
