6-9-19

Dear reader,
Hey. I hope you are doing well.

Back to my last day before I'd gotten locked up and sentenced to death.

The crew—many of them I'd become very good friends with. I'd have gone to the end of the world for them, and they'd have done the same for me.

I'd fallen off the path I was on to be legit and live the kind of life that was respectable by society, and to raise my child in it. The path to living right...

One day I came down to Florida on business. While down here the starter on my Cadillac Sedan Deville went out. So I had to put it in the shop. I chilled for a couple of days and went to pick it up. Instead of paying the cost of labor to replace the starter, the shop did a whole lot of additional work on it. Which I didn't have the money for.

So, I set out to make the money. I started selling drugs again, and I told myself I'd only do it till I had the money for my car.

...Yeeeeaah. You know it never works out that way.

During a time that I was re-upping (buying more drugs to sell), the dopeboy I bought my weight from tried to rob me. I slid into the backseat of his Intrepid and put my scale on his middle console. His partner in the passenger seat asked me for the money. I told them to go put it on the scale.

Something was off... Why was the other one doing the business? And I was never asked for the money first? As the buyer, I got to inspect the product first.

As these thoughts swam through my mind, the drive hits the gas, pinning me to the seat for a moment. Then his partner pulled a snub-nose revolver on me. I smacked his arm away, and he put a hole in the rear window. Damn near shattered my eardrum. I fought him for the gun, and it fell into the other floorboard behind the passenger seat.

I turned and tried to jump out of the car. He grabbed my belt and jeans. I'm hanging out the door as the car continues to accelerate. I kick and push, and I kick backwards. And my foot kicks under the rear tire, sucking my foot and leg under it, jerking me out of the car and slamming me on the ground so hard I bounced end over end.

I had a friend in my rental car, and he saw what was happening. He hopped into the driver's seat and was following us. He screeched to a stop where my body came to rest, hopped out, and helped me into the car. Then we began pursuit. They were long gone.

A couple months later, I saw the guy who grabbed me. He was with his lady. I wasn't going to cause any trouble while he was with her. But he started talking trash.

So, we fought and I kicked his tail so bad his girl called the cops.

Later that day, I get pulled over. I ran from the police for hours on foot. But they got me.

All I was guilty of was resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and driving on a suspended license. But they also charged me with possession of cocaine, and two breaking and entering charges. They said I kicked in people's doors and ran through their houses while fleeing the police. Which was a lie.

At court, I was offered a plea bargain. They'll drop all the other charges if I take a plea for possession of cocaine. See the trap?

So, I took the plea and got out.

I tried to find the probation office, but I showed up to the wrong one. So, I was violated. I sat in jail for a month and was reinstated. This time, I just skipped probation altogether and got my car and went home.

Two hours after I made it home, a friend in Florida calls me. Keep in mind I was living in North Carolina at the time. 500 miles away. He needed urgent help.

So, I got back on the road and headed back to Florida. Little did I know this time, I'd be staying.

Until next time!

Yours truly,
Doug