New Year's Eve 2009 / Schroom Trip

I feel fortunate enough to be sitting here behind my computer able to tell the story. A little more than 24 hours ago I was sitting in the same chair debating what my New Years Eve plans were going to be. I made a post on be-mag about my idea of trying Jenkem for the first time, however Fetus reminded me that it takes days for the "waste" to ferment. I had plans to meet with my cousin Malik before 8pm to get some trees, but in the end I decided to kill two birds with one stone and meet him and my nephew in Brooklyn.

It felt like forever for everything to come. Even after I walked up to Baisley there were several busses that passed with indicators they were not in service. I got to the subway just as an E train was pulling off but the J train to Brooklyn sat in the station for over ten minutes before it took off. Even the indicator for what time the next Manhattan bound L train to Manhattan was off. The wait at Broadway Junction wasn't as bad, it seemed like it took longer to get to my stop. After getting off at Montrose St. stop I followed some kids who were heading towards Meserole St. where the party was. I called my nephew and told him to wave his hands so I can see where they were in line. Malik waved his hand in the air as I closed my cell phone. With them were a few friends that I've seen once or twice at family gathering in my aunt's apartment.

The free party that was advertised on myopenbar.com turned out to be $10. Luckily I didn't pay shit. Through the entrance doors was a staircase which led to the party. The staircase was pretty packed so I can see how the person marking the hands could make the mistake of thinking I paid already when I was just standing behind the person in front of me. It was better than I expected in the sense that even though they weren't serving drinks, the theme seemed to be bring your own poison. Most of the people seemed younger than me so there was no hardcore shit being done. Whoever didn't have a bottle of booze in their hand was smoking either something they got out of a pack, or something they rolled up themselves. Most of my time there was spent rolling up cigarettes with sprinkles of weed. Some wanted a drag but I didn't want to dissapoint them. What little lift that I got ended after the first two spliffs. I hooked Malik's friend Kyle up with two customers. There was money to be made and I could've got rich quick as a dealer. My bullshit spliff felt more like a magnet for people with money looking to get a fix.

The party ended early but I don't think it was due to the fact I pissed out the window twice. After taking my first piss out the window, I peeked out to see if the coast was clear to take another leak. The cop car outside opted me to wait till later. Leaving out the exit I overheard someone saying the owner of the loft decided things were getting too out of hand. At the bodega near the train station I passed up on the opportunity of buying Bob Marley rolling papers for $1.75. Thought about getting a 24 oz. can till a store clerk said they were $1.50 so I just bought some Bambu rolling papers for a dollar. That same store clerk kicked somebody out of the store before I walked in there. From my angle it looked like someone shoved him out the door till I saw the guy lowering his boot yelling "Get the fuck out of my store!". The subway ride back on the L train was so crazy that I regret not buying a beer. Probably wouldn't have been a good idea because the Montrose street station was full of people from the party and a few decided to hop the turnstiles. The idea looked good till I saw a few people on the bench getting summons followed by two more getting arrested. One of them was starting to lose it asking why he was in handcuffs. The cop just told him to shut his mouth. The first car we got in on the L train was the best. People where downing their drinks, lighting up cigarettes, and the ocassional beating on the ceiling was followed by mosh pits. When we got off at Lorimer street we headed to the G platform. Moments after coming down the stairs I turned my head and saw someone walking down in the train tracks (and he didn't have on an orange vest) He was going to go down there again but his friends pulled him back.

The blunt I smoked before going to bed didn't feel much better than the one I woke up to. People started talking about buying mushrooms and in the end I agreed to go down on half an eighth. In the beginning I regret spending $20 on something that looked liked it came from a corner in an attic. Would've prefered to blow twenty on shitty weed than the shit I put in my mouth. From the little bit splitted with the other dude it seemed like I would've had to buy more of the shit for it to have any effect. For the first hour people shot bull about whatever placebo high they were feeling. Whether they were or not nothing hit me between the house and the 71st Continental Ave. station. Things definitely took hold before the group woke me to get off at Lexington Av.

Anyone whose ever done mushrooms before can tell you their first experience. Mine started by making an ass out of myself inside the subway car on the E train. At this moment I'm still coming off a little of it but I can definitely recollect the highlights of the trip. The first was passing the library on 42nd and 5th. It reminded me from The Wiz that I just saw in its entirety a few days ago. We ventured behind it in Bryant Park and between the bright lights from the pond lighting and holiday shops and the infrastructive of the park itself, I thought I was on another planet. The biggest highlight was definitely Times Square. Someone cracked a joke about how we were staring at smoke above Grand Central like we're tourist. I've personally make it a point to avoid Times Square whenever I'm in the city because I've always questioned why the fuck I was here one I got there. Mushrooms can definitely alter one's look even if its a place you've been before numerous times every year. What made it even more magical was the fact the ball just dropped a couple of hours ago.

There were several other times I made an ass of myself outside the subway. Its debatable whether taking the shrooms was a good decision or not, but the best decision that got us most of us back safely was my nephew being the sober one that looked out for our dumbasses. If he would've had the money to even split an eighth, I'm sure the night would've took a turn for the worse. We started walking down 7th avenue or broadway when he said we were walking in the wrong direction. It sucked that we were walking away from where most of the lights were at, but navigating through the Times Square subway station proved to be interesting as well. Once we got back to 71st Contintental my nephew was hungry so we went to Subway. As I walked in the door following Justin towards the front, the smell that anyone can sense walking into Subway hit me like a brick. Thinking outloud I said "It stinks...smells like someone is dropping a deuce!". I've must of shouted that. Even if my nephew didn't reaffirm it I could tell by the way a group of people were staring at me through the window.

When we got to the bagel shop my cousin was asking me if I had any money. To accommodate him I pulled a twenty out my wallet and said "If this was a titty bar I'd be robbed blind". My cousin said "Watch your mouth yo!". It was only then I noticed two women sitting on the side. One of Malik's sober friends that we ran into outside the station was fucking with me by waving a fritos chip in my face. The idea seemed good but it wasn't until after I bit into in that I remember how disgusting Fritos were (the taste felt weirder than the shrooms that fucked me up). I went rushing to the door to spit that shit out but found a garbage can next to the door which I had trouble opening.

More can be said about my trip but I'd rather wait till tomorrow to talk when my nephew and cousin can remind me of all the dumb shit that they saw me do from their perspective. Overall I just remember a few odd glances on the train before pulling my hat over my eyes, the inablily to stand in one spot without throwing myself off balance, asking people to make sure I don't get hit by a car, and Malik's constant reality checks.

One of the last reality checks he gave was the fact that his father had come home from wherever he was for a couple of days. The only glimpse of hope that we was that his brother was home too. Eventually Malik called him in to see how hard I was trippin' balls. At the time I was in his room spead across the bed savoring the flavor of a Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter cookie when my cousin Sherali asked "Are you OK?!". Malik said "Take his ass to the guest room he's too fucked up". That's when I volunteered to see myself next door as Sherali paved the way with his hands.

It was hard for me to contain myself with my relatives on the same bed playing video games. My laughing and giggling must've been enough for Malik to kick me out of his room. Going to the next room seemed like the best idea but it was hard for me to move at the time. I thought about going home after taking the schrooms but I scammed the station booth clerk into letting me in for free. They were initiallly talked about going to some bar serving $1 drinks (some sort of facebook gathering). I'm sure we would've been kicked out of any bar ifI would've pulled the same shit that went down at Subway and the bagel shop.

Aside from the fireworks, the sensation I felt can summed up best by the 1st verse of Neil Young's After the Goldrush

Well I dreamed I saw the knights in armour coming saying something about the queen
There was music playing and peasant singing as the archer split the trees
There was a fanfare blowing to the sun that was floating on the breeze
Look at mother nature on the run in the 1970's

I was reciting the lyrics to several songs after having flashes of where I've come to at this point in my life and how things were falling into place as the universe seems fit. Through experiences both good and bad I learned I'm exactly where I want to be in life. An epiphany that seemed to bring closure to events in my life that I wanted desperately to forget. This is another part of my trip that even though it would be best to recollect at this present moment, I'm too lazy to write one more paragraph than I have to before I smoke a bowl and crash in my bed.

There were a few reasons why I decided to leave when I did. One of them was I overheard my uncle talking to Malik. I had to be out of the house before the grandfather came over in the morning. Long story short if that were to happen, my buzz would've been killed along with my potential welcome back into that house. The scariest moment of the night ironically came as I started to come off the shrooms and regain enough consciousness to make it home by myself. Making my way towards the Forest Hills L.I.R.R. I started to call my brother who wasn't picking up. As I passed a security patrol jeep and NYPD squad car my phone started to vibrate. It was perfect timing because I didn't want to do anything out of the ordinary to bring attention to myself. Talking with my brother I prayed that they wouldn't get suspicious, pull over, and stop me (the weed in my pocket didn't help matters)

Tonight the story ends with being able to dodge suspicion of walking while black in Forest Hills, Queens. Tomorrow I'll share some details I left out on how I hopped the turnstile at Grand Ave. after a trip to White Castle, and other funny moments I left out while trippin' (e.g. how something as simple as letting a fart rip can have an effect on shrooms)

Lying on the bed in the guestroom I was making promises to myself if I ever get off this high. Some were recreational promises like taking a trip to Georgia to pick shrooms from cow dung, and others were incentives to keep moving forward so I can afford the luxury to experience Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas...

Hopefully come New Years Eve 2010 I'll have enough sense to celebrate it conservatively (not necessarily in church but to be able to have a sense of my surroundings will be a start)