Somewhere between Abilene and El Paso, driving Southwest in my Dodge wagon, I exit at a speck on the map, Salt Flat City, parkin at a Tex Mex joint, Pedro’s Cafe.
Inside, I sit at the counter, looking over the menu.
The waitress is genderqueer with a Cleopatra wig and she says to me,
howdy handsome, do you like Tex-Mex food? Or how about a blow job? I give the best head South of the Mason-Dixon line,
I'll pass, sweetie, I'm impotent, I'll have el especial. Keep the coffee common, cariña.
In due course, I'm served by Miss Brittany CoxXx, hah ; chicken quesadillas, cheesy baked burritos, tamales, Tex-Mex with native aroma, delicioso.
By 9PM, I'm on my way to the El Paso border crossing but it's closed, I do a U-turn and drive to Gala National Forest, parkin, grabbin my sleeping bag, finding a bushy area, placing the bag on a bed of pine; on my back lookin up at the sky hugged by Mother Earth and kissed by the sky;
Like a Cowboy in the Boat of Ra.
That morning at 6AM, I pack the wagon and suck down 3 Red Bulls, hyper-buzzed I drive' to the El Paso border crossing, stoppin my car at the checkpoint, showing the Mexican agent, who resembles Cantinflas, my passport, and car insurance, he's indifferent, smirking and sayin,
Don't get the clap, Gringo.
I Drive south to Torreón, Mexico, it's 7 hours from El Paso, halfway to Mexico City, listening Ranchera and Mariachi music on local radio.
At Chihuahua, I pull into a liquor store, buying 2 pints of mescal, a Zippo lighter, and ultra-thin rolling papers.
Driving out of town on Avenida BolÃvar a Black cowboy's standing on the sidewalk, pimpin' somethin, maybe himself, I ask,
are you holdin, man?
Sure gringo, I got 1/4 ounces of Diesel Gold for 1000 pesos,
let me smell some,
he opens a Ziplock bag, I take a whiff; the shit’s pungent, so I hand a 1000 Peso note and then rolling a few while I'm driving, something learned on the rodeo circuit.
I'm southeast on my way to Mexico City, I light a joint, alternating tokes with swigs of mescal, enjoying live radio.
By dark, I can see the lights of Zacatecas on the horizon, weary I turn into Parque Nacional Sierra de Órganos; no one is there, not even a watchman.
I lay a sleeping bag on the rooftop of the wagon, counting stars and fading out.
Up early, I drive into Santana Ciudad and buy 1/2 a dozen bolillo and a cup of black coffee.
In 3 hours, I’m in Mexico City, passing grimy brick buildings that exhale soul shadows, I’m shook to the bone.
In the community of Tepetos, a dicey area, I notice a rusted neon sign at the end of an alley, El Last Exit.
I park on Calle Juarez and walk to it, inside I see a large gal in a metal cage, who asks,
do you want a woman gringo?
Señora, I want to book monthly,
esta bien señor, 2000 pesos and a 500 peso deposit.
I walk to room 107, unlocking the door. There's a made-up double bed, a hot plate, and a cold-water WC. It's not a good room.
Horny, I walk the streets, the sewers steam a gaseous smell. I duck into Rico's Cantina. It's dark inside, you can smell stale beer. The hard-drinkin' Mexicans eyeball me, el camarero comes up close, we look face to face, his breath is awful, I order,
let’s see now, I'd like a shot of top-shelf Tequila and a Corona Extra,
The greaser grabs a machete from under the bar, slamming it on the counter repeatedly, so
I belt out yelling,
your motha's sucks donkey cock.
So I run to Saint Christofer's Church, buying a red rose from a lady dressed in black; a thorn pricks my finger, it's dripping blood.
Catching my breath, I kneel in the 2nd pew eyeballing the crucifix on the sanctuary wall.
I see Jesus, His lips are moving, His face is comes to life, His lips move, and He says to me,
Henry, would you like to confess anything to Me?
May I share a story?
Yes, my son,
I met a Gypsy kid on a bus goin from Greece to Albania, and he told me a story;
Romani Folklore has it that when You were crucified, a Gypsy stole the holy nails from Your wooden cross, and You were so grateful You told him in the future the Romani people could loot and plunder sin free, Jesus says,
Yes, son, it’s a faithful tale.
Jesus looks at me sternly saying,
Henry, in the coming months human beings will be raised, entering the Kingdom of God and have Eternal life, are you ready to skyrocket into the Heavens my son?
Yeah, well, la, Jesus, it sounds breathtaking, but I'll never give up mescal, tamales, and pussy.
I wake in the 2nd pew, feelin nothin particular, and I never had another religious experience, which was fine by me.
Back at La Exit, I ask the mamasan to send a woman, fresh orange juice, ice, and a bottle of tequila to my room
After partying through the night, things felt right again