i remember a few weeks ago, noelle blew my mind using apple pay to buy a cherry limade from the gas station. after filling my tank, i began making my way towards my own cherry limade. right as i make my first step, an older gentleman interrupts me and asks me for a few dollars as he says he has his grand daughter with him and they need to get home. he asks for “just one or two dollars.” i don’t want to give him money so i tell him i don’t have cash. mind you, i’m very bad at saying no. i’m the absolute worst at it. his response is that i can use my card. i’m like fuck mayne, i ain’t got no excuse. i always feel guilty saying no, but anyways, i follow him to the first pump to his buick. i put my card in and he asks how much do i want to give him. i say $5 is cool and he goes over to $5.23. he apologizes for going over, but i’m not tripping, i’m focused on my cherry limade. as i make my way in to treat myself, i hear his car start up and he pulls off.
i see a plethora of flavors. suddenly cherry limade didn’t seem as enticing. i take a cup and start flavoring random slushies and sodas. after a few minutes, i decide to get what i came for: the cherry limade. i’m walking back out to my car and i see the same guy pleading for money from another guy with his car in the same spot!! pump 1!!! crazy right?! i got angry on sight, but decided to cool off with my drink. i drove off thinking to myself of how i gotta get better at saying no. fuck that guy.
-ratha, 10:23pm, 3.31.17