Chp. 7: Fritz ain't smokin' no crack!

"Lord in Heaven! I lift my eyes up to you in supplication! Here, today, right now in this cab oh Lord, I Vow to you, I will never smoke that shit again! OH, Forgive me Lord! I mean I'll never smoke the crack again! Give me the strength oh Lord! In Jesus name I pray... Amen."

Fritz Baxter had no idea what just came out his mouth. He made a VOW to GOD. He knew what the good book said. God doesn't like it when people break their promises to him.

But Fritz was confident.

He was done smoking that stuff and God was his witness.He began to pray again as the cab driver focused on him through the rear view and while trying to keep his eyes on the road.
"I couldn't help but hear your little prayer." said the driver. Fritz stopped his prayer and looked at the man through the rear view.
"So how long you been clean?" asked the driver.
"I'm talkin to God right now, just keep driven." Fritz said, continuing his prayer in a slient whisper.
"Well I was just asking" the driver said, still looking in the rear view. He could no longer see his passengers brown eyes as his entire face was covered by his long and dirty blonde hair. His beard was just as long with varying shades of brown and gray. His neck was covered by cheap silver chains and a few hand made bead necklaces. He wore an old t-shirt with four band members faded beyound recognition. The only thing still loud and clear on the shirt was the huge K.I.S.S. logo stitched in white, which turned black and gray from not being washed.

"I'm trying to quite myself, but them demons just won't leave me alone." The driver continued. Fritz shook his head and ignored the man and kept praying. "Hey do mind if I pick up this lady?" Asked the driver, pulling over to get her anyway. Fritz keep his head down and waved his hand in a nonchalant manner.

That feeling started to creep over Fritz.

He was getting annoyed and the best medicine for that ailment was a nice hit from the stem. He prayed harder."Hey Larry!" The woman said entering the cab, sitting next to the driver. She smelled like heavy cigerette smoke covered by cheap perfume. Fritz lifted his head to see who the new pain in butt would be. The woman turned back to see who sat behind her and their eyes met.

"Hey." the woman said turning back around. "Hey." replied Fritz.
Judging by the woman's appearence he knew what her favorite vice was. Her hair matched his dirty blondness and her skin seemed sun burnt to the point of shouting in pain following a friendly hug.

"Our friend in the back just quit" Whispered the driver to the woman. "Good for him." replied the woman as her head bent down with the flick of a lighter. Fritz knew what was going on. His demon had entered the cab and was preparing for battle. "How much longer till we reach the shelter" Asked fritz staring at the back of the woman's head. "We got about a 15 minute drive." replied the driver. Suddenly white smoke emerged from the front of the woman. In Fritz's eyes they resembled the clouds of heaven. The driver began to scold the woman. "Hey Celia! Give the guy a break, he tryin' to stop that shit." She turned around and looked at Fritz. Her blue eyes surrounded by yellow space enlarged as she smiled at him. "Her ya go sweety, Take a hit on me." Fritz slowly turned his head from her and looked out the window. He thought she was sort of attractive. "Devil your a lie." He whispered under his breath. "No thank you ma'am"Fritz said to the woman as she had her pipe right by his face. "Put that thing down, Celia!" Yelled the driver looking around to make sure no cops were around. "Oh hush Larry!" cried Celia, turning around to take another hit.

Fritz could smell the horrible stench of temptation throughout the cab. His eyes began to twitch and the cab suddenly became a lot warmer. He wanted to pray, but his mind was locked by the aroma of perdition. "I need to get outta here" Fritz thought to himself. He wanted to open his mouth and tell the driver to let him out but he didn't. He couldn't. Some force stronger than him wouldn't allow it. Celia turned around and attempted to hand him the pipe again. Fritz looked her dead in the eye. She knew he wanted some. He knew he wanted some. Did God want him to get some?

"I'm good right here!" Said Fritz aloud. "You can let me out right here, i'll walk the rest of the way." Celia began to laugh and the driver looked at him through the rearview with curious eyes. "You sure you want me to let you out right here man?" Fritz came to his senses and looked out the window. They were on a bridge on the expressway going about 75 mph. "Oh, screw me" thought me Fritz.

He sat still as a rock in the backseat of the cab, trying to gather his thoughts to talk to God. "Lord help me!" He prayed. Celia turned around one more time and offered him a hit. He looked out the window again and the car appeared to fly a thousand miles per hour. The humming of the wind through the cracked window grew louder and louder. The world began to close in on him. The smell of White Rock grew sweeter and sweeter. "Take it already!" Yelled Celia, trying to relieve the man of the torture she'd inflicted on him. Fritz grabbed the pipe and lighter from her. He held it up to his mouth. His hands shook violently as he tried to calibrate the pipe with the lighter. He could sense God sitting next to him shaking his head in disapproval. "Father forgive me..." he said to himself under his breath.

Suddenly the car came to a stop. They just hit the off ramp. Fritz looked at the pipe than out the window. He smiled gracefully and handed Celia back her pipe. "No thanks ma'am" He said to her. digging in his pockets to pull out the fare for the driver. He gave the man 10 dollars over his fee and opened the door. The fresh air engulfed his nostrils as he stepped out the car. He noticed an Ice cream Palor near the mall entrance across the street. "Thanks God." He said looking up at the nightly sky. "Lets have some ice cream to celebrate."