Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Methland (copy)

The people of Oelwein still talk about the day Roland Jarvis blew himself up; although, technically, he was involved in an implosion. No one was surprised, mind you. In a town known for its “century old” railroad roundhouse and abundance of “meth labs,” he cooked a product of fine quality that many of his fellow Iowans craved.

Jarvis, well known amongst the authorities in Oelwein, pronounced OL-wine, spent two separate stints incarcerated for the production and distribution of methamphetamine. In both instances, he immediately went back into business following his first day free. His crave was too much.

It started when he was 16 and needed to work double shifts to support his growing family. By taking a little meth, he could stay up for hours and bring home a nice paycheck. Unfortunately, his meat-packing company was bought-out and Jarvis suffered a huge pay cut. This forced him into working more double shifts and needing even more meth.

By the winter of 2001, Jarvis was in no shape to be cooking. He could see the disembodied heads in the trees over looking his house and knew they were spying on him. With nods to the black helicopter overhead, the heads signaled to the cops he was indeed cooking. He ran down to the basement and began to throw all of his ingredients into the overflow drain.

He started dumping these items first: anhydrous ammonia followed by Coleman lantern fluid, denatured alcohol, and kerosene which made an awful stink. His last effort consisted of two gallons of hydrochloric acid for which he sat back and enjoy a cigarette.

The following vacuum sucked out the windows before igniting the boxes in the corner of the room. The air, created by the new gaping holes in the windows, fueled the flames and Jarvis watched as the joists began to flicker bright blue. He looked down and noticed his white tube socks were no longer anchoring his feet and his Vikings tank top was on fire.

He rushed up the stairs and out onto the porch for safety, but then the meth-induced thoughts began to nag. He wanted to save his mother’s furniture and spent 45 minutes in and out of the house until he looked down at his skin and noticed white eggs. He began to knock the eggs off his arms, his legs and his torso, but in reality he was sloughing off his melted skin.

This true horror story is one of many in Nick Reding’s new book, Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a powerful story. Great review!

maggie moran said...

The book makes me want to go back to the Newsweek pictures they did in 2005 on before and after meth. Scary stuff, Stacy!

Tiffany Norris said...

This sounds so interesting...and sad. Meth labs have become such a problem in small-town Alabama (and I guess Mississippi, too).

Jeane said...

I don't know if I could read this one. The description you quoted almost turned my stomach- sloughing off his skin? shivers.

maggie moran said...

This stuff is nasty, Tiffany. The book really drives home how addictive it can be to our brains! Crack is hotter here, but iit is only a matter of time...crack last 20 minutes and crank last 12 hours!

Sorry, Jeane! I'm doing a Halloween theme for the month of October and this was a first-person story, short enough to fit my seven inch limit. The fact that crank stimulates our reproductive system turned my stomach even more.

Paul said...

Meth amphetamine is a scourge in our country!

Diane said...

yikes!

Bookfool said...

Wow, scary. Meth labs are a huge problem in the Vicksburg area. The worst thing about them is that addicts with children think nothing of cooking their drugs around the kids. There've been two recent arrests of parents who were cooking meth with kids in the house in Vburg, recently. Horrifying.

maggie moran said...

Yes, Paul! I was telling somebody that the other day when I noticed the black tar on her teeth! Oops!

Ditto, Diane!

Yuck, Bookfool! If I ever meet you at a race, I have a story to tell you! Not something I want to write down for the whole world to read! :P

April said...

Oh my gosh. I am going to have to get my hands on this. The whole meth thing scares me so much. It is so widespread and easily attainable. Not a good thing and with my kids I worry even more!

April said...

On a side note, I lived very near Oelwein most of my high school and college years. I also knew some people from there. I can't remember hearing about this, but by 2005 I was living in Southern Iowa, where I am now and remember very clearly the meth labs that they discovered right in the town that we live which consists of a mere 150 people, if that. So scary.

Lisa said...

I'm going to have to look for this one at my library.

(Why does it always say (copy) in your post title?)

maggie moran said...

April, you must read this! I was told by a reliable source that the geography is a little wacky in the book. I haven't a clue being from the South, but technically it has some faults; otherwise, it really could be set in anywhere USA! Yuck!!! I'm reading _Tweak_ by Nic Shelf and am really scared for the kids of tomorrow.

Need a little horror for the season, Lisa?!? :D I put (copy) after the articles I place in newspapers. I've haven't been posting much but copy! :P

Lisa said...

AH. Thank you, I always wondered. (And I already checked and my library does carry it! I had a recent experience working closely with someone who was very quickly addicted to meth and almost lost everything, so I'm interested.)

maggie moran said...

Lisa, two other perspectives to read are _Beautiful Boy_ by David Sheff and _Tweak_ by Nic Sheff. The first book is a father's perspective (David) as he watches his son (Nic) descend into a meth hell over-n-over. We will be discussing it in book club next semester. I am currently reading _Tweak_ and am very sad.

Bookfool said...

Well, meeting at a race is out, since I've returned to Couch Potatohood (hopefully, that will change, now that it's cold) so I'm just going to have to find a way to meet up with you!!

maggie moran said...

I'm on the couch for a little while too after hurting my back. I hope it is only a week though!!! I'm heading out to walk this afternoon just to give it a try...

We'll meet one day - it is destiny! :D