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Hitchhiking
Short
 Created on 1-17-08
 Views(38)
 Story Rating G
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Hitchhiking
I was 21 had been married for 4 years and my first daughter was only 4 months old, My wife and I had spent the worst winter of our lives together in a cramped mobile home in the middle of nowhere Illinois. We were both suffering from cabin fever and the pressure of dealing with the baby when earl one morning she told me she was unhappy with her life with me and was going to take the child and move to her parents house to get away from me.
Although travel had not been part of my plan, It certainly seemed just what I needed so with little money and no dependable car I thought a long walk would do me good. After talking with my best friend Kev he said he could use a walk to as things had not been going well for him either he was out of work and back at his moms house and thought it would be a great idea to go see his father who lived in Phoenix Arizona, about 1700 miles away. so now that we had a destination I explained my plan to my wife who was glad to see me go we just split the money from our tax return and said goodbye.
Kev had been staying with me and helped to get all of our worldly possessions moved into storage went shopping for some travel gear backpacks a small pup tent and a small radio with a weather station, and of coarse a bag of weed. We spent one last night in that now empty mobile home packing our gear going over the map and decided that once we got to St. Louis we would be able to hitchhike along the interstate all the way to Phx. We crashed out on the floor looking forward to the adventure we were going to embark on early the next morning.
As I woke to the sound of Kev collecting up the beer cans, and the sun streaming through the curtainless windows checking my watch to discover it was nearly 10:00am grabbing up my little shave kit I headed for the restroom while passing the room where my daughter once belonged it depressed me and as I went through the events of the last two weeks in my mind while I showered I could not leave that shell of a home soon enough, Kev and I got our gear together and walked out the door into the sunshine at 10:15 heading west for a new start. We had walked for hours and it did not feel we had gone anywhere,The farm fields we past were so much bigger than ever as we walked the warm black rural roads wearing our packs and second guessing our plan, It was just about a three hour hike to the first main road and any real sign of life which as luck would have it was a bar, we went in threw our packs in a corner sat at the bar ordered two beers and talk with Dave the bartender who was sorry to hear that I was leaving state but offered us a ride if we waited for him to end his shift at 4:00pm which was less than two hours away so now with a few beers in us Dave had drove us to a truck stop on interstate 270 we thanked him pulled our packs from the back of his truck and went in to eat.
It was now 6:00pm we headed across the parking lot toward the road thats when we spotted
what would be our next ride A fairly attractive woman who appeared to be in her 40's looking rather angry at the flat tire on her Jeep Wagoneer and before we got to near to her I hollered
to ask if wanted some help with that, And because she looked to be relieved that someone offered we then go over and introduce ourselves she tells us her name is Sally and while I take care of changing her tire Kev is telling her that we are headed across country to Phoenix
and she is going to Topeka I suggest that she try to get her tire repaired before getting back on the road, She then asked if they could do that there and if I would assist her she will take us as far as we want to ride in her direction Kev ran over to the service bay and then waved us over I threw our packs in the back with her flat and she drove to the shop area offering to buy us dinner, telling her it wasn't necessary since we had ate but said we would have coffee while she did, When she had finished her burger and got her tire mounted back on her Jeeps tire rack we were again west bound. Sally was a nice lady who was headed back home after attending her sisters wedding In Indiana where she had been all week, and she was anxious to get back to her family. It had then began to rain and Kev and I decided we would get out at the rest area before her exit in hopes that we could find another ride without getting trapped in the rain.Sally thanked us for our help and company when we parted ways at the rest area outside of Selena it was 9:30 dark rainy and cold but they had nice restroom facilities that had the weather channel warning of tornado warnings in the area.
There were about a dozens cars in the parking lot and a few people running between the building and their cars as the rain was increasingly harder on the other side of the rest area were 7 or 8 semi-trucks several people had gathered under the various pic-nic structures and under the the large eves of the restrooms as it seemed to be getting crowded I told Kev we should just pitch our tent out of site and be prepared to stay, because the vehicles that were coming in were not going out I seemed we had been trapped anyway, You could tell by the skyline it was going to get worse as put up our small tent tossing the packs inside, we ran for the building and found that about 30 people had the same idea. in spite of the warnings coming from the radio I was not to concerned believing the later it got the less like a tornado would be to develop even as the storm grew and grew. It was nearly 11:00 so Kev and I headed for our tent with only the illumination of a small flashlight we rolled us a joint and laughing and giggling like school girls watched and listened to the storm out side the flashes of lightening shining through the walls of the tent cast a blue tint on brief glimpses of each other as we tried to sleep, Then about 1:00am we were greeted by as unexpected shower of water whooshing into our tent the wind had blown the the flaps of the doorway open we ran for the cover of the restroom once again to find a hundred people scrunched together in there the womens room the same packed full of women and children the noise of all those people and the wind we could no longer hear the radio but it was not necessary, as we could see the tornado there along side the interstate cars were pulled off the road more men and women headed for the shelter, and you could see the debris flying seeming like it had no direction of travel then cars being lifted and tossed I swear I think I saw a flying horse, The wind was roaring the rain was pouring it was no longer even rain more like waves of air bound water, Then almost as if someone flipped a switch it was over just that fast no wind no rain and one simultaneous sigh of relief from the crowd of people as we all dispersed into the night everyone seeking out their cars and trucks. Just then Kev slaps my shoulder and points toward our little tent still standing but we know it is as wet inside as it is out, We smiled at each other and embraced in a short hug glad we had made it through the first day of our trip.
I was 21 had been married for 4 years and my first daughter was only 4 months old, My wife and I had spent the worst winter of our lives together in a cramped mobile home in the middle of nowhere Illinois. We were both suffering from cabin fever and the pressure of dealing with the baby when earl one morning she told me she was unhappy with her life with me and was going to take the child and move to her parents house to get away from me.
Although travel had not been part of my plan, It certainly seemed just what I needed so with little money and no dependable car I thought a long walk would do me good. After talking with my best friend Kev he said he could use a walk to as things had not been going well for him either he was out of work and back at his moms house and thought it would be a great idea to go see his father who lived in Phoenix Arizona, about 1700 miles away. so now that we had a destination I explained my plan to my wife who was glad to see me go we just split the money from our tax return and said goodbye.
Kev had been staying with me and helped to get all of our worldly possessions moved into storage went shopping for some travel gear backpacks a small pup tent and a small radio with a weather station, and of coarse a bag of weed. We spent one last night in that now empty mobile home packing our gear going over the map and decided that once we got to St. Louis we would be able to hitchhike along the interstate all the way to Phx. We crashed out on the floor looking forward to the adventure we were going to embark on early the next morning.
As I woke to the sound of Kev collecting up the beer cans, and the sun streaming through the curtainless windows checking my watch to discover it was nearly 10:00am grabbing up my little shave kit I headed for the restroom while passing the room where my daughter once belonged it depressed me and as I went through the events of the last two weeks in my mind while I showered I could not leave that shell of a home soon enough, Kev and I got our gear together and walked out the door into the sunshine at 10:15 heading west for a new start. We had walked for hours and it did not feel we had gone anywhere,The farm fields we past were so much bigger than ever as we walked the warm black rural roads wearing our packs and second guessing our plan, It was just about a three hour hike to the first main road and any real sign of life which as luck would have it was a bar, we went in threw our packs in a corner sat at the bar ordered two beers and talk with Dave the bartender who was sorry to hear that I was leaving state but offered us a ride if we waited for him to end his shift at 4:00pm which was less than two hours away so now with a few beers in us Dave had drove us to a truck stop on interstate 270 we thanked him pulled our packs from the back of his truck and went in to eat.
It was now 6:00pm we headed across the parking lot toward the road thats when we spotted
what would be our next ride A fairly attractive woman who appeared to be in her 40's looking rather angry at the flat tire on her Jeep Wagoneer and before we got to near to her I hollered
to ask if wanted some help with that, And because she looked to be relieved that someone offered we then go over and introduce ourselves she tells us her name is Sally and while I take care of changing her tire Kev is telling her that we are headed across country to Phoenix
and she is going to Topeka I suggest that she try to get her tire repaired before getting back on the road, She then asked if they could do that there and if I would assist her she will take us as far as we want to ride in her direction Kev ran over to the service bay and then waved us over I threw our packs in the back with her flat and she drove to the shop area offering to buy us dinner, telling her it wasn't necessary since we had ate but said we would have coffee while she did, When she had finished her burger and got her tire mounted back on her Jeeps tire rack we were again west bound. Sally was a nice lady who was headed back home after attending her sisters wedding In Indiana where she had been all week, and she was anxious to get back to her family. It had then began to rain and Kev and I decided we would get out at the rest area before her exit in hopes that we could find another ride without getting trapped in the rain.Sally thanked us for our help and company when we parted ways at the rest area outside of Selena it was 9:30 dark rainy and cold but they had nice restroom facilities that had the weather channel warning of tornado warnings in the area.
There were about a dozens cars in the parking lot and a few people running between the building and their cars as the rain was increasingly harder on the other side of the rest area were 7 or 8 semi-trucks several people had gathered under the various pic-nic structures and under the the large eves of the restrooms as it seemed to be getting crowded I told Kev we should just pitch our tent out of site and be prepared to stay, because the vehicles that were coming in were not going out I seemed we had been trapped anyway, You could tell by the skyline it was going to get worse as put up our small tent tossing the packs inside, we ran for the building and found that about 30 people had the same idea. in spite of the warnings coming from the radio I was not to concerned believing the later it got the less like a tornado would be to develop even as the storm grew and grew. It was nearly 11:00 so Kev and I headed for our tent with only the illumination of a small flashlight we rolled us a joint and laughing and giggling like school girls watched and listened to the storm out side the flashes of lightening shining through the walls of the tent cast a blue tint on brief glimpses of each other as we tried to sleep, Then about 1:00am we were greeted by as unexpected shower of water whooshing into our tent the wind had blown the the flaps of the doorway open we ran for the cover of the restroom once again to find a hundred people scrunched together in there the womens room the same packed full of women and children the noise of all those people and the wind we could no longer hear the radio but it was not necessary, as we could see the tornado there along side the interstate cars were pulled off the road more men and women headed for the shelter, and you could see the debris flying seeming like it had no direction of travel then cars being lifted and tossed I swear I think I saw a flying horse, The wind was roaring the rain was pouring it was no longer even rain more like waves of air bound water, Then almost as if someone flipped a switch it was over just that fast no wind no rain and one simultaneous sigh of relief from the crowd of people as we all dispersed into the night everyone seeking out their cars and trucks. Just then Kev slaps my shoulder and points toward our little tent still standing but we know it is as wet inside as it is out, We smiled at each other and embraced in a short hug glad we had made it through the first day of our trip.
Comments
Please Login to post comments| On January 31st 2008 analyssarenae Said : | |
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I like this a lot. Great detail. But I was kind of confused because there was no punctuation and when I would leave for a sec and come back or lose my place, I couldn't find where I was. Great work! I love it! |
