Enough is enough, the last words I said to her, Now I’m walking down the road like a bum, with the stick on my shoulder and red bandana tied on the end of it, I didn’t have a red bandana so I had to use a blue one. and cars are passing me like they never saw me. I should give them the finger, but they are gone so fast they would never see it. Daddy told me, that you have to gain the upper hand at the start and keep it, or you will regret it for life.
I lost control (64) sixty four years, six months and twenty three days ago and have been losing ground everyday since. Got no special place to go, just going down the road until a truck hits me or the police pull me over for moving too slow. One good thing about this situation, I don’t have to fight the dog for the left over-s any more. I should have grabbed a heavier coat as I went out the door, What am I saying, she tossed me out so fast. I never had second to think about anything. Let me say, ‘I tried Daddy’, but she was just too much for me to handle the first time.
When the bank expects the receive that first payment on the home loan I took out on the house, She is really going to be mad. She may even put out an all points bulletin and offer a reward for my return. I guess I had better stick to using the back roads for a few weeks. Damn, I forgot to bring any matches with me. I don’t think I can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Service stations and cafes usually have book matches by their cash register, I’ll find one and get some matches.
My stomach feels empty and where am I going to find some food? Maybe if I stop at a farm house and offer to do some work for food, What am I saying, work for food, It would be better just to say “I’m hungry” before I offer to work. You have to watch where you walk, when on a farm. There are Animal droppings everywhere and that smell you find on a farm could kill you. Maybe if I only took shallow breaths, it won’t be so bad.
That sign said: two miles to Culver City, Maybe I had better go this other way. If I go south, I’ll at least be going where it will be warmer. How far do you have to go, to get where it don’t snow? I like Washington State, but it rains all the time there.
That reminds me, I better stop at a Post Office and fill out a change of address card, but where will I be? I better find one of those small towns and have my mail sent to General Delivery. But which state do I want to do that in? Tennessee, or Kansas , maybe Tallahassee Florida, I always liked that name! But those places are a long way from here. Maybe I should just stop at Wall Drug store and see what is going on around there. Maybe old Ted will give a hand out to me. He must have money, with all the signs he puts up around the world. t seems that old Ted had passed on and no one there was very friendly. I got a ride in the back of a pickup with some Indians and rode as far as a place called Long Valley, that was as far as they were going. I started walking on south to a place called Ttuthill. I still hadn’t had anything to eat, I saw this gate with a road going to a farm house. I was almost to the house when this pickup truck stopped and the guy said; ‘Howdy’ and asked what he could do for me? I told him I was hungry and going to ask for some food. He said sure, come on to the house and I can have supper with them. He drove on and then backed the truck up to the porch, and I helped him get this girl up on her feet and on to the porch, she was his 34 year old daughter named Trudy and there was about three hundred and fifty pounds of her.
Trudy was the oldest of seven kids in the family and she was a talker. She asked me one question after another like, where was I going. where did I come from, why was I going south and if I was married, there didn’t seem to be an end to the questions. The meal was great and I should never have eaten that second piece of pie. Since it was late, I ask if I could spend the night in their barn. Trudy said; there was a good bed in a room up above her room and I could sleep there.
It was then that I knew I had walked into a trap and had better get away as fast as I could. There was a vine that grew up along side of the house, close to the window, If I could reach it I could get down to the ground. All was going well’ until I was almost down and something holding the vine broke, making a noise. Her light went on and she was standing at the window watching as I made my way up the road., Why this three hundred pound girl tried to climb out that window, I will never under stand. I heard it, when she landed on the ground. This caused a whole lot of noise and every light in the house came on.
I had made it to the road and closed the gate when the sound of a siren were heard coming from a distance on down the road. I had no idea for what reason, so I hide in the ditch, It was a ambulance, they opened the gate and went down the road to the farm. Trudy must have injured herself when falling out of the window. I kept running and it wasn’t long before I got another ride going to Valentine and North Platte, Nebraska.
From there I got another ride with a trucker, all the way to Lincoln. I still hadn’t made up my mind of where to go. In the next few days I had gotten as far as Independence, Kansas, when this little chicken faced guy with a big shiny Sheriffs badge, who said he was the County Sheriff, picked me up and drove me to the Next town called Coffeyville. Which was on the border of Nebraska and Oklahoma, He sure seemed anxious to get me to that boarder for some reason.
I made my way south to a place called Wagoner, and was picked up for being vagrant, They kept me for almost a week, then gave me a bus ticket to a place called Fort Smith, Arkansas. By now I was smelling so bad I couldn’t stand to be around my self, There was a river there and I decided to take a bath. Then a guy on a boat told me that I had better come out of there, less I wanted to be food for a gaiter.
This guy said; You must not be from around here, and ask where was I headed to. I told him I was just traveling and lost all my money. He told me that he was going down the Arkansas river all the way to Louisiana and asked if I wanted to go along and help him with his boat. I said yes without any hesitation. This was by far, the best way to travel and it was really fun. The trip took about four days and we had made a number of stops along the way. The river round around, back and forth and I saw things I had never seen before.
The trip ended at Vicksburg, a town located on the river. He gave me some money for helping on the trip down river and I thanked him and told him how much I enjoyed the trip. He ask if I would like to work on a boat that traveled up and down the river and I said; I would like to try it. He called a friend of his and I was to meet him the next day. This person needed someone who had experience, so the job was not given to me.
I really didn’t want a job, I would rather just bum around, but not with out any money in my pockets. Tallahassee seemed to be a long ways away and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go there. What would I do after I got there? I had really never made any plans It was just an address to have my mail sent to. An address card would tell them where to forward my mail too. I decided to spend a few days in a motel until my mail comes and make up my mind on what to do. I doubt if anyone was searching for me and I never did receive the money for the loan I took out, it was still at the bank in a holding account.
Three days later a bag of mail was delivered to the motel. All of it was for me. Letter after letter, mostly from the bank. First asking for payments and them notice of being late and then a late charge. They said they were turning this account over to a collection agency and this was followed by more threatening mail. And one that gave a date that I was to appear in court. Could they have not known that the bank transaction had not been finished. I was not aware of just how long I had been traveling, almost three months. I was sure this is the reason for all those letters. Maybe I should head back up north-west again.
That’s what I’ll do, I’ll hop a train going north to Chicago or close too. I needed this trip and it had done me a lot of good. Maybe I have been forgiven at home and maybe not? Some place around Kansas City A rail road Detective caught a bunch of bums, free riding and kicked us off the train. I was hurt and it was going to take a little time to heal. I hung out with other bums at different camps along the rail roads. When I was feeling better, I hopped another train that was going north. This time I got as far as Davenport Iowa and was caught again, arrested and put in a work camp for the rail road. The ride was not going to be free.
Since there were no ships or boats to travel on, I would have to travel by means of motor vehicle. Thumbing rides in Iowa was illegal, a guy had to be careful. A guy would have to approach a traveler at a gas station or truck stop and ask for a ride! It was a long and tiring trip across Iowa to get to Nebraska. I hung around Omaha for some time as there appeared to be a lot of things going on there. My money was all gone and it was a hand to mouth day by day routine. I found small jobs here and there and was able to eat, but a place to sleep was not to be found. Maybe a little farther west, it would be better. Interstate-80 was the main highway going west and most of the traffic was going that way.
I was really tired and had decided that traveling like a vagrant was not for me. I longed for a permanent place to stay and someone to cook and care for me. That could be gotten by a few different ways. A divorce and remarry, find a widow who needs a man around. I was too old to get a job and work, and I did have a small retirement income. If I put that together with a widow’s small income, we could make it pretty easy. No, marriage again was out. There is murder and if one was caught, life in prison wouldn’t be all that bad, One would have all that was needed there. Maybe I could live in a Nursing home, No they all smell too bad. Perhaps a Veteran’s home would be better. I seem to have a number of options, Guess I had better give this some thought. I’ll stop at Hoy Springs and find out about Veteran’s benefits. I’ll have to find out before getting too close to home.
I am beginning to wonder if this damn dream will ever end…If I do go back, it will be on my terms, not hers…. Yeah I feel so strong now, As I said: Enough is Enough, Momma, I am coming home!!!!
By: Ben R.
Sept. 25, 2010
I lost control (64) sixty four years, six months and twenty three days ago and have been losing ground everyday since. Got no special place to go, just going down the road until a truck hits me or the police pull me over for moving too slow. One good thing about this situation, I don’t have to fight the dog for the left over-s any more. I should have grabbed a heavier coat as I went out the door, What am I saying, she tossed me out so fast. I never had second to think about anything. Let me say, ‘I tried Daddy’, but she was just too much for me to handle the first time.
When the bank expects the receive that first payment on the home loan I took out on the house, She is really going to be mad. She may even put out an all points bulletin and offer a reward for my return. I guess I had better stick to using the back roads for a few weeks. Damn, I forgot to bring any matches with me. I don’t think I can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Service stations and cafes usually have book matches by their cash register, I’ll find one and get some matches.
My stomach feels empty and where am I going to find some food? Maybe if I stop at a farm house and offer to do some work for food, What am I saying, work for food, It would be better just to say “I’m hungry” before I offer to work. You have to watch where you walk, when on a farm. There are Animal droppings everywhere and that smell you find on a farm could kill you. Maybe if I only took shallow breaths, it won’t be so bad.
That sign said: two miles to Culver City, Maybe I had better go this other way. If I go south, I’ll at least be going where it will be warmer. How far do you have to go, to get where it don’t snow? I like Washington State, but it rains all the time there.
That reminds me, I better stop at a Post Office and fill out a change of address card, but where will I be? I better find one of those small towns and have my mail sent to General Delivery. But which state do I want to do that in? Tennessee, or Kansas , maybe Tallahassee Florida, I always liked that name! But those places are a long way from here. Maybe I should just stop at Wall Drug store and see what is going on around there. Maybe old Ted will give a hand out to me. He must have money, with all the signs he puts up around the world. t seems that old Ted had passed on and no one there was very friendly. I got a ride in the back of a pickup with some Indians and rode as far as a place called Long Valley, that was as far as they were going. I started walking on south to a place called Ttuthill. I still hadn’t had anything to eat, I saw this gate with a road going to a farm house. I was almost to the house when this pickup truck stopped and the guy said; ‘Howdy’ and asked what he could do for me? I told him I was hungry and going to ask for some food. He said sure, come on to the house and I can have supper with them. He drove on and then backed the truck up to the porch, and I helped him get this girl up on her feet and on to the porch, she was his 34 year old daughter named Trudy and there was about three hundred and fifty pounds of her.
Trudy was the oldest of seven kids in the family and she was a talker. She asked me one question after another like, where was I going. where did I come from, why was I going south and if I was married, there didn’t seem to be an end to the questions. The meal was great and I should never have eaten that second piece of pie. Since it was late, I ask if I could spend the night in their barn. Trudy said; there was a good bed in a room up above her room and I could sleep there.
It was then that I knew I had walked into a trap and had better get away as fast as I could. There was a vine that grew up along side of the house, close to the window, If I could reach it I could get down to the ground. All was going well’ until I was almost down and something holding the vine broke, making a noise. Her light went on and she was standing at the window watching as I made my way up the road., Why this three hundred pound girl tried to climb out that window, I will never under stand. I heard it, when she landed on the ground. This caused a whole lot of noise and every light in the house came on.
I had made it to the road and closed the gate when the sound of a siren were heard coming from a distance on down the road. I had no idea for what reason, so I hide in the ditch, It was a ambulance, they opened the gate and went down the road to the farm. Trudy must have injured herself when falling out of the window. I kept running and it wasn’t long before I got another ride going to Valentine and North Platte, Nebraska.
From there I got another ride with a trucker, all the way to Lincoln. I still hadn’t made up my mind of where to go. In the next few days I had gotten as far as Independence, Kansas, when this little chicken faced guy with a big shiny Sheriffs badge, who said he was the County Sheriff, picked me up and drove me to the Next town called Coffeyville. Which was on the border of Nebraska and Oklahoma, He sure seemed anxious to get me to that boarder for some reason.
I made my way south to a place called Wagoner, and was picked up for being vagrant, They kept me for almost a week, then gave me a bus ticket to a place called Fort Smith, Arkansas. By now I was smelling so bad I couldn’t stand to be around my self, There was a river there and I decided to take a bath. Then a guy on a boat told me that I had better come out of there, less I wanted to be food for a gaiter.
This guy said; You must not be from around here, and ask where was I headed to. I told him I was just traveling and lost all my money. He told me that he was going down the Arkansas river all the way to Louisiana and asked if I wanted to go along and help him with his boat. I said yes without any hesitation. This was by far, the best way to travel and it was really fun. The trip took about four days and we had made a number of stops along the way. The river round around, back and forth and I saw things I had never seen before.
The trip ended at Vicksburg, a town located on the river. He gave me some money for helping on the trip down river and I thanked him and told him how much I enjoyed the trip. He ask if I would like to work on a boat that traveled up and down the river and I said; I would like to try it. He called a friend of his and I was to meet him the next day. This person needed someone who had experience, so the job was not given to me.
I really didn’t want a job, I would rather just bum around, but not with out any money in my pockets. Tallahassee seemed to be a long ways away and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go there. What would I do after I got there? I had really never made any plans It was just an address to have my mail sent to. An address card would tell them where to forward my mail too. I decided to spend a few days in a motel until my mail comes and make up my mind on what to do. I doubt if anyone was searching for me and I never did receive the money for the loan I took out, it was still at the bank in a holding account.
Three days later a bag of mail was delivered to the motel. All of it was for me. Letter after letter, mostly from the bank. First asking for payments and them notice of being late and then a late charge. They said they were turning this account over to a collection agency and this was followed by more threatening mail. And one that gave a date that I was to appear in court. Could they have not known that the bank transaction had not been finished. I was not aware of just how long I had been traveling, almost three months. I was sure this is the reason for all those letters. Maybe I should head back up north-west again.
That’s what I’ll do, I’ll hop a train going north to Chicago or close too. I needed this trip and it had done me a lot of good. Maybe I have been forgiven at home and maybe not? Some place around Kansas City A rail road Detective caught a bunch of bums, free riding and kicked us off the train. I was hurt and it was going to take a little time to heal. I hung out with other bums at different camps along the rail roads. When I was feeling better, I hopped another train that was going north. This time I got as far as Davenport Iowa and was caught again, arrested and put in a work camp for the rail road. The ride was not going to be free.
Since there were no ships or boats to travel on, I would have to travel by means of motor vehicle. Thumbing rides in Iowa was illegal, a guy had to be careful. A guy would have to approach a traveler at a gas station or truck stop and ask for a ride! It was a long and tiring trip across Iowa to get to Nebraska. I hung around Omaha for some time as there appeared to be a lot of things going on there. My money was all gone and it was a hand to mouth day by day routine. I found small jobs here and there and was able to eat, but a place to sleep was not to be found. Maybe a little farther west, it would be better. Interstate-80 was the main highway going west and most of the traffic was going that way.
I was really tired and had decided that traveling like a vagrant was not for me. I longed for a permanent place to stay and someone to cook and care for me. That could be gotten by a few different ways. A divorce and remarry, find a widow who needs a man around. I was too old to get a job and work, and I did have a small retirement income. If I put that together with a widow’s small income, we could make it pretty easy. No, marriage again was out. There is murder and if one was caught, life in prison wouldn’t be all that bad, One would have all that was needed there. Maybe I could live in a Nursing home, No they all smell too bad. Perhaps a Veteran’s home would be better. I seem to have a number of options, Guess I had better give this some thought. I’ll stop at Hoy Springs and find out about Veteran’s benefits. I’ll have to find out before getting too close to home.
I am beginning to wonder if this damn dream will ever end…If I do go back, it will be on my terms, not hers…. Yeah I feel so strong now, As I said: Enough is Enough, Momma, I am coming home!!!!
By: Ben R.
Sept. 25, 2010
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