Contest: The Journey

                        The Journey:  A moment in my life, only a moment!         


          It was a warm June morning, taking a brisk walk with my best friend. His heart a state away while I joined his journey, sometimes it's better to let a friend do his own thing. School was over, we graduated, and my own path was unsure, my health failed the army screening. Jobs were not to be found in1982. So, I had some time to kill.

          What a foolish idea, our food became depleted upon reaching Michigan, my bag was newly equipped with a broken handle, and held within both arms. We were to soon find our way home, why did I do this?          

          We reached Topinigee with no food. We chased the ducks into the water, rocks were of no use, a raccoon scurried up a tree, Allen contemplated chasing after it. A helpless spiny creature was prepared for a meal after a defenseless rolling into a ball. My rusty pocketknife entered a small clearing, and the needles stuck my fingers. Four small legs were devoured, hunger remained with me while we searched for a house, the one where his girlfriend stayed in on summer break.

          Why did I do this?

          We walked nearly three quarter of the way there from Northeast Ohio. Rides were few, drivers feared hitchhikers, my feet ached endlessly, I dreamed of throwing that bag away.

          His girlfriend was unwilling to come out, and I felt like a fool, what I would like to have done to Allen!

          A rig slowed, a ride at last. Traffic trickled on this lonely interstate, my belly ached, perhaps that spiny animal should have been left alone.

          Allen took the front seat, I crawled willingly into the back, a warm nap would've felt nice in a soft bed reverberating the rigs vibrations. I listened to Allen engage in friendly chat with the driver, his route neared a major highway nearing our county, saving a days walk easily.

          My torn bag gently swayed with the tractors movements, a loose strap dangled by threads, my handle functioned no more. My belly rumbled with the rig, that animal should have been left alone!

          I awoke when Allen shook me, a numb feeling overtook me when I attempted to climb down the steps onto pavement, my bag fell to the ground. Picking it up had been a lesser desire while my belly pained. I was a generous individual, I ate the critter, he had the last bologna sandwich. I wished I ate the sandwich as offered.
Seventy miles from home, rain was on the way, traffic was abundant---my belly was killing me! Walking resumed, so did the pain in my feet, I hurt, and I felt like an idiot. What I would like to have done to my best friend!

"She will be glad to see me, we'll have plenty of food, jump into the pool. She may have a girlfriend handy for you"

          Man I felt sick.

          Pay back on its way, the back of Allen's leg looked pretty good for target practice!

          Allen now had a problem, I felt a bit better. I should have left that prickly animal alone.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING"?

          Oh my, he became a little testy, relief continued to grow.

          A new energy filled within me, a sense of revitalization. Yep I should have left that animal alone, poor Allen.

          I chose to take the lead, the air was so foul in the rear, I became filled with a sense of joy. Sick, and laughing so hard I was no longer worried if I undercooked or overcooked that little critter. Allen had new a concern, "how do we deal with the next ride that may come along?" At that moment I wasn't too overly concerned, I had something to amuse myself, well deserved as well.

          I felt slightly lightheaded. Payback on the way again. Allen steered around the new onslaught, once was enough I believe. This would be the last time I go on a daring adventure with so little in it for me, there would be plenty to eat as well!

          Oh no!

          A small station wagon slowed as it past us by, now what?
A couple minutes ride gained about a mile, and a half closer to home, even with Allen in the back seat it wasn't a pretty sight. The nice gentleman kindly pulled over, and suggested we get cleaned up before the next ride. Allen had a brave soul, he changed his pants without the man knowing, left his pants in the car, too. That was a plus for us!

          Things began to look up. I felt better, laughing, Allen, did too. The rain past us by when two young ladies slowed to a stop, a ride that would last longer than the last one. We made it to our own county line, fifteen miles left in our trek. I'd be home eating a bologna sandwich, I really didn't care what Allen did, he should have done this alone.

          Imagine our luck, an Amish Man picked us up, one horse power alongside the expressway. The passing wind moved faster than our transport, the horse turned back onto a minor roadway. Our situation greatly improved, his lunch nearly complete, and he's not hungry. Oh boy- you guest it, a bologna sandwich. Mine, too.
I never wondered what would be like to ride behind a horse while trying to eat. Until that moment.

          Sometimes the imagination would have been better than the real thing, that sandwich sat for a while.

          It was kind of appealing as we spoke with the man, his German accent was very prevalent, and yet his tone was very gentle. Not what I expected with the many Amish I passed in town, a burly tone within their accents. He spoke of his seven-cow farm, twenty-eight hens along with three cocks (roosters).

          He offered his name as Jacob Miller; Amish people were actually very friendly if one were to take the time to visit with them. He even had a few laughs as we told him of our journey, my shooting skills as well Allen's clean escape. I actually saw Jacob wipe a tear once when he laughed so hard.

          Jacob let us in on one of his family stories; he had two boys one near our age, Ely.

          Ely held a tendency to create trouble, a good spirited boy full of mischief; he liked the wild animal life a little too much. Ely placed a black snake inside an empty milk container one time. Mother came to clean it, not his brother. When mother lifted the lid off, took the emptied container into the milk shed the snake recoiled against her fingers, a shriek like Jacob had never heard before erupted.
Mother was fine. Ely was running for his life. The snake in one hand she carried a small timber for his behind in the other. Ely slipped in the cow manure that caused his fall into a feeder. Mother was right there, beating his behind while she let the snake go across his back. To this day Ely would ensure mother never be involved in his pranks.

          Well, Jacob had to turn off onto the next road. My belly held a bologna sandwich, and a generous slice of cheese, didn't know what kind, it had a strong smell to it though.

          Jacob just said it sat for a while, the taste lingered for quite some time. Allen, and I refused to talk to each other face to face, it was hard enough just to breathe.

          I had a funny feeling Jacob still enjoyed himself!

          I asked Allen if he ever heard of Limburger cheese before?
"Yea, you think that is what we ate?"

          My dad told me the smell could wake the dead, he'd be right! I thought it was the horse when I was eating the cheese, sure was hard to swallow. I wasn't going to be rude as I ate the horse affected cheese. Allen had a kind heart, too. I wished I hadn't eaten that.

          We managed to walk about a mile or so. A '72 Ford pickup slowed ahead on that lonely two lane road, a older fellow kindly offered us a ride, that didn't last too long. We found ourselves walking again. In fact we lost vacancies on two other rides, one fellow had a spark in his heart, a kind of get to the point person if you know what I mean.

          We vacated his car with hurt feelings, his weren't hurt, his nose probably wished he'd never picked us up. I wish I didn't eat that cheese.

          Jacob must have been howling, probably told his friends, and family. Jacob had a sense of humor like his son.

          Nightfall arrived, it's been a long walk. We entered Allen's house. It only took about two minutes. His dad was a burly fellow, kind of mean on the humorous side. He pretty much told both of us where to go in a hurry, too. I called my dad after the phone was handed to me outside of the house.
"Dad, you think you can pick me up over at Allen's house, it's kind of late, long walk, these guys would like to go to bed".

          The phone was taken from my hand.
"Yea, this is Allen senior, your boy can stay here, I'll have him, and Allen sleep outside tonight...these two morons ate Limburger cheese from some Amish man earlier. Your boy ate a hedgehog in Michigan the other day, they thought it was a porcupine. Is this your kid?"