Excerpt from A Walk Across Florida by Bob Kranich
I was now on Summerland Key and I was about to be really surprised. I was nearing a gas station with a fairly large gravel drive. A big Greyhound bus pulled off from behind me and pulled into the drive parallel to the highway.
As I came along side, the door opened.
“Hey, where you going? What are you doing?” the bus driver asked.
“I’m hiking to Key West,” I said as I went over to him and looked up into the bus.
“I’ve been seeing you at least two times every day, when I come down from Miami in the afternoon on my way to Key West, and then when I go back in the morning. Get on and I’ll give you a ride to Key West, no charge!”
By this time the bus passengers and even people at the gas station were looking, in fact staring.
“Sir, I’m really grateful for the offer. In fact I don't know what to say. It’s just that I’m hiking from Georgia to Key West, and I have to keep on walking it.”
“Wow that is really something else!” he exclaimed, “I’ll be a wild man! Well, good luck and take care.”
He closed the door, fired up the bus and pulled out, hesitated slightly, crossed the highway and shot off in a blast of black diesel smoke and a roar!
I was really taken back, What a nice offer!
I noticed a lonely phone booth standing like a sentinel along the road by a telephone pole. It gave me the idea to phone my Uncle Norman and Aunt Dolores. I had talked to them before I left and by now they were probably wondering if I was still heading their way.
“Hello, Aunt Dolores, It’s me, Bob.”
“Yes Bobby, is that you?”
“ It sure is.”
“We knew you were in the Keys. Yesterday one of the men Uncle Norman works with had been out for a drive and saw a guy with a red pack walking along the road. By his description, we knew it was you!”
“Well I should be along tomorrow afternoon if everything goes ok. So take care and tell Uncle Norman I said hello.”
I hung up and got back into my pack straps. This was the first realization that my adventure was fast drawing to a close.
About the Author: After getting out of the Army Bob Kranich backpacked from the Georgia border to Key West in a 40 day adventure walk across Florida. His recently published book A Walk Across Florida is available from his website or Amazon.com
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