Doigt. - Le doigt de Dieu se fourre partout.
Gustave FLAUBERT

Day 66

am (HOT)

pm (Like an Hurricane)

Rides = 4
Arrival = New York
KM travelled = ?
$ spent = $0.00
Time passed on the road = ---7 pm
km walked = 7

We drove all night, actually Dale drove all night. There were only two seats in his truck plus a small sleeping area in the back. Byron, Teresa and I took turns sleeping. I was in the passenger seat and Byron and Teresa were in the bed, then an hour later Theresa would come into the front seat and I would be in the bed with Byron, and then a hour later Byron would get up and take position in the front while Teresa would join me in the bed, and so on. Dale kept driving and smoking and talking with whomever happened to be seated beside him. He had bought beer for us, 'the passengers.' We drank them and relaxed into the journey. That was how the day passed, eating the road north and rotating the bodies. Around six in the evening - I was in the back with Teresa - there was a huge commotion, I mean HUGE. Teresa was up on her knees in the bed, Byron was yelling, almost standing up on the front seat. Dale was looking at the road and at us at the same time. I was in the bed, surprised by all of the fuss. I thought that we were having an accident, or that we had hit something or somebody. My heart was beating fast, having been woke up so suddenly. I didn't have a clue of what was going on. There was a lot of swearing.

Byron: You fucken Bastard, you put your goddamn hand in my girl's pants!

Me: What?

Byron: You put your fucken hand in her pants!

Teresa: Yeah, I was just sleeping and then he grabbed my crotch.

Me: I didn't do anything, I didn't!

Byron was trying to jump onto the bed, he wanted to punch me. Dale was handling his truck the best that he could while holding Byron by the back of his shirt and yelling, "Everybody calm down, calm down!" We came down to a full stop and there, while the sun was setting, we came to some sort of consensus. It was agreed that the best course of action was for me to disembark right away. I took my side bag, my hat, my blanket and jumped out of the truck. Dale wished me good luck and they left. I was on side of the highway near New York City and I had a dime in my pocket. The highway was super busy and the sunset was unreal. I got a lift with another truck and then made my way to the big bus station downtown. I joined the dozen of other people that were already sleeping along the walls of the large corridor.

4:30 am
"Everybody UP, UP, UP!"
Two policemen were pushing sleepers with their long night sticks and yelling, "Everybody UP, UP, UP!" If a sleeper was not responding to the policemen's voice he would get a good whack on the head or on the side. I saw them coming and I managed to move before I got hit. It was strange, the two policemen were like Biblical characters, parting the crowd as if it was the red sea. Their sticks were the Commandments and their power over us came from God. The funny thing is that we all moved to the other side of the corridor along the other wall and went back to sleep. It was a routine thing, "If they look like they are resting, poke them."

- Daniel


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