7/14/2015
With heavy curtains blocking out all traces of light, it was easy for my overworked body to remain limp in the large cozy bed. The act of lifting my head from the pillow took an enormous effort. To get myself going, I walked to the restroom and splashed ice cold water on my face. I had a thirty mile day ahead of me and I needed a jolt. Sustenance was necessary to kick off the functions of my brain and my body. My morning started with a couple bowls of cranberry almond cereal. The little berries were sweet and the almonds were hearty. I had been craving cereal for a while so the meal hit the spot.
The day began with plenty of rain and broken patches of sidewalk. I ran past familiar buildings and even spotted the place I had purchased all the material to create Chuck. Every day, on familiar roads, was like déjà vu. Except now I was in reverse. The sidewalks disappeared as I reached the west end of town. I ran through sporadic patches of rain but nothing harsh. The precipitation consisted of sprinkles and mist. I was lucky the motorists were kind that day. Perhaps the majority of them had been returning home from church.
The farmland continued as I approached the end of Ohio. The skies grew darker and darker with each westbound step. I knew I was in a part of the country that was familiar with tornados and it seemed like the conditions were conspiring against me. The heavy dampness of my clothes irritated me for most of the day. I managed to keep my mind on the steps before me and I ended up at the steps of the Marsh Foundation. The collection of buildings housed boys and girls in need of care. It was the perfect place for me to stop since I would be speaking to the kids there the next day. It was a place where I met my good friend Lisa.
Crystal took me back to the Huggy Bear Campground a few miles back. The roads were soaked from all the storms and rain. You place was obviously very fun for kids when the weather was nice. They had miniature golf and large floating rubber slides.
The next morning the large gloomy clouds rolled in and transformed the day into early evening. Once again tornado warnings popped up on the phone. Rain fell in bursts. Crystal and I darted from one building to reach the kids of Clymer Hall. When we stepped inside, the kids lined up to introduce themselves. I took a seat and took in my surroundings.
It was a good day to stay indoors and read one of my books to the kids of Clymer Hall. They asked me to read them the book “Prince Dee’s Soccer Animals”. I had no clue how the reading was going to go because the kids’ ages spanned from ten to eighteen. The kids remained silent throughout the story but when I finished reading, and put the book down, they flooded me with questions and comments. The theme of the story was about being kind to animals and it seemed that everyone had an opinion on the matter. The conversations could have continued all day so Lisa kept us on track. She ushered us to the dining hall where I picked out a bunch of leafy green vegetables. The fresh produce made the inside of my body feel clean. Right after lunch we returned to Clymer where the kids surprised me with a panda cake. After that I made sure each kid received a book.
A window of opportunity presented itself. The clouds parted slightly. I took to the streets and broke through construction barriers. Moments after reaching the outskirts of town, the clouds disappeared. After running through more cornfields, I got steered towards the two lane divided highway. Hello route 30. My feet carried me to the Indiana state line. Crystal and I stopped to celebrate. We had twenty-four states under our belt and we had few obstacles in recent history. I got through twenty-eight miles and stopped just outside of Fort Wayne. We found a large parking lot with very few vehicles. As we rested, the clouds returned. Lightning surrounded us. Every few seconds the sky lit up. The clouds had a constant glow but the lightning was far away; at least it was for an hour. Once the booming thunder indicated the storm was near, rain began to pour. It hit the trailer like an expert drummer. It would beat our metallic shelter throughout the night but I would sleep soundly: as long as the tornado didn’t carry us to Oz.
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