Spoon in the Road - Chapter 24
A Novel by Ben Bonkoske
Chapter 24
The walk back to the Appalachian Trail was uphill. Although walking is what most of this journey consisted of, it may be the most boring part to explain. The entire trail began to melt together besides a few gorgeous views and awful climbs up mountains. I love nature, but just like anything, there is a law of diminishing return, and when you are overexposed your mind begins to think a different way.
I would never know how long I would go without seeing another person. Sometimes I would get spurts of energy and just start dancing. Since I was so deep into the woods, I didn’t have any internet, I would just sing to myself. It was like I was going crazy, but really I was just allowing myself to feel the freedom which the constraints of the real world hold against other people. I would talk out loud to myself. Sometimes I would just mutter ideas, and other times I would have full on conversations between different parts of my head and its consciousness.
Really, I was just confused and unsure of what I was going to do in New York once I got there. I didn’t have a place to stay. Staying in a city is much different than being in the woods and I had heard it was an extremely dangerous city. I tried not to focus on these parts and to think about the things that I had going for me.
It wasn’t about what I had done, it was about what I could do. Who knew? I knew. I knew I could do things that I wanted to regardless of what anybody thought. I lived in my own world. I am someone who deeply believes in the idea that if you think it, it can happen, or at least something good will come of it. I have been put in extraordinary situations by just allowing my brain to have the assurance that everything is going to be alright. I felt so trapped before, as if college was the only option that I was given after high school. Things were different.
I saw a young man, with a long blonde ponytail and a baby face with peach fuzz coming out of it where a beard should be. He was sitting on a tree stump.
“You mind if I sit down next to you?”
“Not at all man.”
“Where you coming from?” I asked.
“I’m Southbound, I’m from Georgia. How about yourself?”
“I’m coming from Asheville, North Carolina.”
“I just spent a few days in Asheville.”
“You did?” I asked.
“Yeah man, cool place. Pretty hip town.”
“So you’re in college, eh?” He winked with a grin. He was about my age.
“Yup,” I said, with accustomed lowered eyebrows. “It’s worthwhile,” I exhaled ashamedly.
“I’m not going. It sounds like it sucks. It’s stupid.” He crossed his arms.
“Well, technically, you can’t really say that.” I waved my little finger.
“Evidently, I can, man.”
“Well. Yes. It does suck. I might not go back,” I said.
“How long have you been enrolled?” he asked.
“Two years.”
“Why would you not go back?” He switched tone.
“Why do you care? I thought college is for stupid people.”
“Well, it is. But that’s just because it takes four years. If you're already halfway there why don’t you just finish. You're done with all the core classes anyways.”
“See this is what I meant. You think college sucks for a completely different reason than why it does.”
“Probably. I haven't been.” He responded.
“Well, don’t just visit.” I suggested.
“We should get stoned.” He grinned.
“Yeah, man. We should.”
He reached in his pocket, packed a small orange bowl, and we began smoking. To be honest, I don’t really remember what we talked about after that. I’m sure it was nothing “important”, but all the same, the most sincere things to talk about with someone. He was only eighteen and was lonely since he didn’t see anybody going the same way as him. I told him how unprepared I was, too, even with all my priming.
“How does it look ahead?” I asked.
“Do you not have a trail book?”
“No, I don’t, but I’ll probably be ok.”
“Here, I have some old sheets from mine, since I’m going the opposite direction as you, you can have them.”
I began to read through the sheet. It suggested I had a ways to go until The Barn. I wasn’t worried though, there was a shelter about an eight mile fight from where I was.
“Listen man, there isn’t a good place to drink for a while after this, so fill up here.” I took his advice and when I was done, we both went on our own ways.
As I walked, I began to see a short dirt road. The sun was still up, and the day was mystical. I was glad to be in the forest and felt freer than ever. That’s when I made the horrible decision to call Don since I had made a little progress.
“Hello,” He yelled quietly.
“Hi dad, how are you?”
“I’m good. Are you ready to come home? I think it’s been long enough.” I could tell in his voice that his initial rage had worn off, but he was still mad.
“No, I was just calling to let you know, everything is alright, and I’m happy out here.”
“Well, call your mother. She is worried sick.”
“Good to hear from you. I’m so glad you are happy I’m happy.”
“Alright, Goodbye.” He never listens to what I am actually trying to say.
I tried calling my mother, but she didn’t pick up. She never does. So I tried my sister. She sounded unconcerned. It seemed she had something to get back to, like a television show or something.
After we hung up, a huge car with a gigantic horse on the back in a stall rolled up. Horses are such gracious animals. However, they can be quite large. Immersed in the beautiful golden bronze thick mane, I was in awe of the horse’s grace when I heard from behind me, a girl and her brother, followed by the gallop of a much smaller animal.
“Oh, hey,” I hugged Kendal.
“Hey Cheerio.”
The puppy hopped on my knees.
“What took you guys so long?” I said, easily tackled.
“We got caught up behind a bear. Apparently, there are more walking around at the moment, so we have to be careful if we are going to make any progress.”
“I ain’t afraid of nothing. I have my sword with me and I know a brutal way to kill one if it attacks.”
“We’re saved,” she lowered her eyelids.
I got up from playing with the adorable thing, and we all took a moment to witness the animals around us. The bear, the horse, and the dog. We decided the three of us would progress together, but very slowly. Her brother stared at me and made a strange observation while looking out for wild bears.
“After seeing that mama and her cub, we’re gonna have to call home.”
I guess if you were on the road for a month, you’d miss your mama too. I wasn’t afraid of getting mauled, but I never saw the beast. The sun was beginning to set on the day.
I passed a campsite, and then another one where Kendal and her brother decided stay for the night. I wanted to get to the next shelter, but it was beginning to get dark.
I kept walking until I just couldn’t anymore, and it kept getting steeper and steeper. I had had it for the day, but when you’ve had it, and where there is a good spot for you to rest, does not always match up. I came across a man who was tenting with his wife in their underwear.
“Do you know where the next shelter is?” I asked trying not to affront anyone.
“It’s about two miles more, but there is a campsite in about a half mile.”
I’m sure they intended to be away from people and that’s why they were camping in the inconspicous spot they were, half naked. I needed to to go as far as I could, but all the same, it had been another long day, after long day, after long day and my body craved rest.
I thought I would be able to make it the two miles but once I got to a flat campsite, I was so angsty, exhauisted, and sticky from the humidity that in no way was I in the mood to go any further.
However, best of all, when you get to camp, that is also not as far as you go for the day. You have to set up your tent, and make dinner and build a fire which I guess are close to the same things adults have to do after a long day of work. They make dinner, clean up, and wash the dishes.
I looked around and there was what appeared to be a large fire. I was thankful that I didn’t have to make one myself tonight. I setup my tent as usual but the ground was very unsteady. My tent was on slightly slanted ground, but I didn’t care by the time I was done setting up. I stuffed everything inside lazily and proceeded over to the fire.
There was a huge log roasting over the pit, and three men all drinking from different shaped bottles of what appeared to be whiskey.
“Howdy men,” I nodded as I approached.
“Helluva evening for a fire ain’t it.” The alpha, older male called back.
“Glad it’s already been built.”
“Go ahead.” The youngest of the three said.
I began to boil my water.
“Are you running away?” The alpha asked.
“Not really.”
“Cause if you’re running away, you're not going to make it. Hahaha.”
“I’m not really a hiker. I’m just going to New York.”
“New York is a long way from here friend. ” The beta said.
“You’re not gonna make it.” The alpha eyed me sipping his drink.
“I like to think of it as walking home.”
They all took deep sips of their whiskey.
“Hey, I like that. You might make it after all.” He tipped his hat.
I was so hungry I was munching on the last of my few granola bars. I really had lost a substantial amount of weight in a shockingly short amount of time. The water had come to a boil and I poured in the potato mixture and stirred it.
“I remember seeing these punk ass kids, who were carrying lawn chairs on their backs. Like, Yeah, we're just gonna walk to Maine with this on our backs. Yeah right.” The alpha said.
“They had Coca-Cola twelve packs. That kinda weight ain’t making it far.” The beta said.
“Yep, that’s wild,” I said with a mouth full of food.
I sorta liked these guys, but they were just new faces somewhere new. I finished up my dehydrated mashed potatoes and filled up again for some ramen. They began to pull out cigarillos and smoked them. It was peaceful, and it all had a nice aesthetic in the woods, smoking and all, but I had had a long day smoking myself. I wasn’t too interested after they had been so doubtful of my quest.