Once again it was predicted that the heat would
increase. Our youngest had put the air conditioning on June 11th before
she’d flown to L.A. for our oldest daughter’s graduation. Since we had no more
pets, my only concern was our youngest daughter’s comfort in the ability to
sleep on those hot humid New Jersey nights.
Knowing this would be a 553-mile drive, I decided to
get in a 10-mile run before I headed towards home. Too, I didn’t have to be at
work till June 24th, laundry, unpacking and food shopping would be
my priorities. More relaxed now that we didn’t have heat-sensitive pets to care
for.
I got up just after five in the morning, did my exercises,
put down a quart of water, and sipped coffee while watching the weather
channel. I knew that most likely I wouldn’t be heading into a hailstorm or a torrential
rainstorm as well. I was grateful for that. So, I took my time on my run, then
got checked out after chowing down another two free yogurts before heading
home.
The town was quieter that morning, as if it hadn’t
been such a happening place just hours before in the evening. I got on OH-2 then
to S. Wheeling Street which lead me to the I-280S ramp towards Cleveland. Less than
ten miles later I was on I-80E, the Ohio Turnpike for 76 miles headed towards
Youngstown.
At the time the drive seemed uneventful as I entered
each section of I-80E with varying names and construction speed limits that
varied. I’d been switched via my car’s GPS from I-80E to CR-18/Mahoning Ave
then back onto I-80E which became the ZH Confair Memorial Highway where I
remained travelling on for 311 miles before reaching the Delaware Water Gap on
I-80E. Soon, I’d arrived in New Jersey.
However, getting to that point there was an event which
became interesting. Somewhere about 150 miles before the New Jersey border a
tractor-trailer drove up on top of a pickup truck’s small empty trailer and affected
another tractor-trailer. I know the driver of the pickup truck was taken away
by ambulance. We were at a dead stop for about an hour. In that hour, I watched
people get out of their cars and well—you know.
As time passed, I wondered if anyone was alone and in
a talkative mood. I didn’t want to use my phone. I wanted a ‘live’ person.
Suddenly, my wish came true. A middle-eastern man was walking near my car. I
called out, “Yah see anything Sir?” He came over, nodded and said, “Yeah. Look
at this. He’d walked up to the accident site and taken pictures. It was
unbelievable.
Needless to say, we hit it off. We chatted for about a
half hour. We talked about driving through different states, wrestling,
fighting and running. He wrestled in high school in South Carolina and now
lives in Ohio. I think he also went to college there and wrestled some. I know
he had done some Jujitsu. He’s trying to get his running back. Yet, he expressed
the shin pains he was having. I gave him an exercise and had him go up on YouTube
and look me up for calf and foot exercises. He was grateful. Just as we were
talking about long distance running even more, we saw traffic begin to move. We
shook hands and said ‘good-bye’.
The pause of driving and speaking with the
thirty-something young man freshened up my mind. It was quite enjoyable. Before
I knew it I was nearing home. I’d arrived to a cool yet empty home as our
youngest was working till just after seven that evening.--- Jody-Lynn Reicher
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