I woke up on day 86 at about 6am. It was just starting to light up. Cars were coming into the drive through ATM right in front of me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I had actually slept somewhat decent. I started to pack my things up while I brushed my teeth. Right as I was about to pick up my sleeping bag two cop cars rolled up!
They asked if I was ok. That was a good sign. After the run in with the harassing cops in Louisiana I worry about it happening again. But these guys were really cool. I told them what I was doing and he thought it was really cool. He said as long as I was ok then to take my time and good luck. He also said to be safe in the heat.
I packed up and left. My first trek was over a bridge crossing a lake coming into Dallas. It was cool temperature wise, and the sun still wasn't up. I walked across passing other people jogging and walking for exercise. It was a nice walk and half way across I stopped to watch the sunrise. It was really pretty. Then I kept moving to use as much of the cool weather before it heated up.
I had messaged a man when I woke up who I contacted the day before on Craigslist. He had a jogging stroller for sale for $45. My cart I was using was starting to flex more and more, and was bending from all the weight. Also the wheels were bending and wobbling. So I was gonna need something better before leaving the city.
I had arranged for him to meet me at a burger king and buy the cart from him. So I walked 6 miles or so and got there. Except the burger king was closed and under construction. So I texted him that I would be across the street at a taco fast food joint.
So I never heard back from him. The last text I had was that he was 10-15 minutes away from burger king. Then I never had a response and I waited an hour and a half and never saw him. So I just thought he flaked. The place I was at had no outlets, and I waited there til my stuff died. Then when I took off I ended up walking 7 miles before I found another place to charge. It was an industrial area that didn't have much else.
On my walk I ran into a man and gave him $2. He was thankful and it felt cool as usual to share. And then about 10 minutes later a lady stopped next to me. She had $10 in her hand and asked if I needed money. Since she asked instead of just giving it to me or insisting I take it, I felt guilty saying yes. So I said no, but thank you so much and god bless.
Another 15 minutes up a lady honked at me and pulled over. She handed me $20 through her window and said if I wanted work to ask the car dealerships around there if I could wash cars. I said thank you.
20 minutes later a man pulled over and gave me $7. He said to stop ahead somewhere to get some food. I was very thankful. I was also upset that my battery was dead and that I couldn't get pictures.
So when I reached a McDonald's I went in and ordered a drink and sat down. I was sitting there plugging my stuff in and a man tapped my shoulder and handed me $10. Then he sat in the booth with his friend in front of me. I said thanks. Then as I sat there, I heard them talking about how when they help others they always get it back. So I wanted to tell them how I also experience that. As we talked the guys said if I wanted a shower to go to their shop down the street for a shower. It was east though and would have been a 3 mile round trip without moving west at all. So I said it meant a lot but I was gonna pass. They left and said good luck. The man gave me his card too and said to call if I needed anything.
I texted the guy with the stroller to see if he was still around or what happened. Then he responded and said he would come meet me at McDonald's. So he showed up 10 minutes later. I went out in the parking lot and met him. I handed him $40 for the cart. He asked about where I was going and we talked a bit about that. He seemed to sort of believe me but maybe not completely. And just then a guy walked up and said, "you must be hobo nick?". And I said yeah and shook his hand. Just then the guy with the stroller said "no way". I had no clue the other guy was coming and it was a surprise. So that was funny.
So the guy with the stroller said he was actually a pastor and that he would follow my journey on twitter. Then he took off. Then the other guy said he had an umbrella for me. He gave me a big umbrella and I put it right into my new cart. He also asked if I needed some cash. I said no and that I was ok. He said he had to get going so we shook hands and I headed back into McDonald's. I left the cart outside by the window where I sat.
Then I stayed there most of the day. At one point a girl sat down in the booth next to me and started eating. Then she got a phone call. She ran outside and got into a car with someone and left. She had barely touched her meal. So since I'm out here in survival mode and will do what it takes, I decided to give it 10 minutes. If she wasn't back I was finishing her meal and if she did come back I would face the shame and buy her a new meal. She never came back and I ate for free. It was great. I was happy I noticed that she left.
A little later a black lady was standing next to me watching the tv. Then she said something. So I pulled out my headphones and said "huh?". She was talking about what was going on with the news and that Obama won a lawsuit against states over health care. I think. I don't get into politics so I had low interest. It just angers me.
Well we started talking and she ended asking about me. So again, for the millionth time I told my story. She was so amazed. She ended up sitting down to tell me a story.
She is from Nigeria. And when she was 11 she though she was much better than the other kids in school. She was smarter and stronger. So she really would put them down and wouldn't give them the time of day. The kids would even write her letters to ask why she didn't like them, and asked if they could be friends. She would tear the letters up before reading them in front of their faces. She was a bully and in her mind far superior to them and was not even in the same league to be around them.
She said they had a PE class and all the kids knew that if they said they didn't feel good they didn't have to participate. So one day, even though she felt fine, she said she felt sick and wasn't gonna join. So all the kids left to go change and she was in a big open building laying on a bench. And as she laid there she knew she had gotten away with lying and so she didn't have to be around the inferior kids and could rest.
As she laid there, she heard someone say her name. So she called back and said " how dare you stand on my nose and balance" (which she told me was an english thing as they love their noses so much). Then she heard her name again. And she was all alone so she thought the kids were messing with her and hiding. So she sat up in anger and said "where are you!". Just then she said she felt something right in front of her!... And it said her name loud!.. Then she realized it wasn't the other kids. She was then very frightened! She was so scared and all of a sudden feared something! Something she had only heard about before. She remembered hearing about god and that he will come down to judge us. So she was afraid! She thought he had come to kill her! So she began to cry. She said sorry, she started confessing all her wrong doings. Even though at this time she had never heard of what confessing was or meant. She was confessing mostly about how she treated others poorly. And how she was sorry and would give anything to make it all right.
Then she stopped. And she knew she had to go fetch water right away. Fetching water was hard work there, and she went to fetch water for all the kids she mistreated while they were exercising. She brought them water and was still crying. She called to them and told them to all come and receive the water. So they did. She said the teachers knew she was saved, and she didn't even know what that meant.
Then suddenly one of the girls that was playing was laying down and felt sick. And she was becoming ill fast. So they called the ambulance. Then as they waited and the girl got worse, the teachers had called Julie (girl I met) over. They told her to pray to the god who was sent to her for help. And she didn't want to tell the teachers this, but she had never prayed before. And she didn't know how. So she hesitated. Then blurted out "god help her! Amen." and was embarrassed that it was all she could do. But just then, the girl stood up. And then the teachers told Julie to tell the kids what had happened to her. After she told them she hugged all the kids she ever mistreated. And since that day she was saved.
Since then she came over to America and became an business woman. She went into a store one day to buy a tv, and she walked out purchasing 100 couches and started her own business. She lived in a half a million dollar home and has a worth of 5 million. She showed me stuff to prove it. It was so wild! And she gives all credit to god!
It was a very powerful story. And she was so passionate when she told it. It gave me chills. Very awesome. So I hung out with Julie there talking until 11pm! Then McDonald's closed. She offered to buy me a hotel room for the night but I declined. She even kept pressuring but I did not take it.
So we both left at 11. I walked about 2 miles away to a park. There were some kids around walking but I found a hidden spot where I made my camp next to a bench and a tree. I laid down and was so tired. I ended up falling asleep around 12:30.
