At the time, I was just another teenage boy looking for adventure. I had set off across the United States with next to nothing and was returning home in much the same fashion. I was carrying everything that I owned in a rolled-up sleeping bag.
There I was, standing alone, facing the oncoming traffic. My arm was outstretched in the typical hitchhiker pose, trying to bum a ride. The soles of my sneakers were literally melting on the hot asphalt causing me to keep shifting from one foot to the other. The intense Texas sun was also baking my skin and I felt as if I might pass out from the extreme heat!
I must have looked pretty pathetic as car after car passed by me without so much as a glance. Finally, a van came along that slowed as it pulled to the shoulder of the on-ramp and stopped. I ran up to it and opened the passenger door, carefully looking inside.
The driver was a man probably in his thirties with a beard, not a long scruffy one, but neatly trimmed. He asked where I was heading so I told him. He told me that he was going all the way to California so I jumped in and closed the door. I had already done my share of hitchhiking and had come across some pretty sketchy characters. This guy seemed okay.
He appeared to have a medium build and was wearing a tank top, running shorts, and flip-flops. The windows were rolled down, which seemed odd. I don't know if the A/C didn't work or if he just liked the feeling of the wind blowing on him. It didn't matter, at least I was out of the sun and was making progress toward my destination!
"Are you hungry?" He asked.
"Well yeah, kinda." When you are traveling this way you should always be gracious and accept food, even if you are not hungry at the time. You don't always know when you will eat again!
"There are some sandwiches in the ice chest, why don't you reach in there and grab us a couple?" I opened the ice chest that was located on the floor between us and pulled one out for each of us. I unwrapped his and handed it to him, then I bit into mine.
"Ham and Cheese on white bread, it's good! Thank you!" He managed to eat his with one hand while steering with the other. I was famished so I gobbled mine down quickly!
"Go ahead and grab yourself a cold soda or water if you like." Which I did.