# Riding into Arkansas



## R315 (Nov 26, 2010)

This is an excerpt from my Journal, names have been changed for privacy. 

November 8th or 9th?
Instead of riding all the way down into Little Rock, Dan and I decide to get off at the CC in Van Buren, Arkansas. Our train slows down as we enter the change, we've packed up and walk out onto the deck of our unit. We pass a factory and I see two men watching us as we run off the unit, it's going maybe 3-4 miles an hour. Easy. He's been here before and knows where to sleep, we find the little building and roll out behind it. A good ride from Parsons, Kansas. I stare at the stars for awhile thinking about the trip and doze off to sleep.
The sun is breaking over the horizon when I wake, it's early but Dan is up aswell. We bullshit while he smokes his morning cigarette and I roll up my gear. It's sunday and the plan is to fly, get some money, then get the fuck out of Van Buren. We walk into the oldtown district of Van Buren, it's nice and cozy. Reminds me of my hometown with the brick buildings. I get some cheap coffees down at the corner gas station by the yard. Then breakfast at the Cottage Cafe, a nice southern style family restaurant across from the old train depot. Eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, plus biscuits and gravy for three bucks and some change. It's nice to have some money to indulge once in awhile. 
After this we commence walking up a gigantic hill, I have all my gear on and start to sweat immediately. I'm trudging up the hill like I'm trying to conquer it, I look back and Dan is a good 50-75 yards behind. After about two miles I reach the top, the view is beautiful. I can see the Arkansas river snaking through the autumn explosion of color and hills. Fuck yeah, Arkansas looks great compared to Iowa and Kansas. Still Dan is far back, I sit down and rest until he reaches the top. He laughs at my sorry ass, sweating and panting up there. 
"Get up kid, we still gotta' go down this son of a bitch."
I groan in annoyance, but he gives me a hand up and on we go. 
"Let me tell you a joke." Dan says "Two bulls are at the top of a hill looking down into a valley of heifers. The young one says to the old one, why don't we run down there and fuck one of those heifers? The old bull responds, fuck that, let's walk down there and fuck them all." Then he proceeds to laugh heartily at my expense. I'm the young bull trying so viligantly to get up the hill and he's taking his time and not even winded. Finally we reach the bottom of the hill and Dan goes to fly off the interstate exit. I go to wait outside the filling station and see another traveler outside.
He had so much gear I thought he was traveling with a partner so go up to see if he needs any food. We introduce each other and shoot the shit for awhile, his names Tommy. Missing teeth, dirty as fuck, trying to figure out where the liquor store is. He has some money so declines the food, then I point him in the right direction for to the liquor store.I go hang out by the lake until Dan is done flying. I watch a family playing with their child and swing on the swing set. How lovely, a nice outing to the man made lake next to the interstate and McDonalds, ah memories. 
Dan gets done flying, didn't make out well at all, and I go to fly. I don't like to panhandle, it feels like a lie. I know how to get by without money, but since I've met this guy I do it alot. It feels like I'm eating up my Karma, I don't approve of dishonesty. Ten minutes pass and nothing, then a cute girl rolls down her window and hands me a 5 with a big smile. That's better. No sooner than a minute after that some hillbilly on the other side of the street drives by shouting, "Get a fucking job, you fucking piece of shit". Verbatim. Then a second later, another one. It strikes me really deeply for some reason, I can't do this anymore. As I pack up to leave a lady pulls over with an Arbys bag and a bag filled with hygiene stuff. "God Bless you" she says driving off.
I tell Dan and he tells me not to worry, but I'm getting really worked up over it. I listen to the radio for awhile to cool down. I was really upset, I don't know why, maybe that sentiment resonated within me. I could do better than this, I'm competent. But then I think about the anger in those shouts, the hatred channeled directly at me. That's one of the reason's I hate to fly, all the venom and bad energy directed towards me .Whatever it was the music helps and I eat my sandwich. That lady kicked it down bigtime. Dan comes back after not getting anything and a lady outside the filling station offers to give us a ride back to where we came from. 
We get dropped off and start walking back to the yard. Dan grabs a bite to eat at Sonic and then we head to the yard. We had stashed some of our gear early across the tracks where we slept, and I go to retrieve it. As I cross I look to my left and sitting there is a DPU for a coal train. Holy fucking shit, that's our ride outta' here. I quickly cross the tracks, grab the gear and tell Dan the news. There is only one problem, further down the line is another train withing plain sight. The train is around a bend and we move down to where we are out of view of the other train.
We climb over out of sight to the other side of the train and wait for it to move. The plan is to wait for it to start moving, catch the first ladder until we are around the bend, then run up the side into the cab. The yard office is supposedly on the side we'll be running up so it has to be quick. Psssst. Airbrakes, the train lurches forward slowly. I hear the train behind us moving towards us, this will have to be a well timed operation. I'm further down the tracks and watch Dan run and catch on. The unit comes closer and I jog along side it then grab the ladder and hang on. We're both crammed on the steps waiting to cross the bend then he makes his move. We run up the side quickly, he throws open the door and gets in. I throw my uke in, then loosen my pack straps and pull it in sideways. Fuck! It's too damn wide to fit in. I pull and yank till it finally comes inside. Another train is right next to us before I close the door. I start to panic thinking an engineer saw us.
"Don't worry kid, it's empty" 
It's our train from last night, still sitting there waiting for a crew to bring it back to life. We gain speed and eventually leave the yard. We sit on the floor talking about the day and our plans. Then I sit up in the seat and watch Arkansas fly by, it's beautiful scenery. The Natural State, it really shows out here. Eventually we snake alongside the Arkansas River during sunset. I love these moments of serenity on a train, just pure nature and the throbbing beat of the tracks beneath you and the roar of the engine. I open the window and let the cool dusk air pour in, what a fucking day. As darkness overtakes the view I close the window and we both roll out on the coal ridden floor. We'll be in Little Rock early in the morning, then from there whatever feels right.


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