Hitch hiking

WHy did I go off hitch hiking? When did I become averse to it? Catching, and paying, for a bus from the airport to Frankfurt Mein. Why? Heading off to Karlsruhe I found myself once again tempted to take the train. Why? No hassle was one reason. Embarrassment of rejection another. Thankfully though, reason came through and I soon found myself standing proudly in a gutter, thumb erect to test the wind of the day, a stupid grin stuck to my face and a both a hopeful smile and doubtful grimace visible in the depths of my eyes.

A bus from the airport goes past.
The driver waves with a smile.

Some girls in a car drive past.
They toot, wave and offer a smile.

An old man putters past.
He shakes a finger and wrinkles his knowledged brow.

Beeeeep! A horn sounds behind me. I turn to see two cars waiting just down the road. 15 minutes has passed.

A garden designer picks me up. Nice man. We drive to the next town. Nice man. We get lost and enter and exit the town four times in the next hour. Nice man. He drops me at a rest stop near the autobahn at the end. Nice man.

I wait 3 minutes.

A campervan pulls out and then back in again. A man climbs out and invites me in. He has been drinking. He talks a lot. The driver has little to say. I smile and nod. I understand little. The noise of the road muffling. They drop me in Heidelburg city. A city is not a good spot for a hitch hiker.

I walk to a road leading away from society. I wait 5 minutes.

A lady pulls over 3 lanes to reach me. But we are heading different places. We are heading nowhere. She suggests a sign. Idea. I make one with pen and paper. ‘KARL’ it reads. I wonder if some think it is my name?

I wait 5 minutes.

A guy from Cameroon pulls over. Good music. We drive off. His place is close to mine. The car steams on the autobahn so we pull in for water. He offers to take me to the train station. Only 20 minutes to Karlsruhe from there. “No thank you” I respond. I’m dropped next to a road heading to Karlsruhe.

I wait 2 minutes.

A truck pulls over. A man leans over and opens the door. A big black face greets me. White teeth and shaggy hair. Bad breath. But he has a bone and so ignores me mostly. Just chews at it while the driver and I swap pointless tales. He’s a carpenter. His dog is a mongrel. I help deliver some furniture. He drops me on my street.

I walk to Kim’s. I’m couch surfing her place tonight. She invites me in but we are soon off again. This time to her friend’s place to play board games. 3am comes and goes. Time for bed. My couch awaits. She has a dog too. A ridgeback. Nice dog.