Many years have passed. I don't think of this often. But now, with all of this emphasis on gay pride and such, I have to share my story, hoping that it will help to protect other young people before they find themselves getting in my situation.
The summer I was twelve or thirteen years old, I attempted to run away from home. Suffice it to say that my so-called father was constantly submitting me to all kinds of abuse, beating me with his fists -- things like that. It’s possible that I could have deserved some of it -- but not all of it!
Late one hot summer night I decided to go to a friend's home in Indiana. I had no plans. I just wanted to get away. I had done something, whatever it was; that I knew would get me another beating when I got home.
I hitched a ride from East Memphis to Covington, Tennessee. By now it was very late. I couldn't get a ride, so I started walking north on Highway 51. The idea was just to get as far away from Memphis as I could. I walked about 15 miles to Ripley.
It was probably about 2 AM or so. A man who was obviously very effeminate stopped and offered me a lift. He said that he would put me up for the night. Knowing better, I said "sure." We drove for a couple of miles and pulled up in front of a motel. As soon as he stopped in the parking lot I said "thanks" and took off. I hid behind a small store for a few minutes until I was sure he was gone.
I kept walking north on Highway 51. I found an all-night gas station. The attendant could see I was tired. He let me sleep in the office sitting up with my arms folded over the back of a chair until about 7 AM.
I had about a dollar in change in my pocket. I bought some cheese crackers out of a vending machine for 5 or 10 cents. I thanked him and took off again.
After two days of hitching rides and walking I managed to get almost 500 miles from Memphis to just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. I had been able to stretch my money by eating a cheese cracker once in a while and finding water wherever I could.
As is usually the case in Indianapolis in the summer, it was raining and raining and raining. About the time I was soaked to the bone, a man in an old Plymouth stopped to pick me up. He asked me where I was heading. I told him I was going about fifty miles north of Indianapolis. He said he was headed that way and that he would be glad to take me as far as he could.
I was tired. I zoned out for a while. As I reawakened, I noticed a small booklet sitting on the seat between us. I picked it up and looked inside. In 1957 it would have been considered to be pornography. I blushed and put it back down.
I began to feel uneasy. It didn't seem like we were headed in the right direction. I noticed a large creek or a river off to the right about a quarter of a mile. It was tree-lined and desolate. Just about that time he started to slow down like he was going to turn off. Sure enough he started down a steep unpaved access road just off of the highway. Now the car was headed down a hill of about 30 degrees or more, I threw open the door and bailed out. The hill was so steep that he couldn't turn around until he got to the bottom. I ran as fast as I could back to the highway. Over my shoulder I could see him spinning his tires trying to get back up the hill.
It was still raining cats and dogs. Just about the time he got back up on the road, a car stopped to pick me up. This young couple had seen the last few seconds of my attempt to get out of there. They knew something was up. The man who had picked me up earlier started to follow them.
After I told them what was happening, the young man sped up to stay ahead of the driver behind us. He followed at a distance for several miles, until we got near a police station. Then he peeled off.
We drove a few more miles until we got back to the right highway. I convinced them I would be OK. They gave me five bucks, wished me well and dropped me off. Within less than an hour I was at my friend's house.
At the end of the day his parents said that I couldn't stay. I heard them call my dad. I went out the back door and headed back to Memphis. I figured I would try again another day.
Escaping from two child predators within a day or so of each other helped to provide me with a set of tools that would come to my rescue several times in the years ahead.
It took several tries, but eventually I was successful.
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