Metropolis, IL; on the banks of the Ohio River, we cross it, and we are in the south (you might say). At least a southern State; Kentucky. From Mt. Vernon we have walked I-57, I-24 and wound up here, I am in the process of setting up camp, or taking a break from it. My plan as of now is to walk to Mississippi, a place were I spent 30 plus years of my life. I worked, lived, played and raise a family there. Although we never called it that, it was our second home. I know the area, but I walk by it every time I pass through the state. I stay clear of the north east area, maybe I want to remember it the way it was. I am trying for Pontotoc Coun
ty to look for the Amish, to find Hope a home. If I have no luck then we will winter in the South and I will go north next spring and find them there. I must get her somewhere she will be safe if I fall ill or time catches up to me.Our hopes of staying in Mt Vernon were dashed as the little community was slowly taken ill by the spread of an unknown virus. I had to get away from there, for I could not risk getting sick and I sure did not want Hope catching anything. I pray they will recover, but it seemed to spread fast. The teenager died a day after I got back with the meds, and the mother was not long for this world. Several others had taken ill along with Banker who told me he was paying for the sin of killing Janice. I told him God does not work that way, but I could not see any hope in his eyes. Regrets haunt even the forgiven and steal peace and joy from them. I hated to say good bye but I have got someone besides myself to look after and I don’t want to let her down. What they had, had all the signs of an intestinal virus cause from bad water, but it was also contagious. Living in the bigger cities may have brought this on, because the sanitation of water is non existent. The mother and son my have been infected in St. Louis in fact the whole town may be infected. This might be the start of another killer, another reason to stay away from the cities.
We have seen no one else the past four days. I had almost gotten soft sleeping in a bed, but it did not take long to get use to seeing the
stars again. At night Hope and I lay on our backs and stare up at the clear night sky. The autumn nights are best for camping, I tell her stories, just like I use to tell my….. I tell her things I have not spoken of in years, she listens, she understands as her head rests on my shoulder. If the world had not changed this little one could have been my great granddaughter, If only I could have seen another generation born to my fam…… I have got to stop thinking of this; these old feelings need to stay buried. I can not change the past, I never will. What is the point of writing if the paper is wet with tears……. I miss you all………but thank God for Hope.Go to Day 1060
