Like Juicy Sweet Florida Oranges or Running With Them Chickens!
Years ago.... around the early 80's... I was making a run in my Fire Engine Red 76 Torino.. With yellow flame decals on the side panels From Key West Up to Atlanta,,,
the wires on two of the radial tires were exposed.. they were kind of bald too. I was cruising along through Citrus Country in Central Florida and I see this Kid Hitch Hiking... What the Hell Looks harmless enough... I guess I will give him a ride.
He gets in the car and as we are traveling thru he tells me his story over the roar of the glass packs... He was from Tennessee and had been working at a Chicken Farm, I guess he had grown discontent as often young men do , and decided to head for the greener Pastures he found then alright in Florida's Citrus Belt.... where he landed a job picking oranges for a loss.
The Poor Fucker..... He found himself in one of them there migrant camps.. with the camp store and lodging provided.. and if you did not pick enough oranges , well...... soon enough your bill starts to outweigh your profit margin.... as you have to pay for your sleeping cot as well...
He said he had escaped the migrant labor camp a day earlier and was afraid the Master would catch up with him and give him a beating. Oh yes, and a Very White Boy he was too............ this is in 1980's not the 1880's .
And to further his wretched story the previous person to pick him up was in a pick up truck ... so he threw his pack in the back and hopped in the cab... The driver says you look hungry man ? How about we stop at McDonalds and you run in and grab us a a couple of burgers I will buy?........ and the driver handed the kid $5.00.....
The kid buys some burgers and fries with the $5.00 inside of McDonalds and the pick truck then squeals off with his Pack and all his shit in the back... as he just steps outside the burger joints doors...... ha ha pretty funny right? I figure he ate the burgers, I wonder how they tasted?
So here he is...........or there he was..... We made Atlanta... and I had a little Down stairs Hovel... where down the street was a bar , a venue where the Atlanta Rhythm Section would sometimes play. ... I watched Paul Goddard the Bass Player hit up on Oxygen , wow! they could jam, champagne or not.... I met a Sexy Red headed Georgia Peach there once She gave me the eye and Scabies not once but twice it was worth it a scratch that itched so good, any way, back to the kid, I said, look man you can crash on my couch and wash your clothes.. and we can chow down on some food and then tomorrow I will take you up to the Freeway and you can hitch hike up to Tennessee ...
He was like O.K.............
As I told him, I would, the following day I took him up to the Free Way entrance.. as he was getting out of the car and as we were getting ready to part ways he looked over at me and said...... " Man, I am going home back to Tennessee and Run With Them Chickens"
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