a foot and light hearted

the storryyy

“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road”

Austin ran away from home to become a factory worker during the era of steamboats and steam trains. He grew up on a poor family farm with his two brothers and his adopted sister, all raised by their single mother. George and Austin would help their mom around the house until she met a terrible man who only cared about money and was drunk. mother felt that her kids needed a fatherly figure around the house. But he ended up stealing from the family to gamble to earn money which he had to steal worthy possessions like Vases their mother loved and cherishing ornaments from deceased family members along with money the mother had been saving” to feed her while he was gone. Anytime George and Austin would try to talk to their mother about what the man was doing to their mother’s health and not benefiting the family because he was not a good gambler. She pushed them aside and brushed them off most days she was in bed lying about her sadness and feeling hopeless. In late October the man never came back to the house leaving the house empty of money and the last bit of what the family had. Austin was angry that the man would do that to his own family he wanted to look for that man and show him a piece of his mind. He swore to his mom that he would make the money for the house and leave to be an engineer. His mom did not support this idea, so he snuck out with a feww items late at night to set off on his adventure. He was proud to be doing this, he felt free but knew his purpose. He wanted to have fun and take advantage of it, but he had to remember the why.
“The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”

Walking just walking Austin felt his long legs feel tender his feet were so sore he did not know how far he was to the city. The city was about some hours away, so he had some distance. He knew that this journey was going to be hard, and he though he wanted to give up he kept himself motivated thoughts swirled around his head “maybe...” he thought to himself “I'll find that man...” the kids never knew what the man's name he was came and left often. He continued “ill teach him a lesson.” his thoughts went to the man cause how could he do that knowing his mom the sweetest and kindest and toughest woman he had ever known. He got angry how could he do that to her “HER, does he not have any morals?”
“Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,”
He continued walking, his thoughts swirling like a winter storm in this dark night the stars were out scattered like sprinkles he walked now trying to get away from his mind trying to contact peace. Finding peace of mind of the thought that he was taking the choice to help his family doing what no man could have done for his mother. He planned his city plan “just find an excellent job? It should not be challenging work.” Austin read a book on mechanics he liked the idea of working and getting stressed out by fixing things by hand, instead of stressing about things he cannot fix. Austin did not really know where to start but he knew he had the drive, and he thought his resilience would get him far. Austin is a calm and sensible man His grit and Perserverance and his morals as well as his rational thinking will push him, he was naive but boy did the boy have a drive like no other if it was not his brother, it was Austin. Being young, just turning 17 but with the right motivation to do good for the family kept him going.
“Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,”
Austin sweated, his feet were sore and aching from walking he took a break mile and “years should have gone by” he thought to himself, but he was so close. He kept going, he had to keep a lot of drive to keep going, he was doing this for his family, and he was not going to give up cause a few miles it's for his family anything out of this, was a gain for what he loves most it was just for his mom and his siblings he had known for most of his life. He deeply cared about them, but the journey was hurting his legs he had never walked this far in his life. It had been 8 hours of just heat and exhaustion and he did not take any bottles of water to save some for his family. Everything was close to him at home, but as he did he carried on. He tried not to think about his legs how he felt he kept walking reflecting on his life his emotions and being alone “learn to be alone.” went through his head like a broken radio it repeats in his head like clockwork. “Keep going, you'll be there soon everything takes time.” he kept repeating. The air was thick with heat the sun glazed his sweat the boiling heat of Arizona. He looks around realizing the scene from before is changing. A sharp whistle he heard in the distance. Austin thought he was going crazy “surely I'm just hearing things I mean the journey has been long but not THIS long” but as he walks just even further, he spots a silver paddle something shiny...? Laying in the dirt? Weight... dirt? He walks to see what it was thinking he could just be seeing a rock like a quartz or something like that. He stopped by the object and shock went through his eyes. It was something he felt so joyous to see and had not seen in a good while ...it was a piece of iron. The city was near so near he kept going picking up the metal “it has to be so close for the medal to be here, so close” the piece gave Austin the energy boost he needed he walked jogging at the same time he gathered the rest of his energy to run to the city since he was now at a shorter distance he picked up the pace a little  straining his legs a bit but he didn't care he is so close he started jogging lightly laughing on the way knowing the city was just ahead of him. He then heard a strange sound, sound he had not heard before it was the faint sounds of trains, and “People?!?!” He was there, finally his destination.
“Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,”
As he walked, getting just closer, he was there at the opening gate. He walked ja ogging at the same time he gathered the rest of his energy to run to the city since he was now at a shorter distance. He raced to the city and soon the hard dirt he was feeling was now stone huge signs of color and old wood he saw when he looked up. He could see the skyscrapers and the trees, the people getting into the cars. A mechanic store near gasoline and tires and tools and sweaty men dirty of dirt gas stains on the concrete and car screeches, he was there. Those were going to be his people he imagined himself working there with the men and needing a towel to wipe off his sweat, he imagined only good things, this was a clean slate for him. He thought the men wand were older than him which sort of intimidated him as he was not as strong as they were, a lean young man, and they have more experience than he does right now but there is no harm in learning. “Thier my role models I mean they cannot be bad.” “AYO HAND ME THAT WRINCH” a big man yelled aggressively to another; Austin was surprised at the unexpected yelling but ignored it “perhaps not as kind as expected....” He had never been somewhere so huge. People yelling and selling and women not like his mother were everywhere in long dresses of silk and patterns. His mother did not own dresses like these, she had a ragged home gown she would walk around in, but these ladies were fixating, entrancing, they were like the swans he saw on his walk here by the lakes, graceful.
“Strong and content I travel the open road.”
He walks in and the sounds of steam engines and yelling of the people from every direction fill his ears. Crowded, people were surrounding him, and he felt a little nervous he had never been surrounded by this many people. He tried to fight the crowd by pushing his way through, trying to get out of the crowd that blocked him. “Watch it, you freak” an old man in a business suit yelled at him. The ladies nearby with the dresses started giggling at him, he did not know if it was from the man that dissed him or not, though he was still he was embarrassed either way. “Their laughing from the guy dissing me...” Austin thought. “Yō, right back at you Bruh” Austin looked back at the man and said but the man disappeared in the crowd of top hats “It's not that serious.” Defeated, he kept walking, he did not feel any better, but he was satisfied that he said something, he was hoping the ladies heard him. Sometime past it was close to dinner time, and he was starving, and he walked the city streets trying to look for a wonderful place to really rest his legs “Hey, excuse me do you know a place I could get a bite to eat?” he asked a woman and a man. The woman pointed to a diner up ahead “Rock-a- Doodle's diner, that's the best they serve real burgers not them fake ones.” said the man beside the woman. The man was a tall well-dressed he looked wealthy and rich a top hat and a cane and a smile like no other Austin thought that was going to be him one day he  looked like the men on tv “thank you madam and thank you sir” said Austin thankful for their help as he was confused and being here was really new to him. “of course, goodbye” the wealthy man said in a rushing tone he grabbed the woman. Austin nodded and kept walking as he walked, he overheard murmuring coming from the man to the woman from earlier he looked at them as he walked. The man's hand grabbed womans hand tightly the expression she looked slightly uncomfortable and scared of the man, The man however looked calm with a stone-cold face the woman was nervous. The woman was dressed in a gown that was a dark Burgandy red that was short in the front but long in the back wearing black laced fishnets and heels with a black ribbon tied in the back her long brown hair matched perfectly. You could say she was graceful in a more revealing way, but she was still graceful, given how soft her face was. Austin was getting a good feel for the place he was hooked on how things were here, filled with filthy men.
“The earth, that is sufficient,”
He walked up the roadd to “rock-a doodle’s” diner it was a lively spot with burgers and had a wide range of breakfast, lunch, and dinner “Table 6 ready Table 6!!” a loud man shouted from the counter a red huge tray of juicy burgers fresh from the grill. The oil dripped off the sides of these burgers, the cheese melted into the meat, and the buns were soft and glazed with butter stabbed with a toothpick to keep the art together to the side wherethe soft salty fresh fries hanging off the where stomach roared from seeing it. The hours and he walked catches up to him. He ordered his food, the same meal and sat and ate. His legs relaxed, finally a seat, a breath of exhaustion and pure bliss all at once he looks to the sky at the black ceiling and the bright shines on him. The ceiling was black, it was a large diner with red floors and a wide kitchen with people everywhere, it was a popular spot, filled with everyone you can imagine. Pretty girls were roller-skating and serving hot trays of burgers and milkshakes with steaming hot burgers. “Don't get distracted from your purpose...”
“I do not want the constellations any nearer,”
“table 32? A Rocking Burger and rock in fries?” a worker at rocking doodles says with the lingo of the diner Austin assumed since she was acting as a character. She was a short woman stood confidently amazing posture black skin she wore red shorts and a t-shirt that wrote “We're Rocking It!” Austin shook his head yes as the pretty woman sat his tray before him Austin looked up at her admiring her beauty “Hm?” the woman looked at him catching his gaze “Am I missing something? Austin shook his head no “No it's just nice to um see uh food...” Austin said flustered that she caught him staring. Her face was stern when she asked; he thought she was scary, and her stern face was a cold shock to him. “Oh... okay. Well, you enjoy your food sir.” The woman raced back to the kitchen. Austin ate his food and imagined the young woman as he ate thinking all the better things, he could have said other than “uh food” he rolled his eyes at himself and kept thinking about the city taking in each culture shock one thing at a time. He heard a crash suddenly from the other side of the diner. People started to crowd around the scene. He got up and pushed people softly to see what it was, and it was her, the curly-haired girl that previously served him, she was on the floor with a tray of burgers and fries scattered everywhere along with the large milkshake. “Yeah, that should teach, smart mouth” a larger man spoke up and left the scene. “MOVE! What? Have you never seen a person before???? What?!?!?” she said furiously you could tell she was embarrassed. People started to back away leaving her, but Austin stayed. “Need any help?” Austin asked, she said nothing. Austin grabbed the girl's arm and she proceeded to her up.
“I know they are very well where they are,”
Austin was well reminded of what type of place the city was once again by the man's actions. “You want toto talk about what happened...” Austin said with the same sort of stern that the woman had shown earlier but only more serious in a scary way Austin felt he should do something he was furious of what just happened. The unknown man had pushed her to the ground for no reason in his own point of view. “No. It is fine, go away I know what you are looking for. You are not getting it, move on somewhere.” “Madam, I am not shocked to hear this from you given the situation but I assure you ma’am I have my morals and know very how to treat my women.” he said standing strong in front of her he takes her hand “ everything will be okay..” she looks at him her eyes going from his face to her hands “Who are you?’ she says with a calm tone he could feel her soft hands shaking. a little second guessing she snatches her hand back. “I know very well of men like this, and you are worth so much more then him.” He tells her ignoring her first question “I may not know of you but I believe you are truly a good-hearted person that doesn't deserve to be treated in no other way then kindness my name is Austin, may I ask for yours?” her mind swirls from the air this kind boy is grabbing her hand, French fries and milkshakes on the floor her hair all messy not looking like the girl before, she is vulnerable her armor is knocked. “Crane, my names crane it's a stupid name I know” Austin grabs Cranes hands and whispers to her softly “It's a beautiful name... but not as beautiful as the one that inhabits it though....” she smiles “thank you” Austin helps clean up the mess that guy made her spill it's a quiet crane is as silent as a mother upset Austin could tell by her face something was on her mind “did you know him?” he asked “Pardon me if I'm being to forward. But I hate guys who treat women this way I had half a man for a father” she stops cleaning for a second and starts “no...women today often get treated this by men of higher status, this isn't new..” her face her lowers she continues to clean embarrassed from a woman so strong to someone she felt to be weak, a walking egg shell. Austin grabs her hand and reassures her “you are strong for dealing with them, what happened tell me more.” “He got mad cause-” she stops and takes a second to regain herself “he got mad cause I was standing up for another waitress that guy comes in here often, and he's just the rudest out of them all, he was being mean to my friend, rushing her to get his food calling her names, I stepped in and told him to please be patient it's on its way, he got angry and knocked the tray out of my hands". Austin felt rage inside a small situation to something as big as this he really was sick and tired of the way things were being run here. It reminded him of back home. “Let me tell you about guys that act like that.” Austin said looking at her in the face with a serious expression. “Guys that act like that are insecure, have no sense of morals and are upset that the faults in their lives are because of them, I know exactly the type of men these are, their crybabies.” Austin stood 10x taller saying that finally, finally the words formed that bottle in his chest that he has been dying to say since the day his “father" left him.