Bobby was sixteen when he fell in love for the first time. He walked Ruth home after school, took her to the movies, and spent more time with the tall brunette than with his other friends. Bobby was always cracking jokes and having fun, but he managed to stay out of trouble. His father was the preacher of a medium-sized Baptist church, as well as a butcher at the Piggly Wiggly Store. They lived in the small town of Providence, Kentucky, the year was 1956, and everyone knew everyone else.
The center of town was located at the intersection of the two main streets, and it was a common gathering place when anyone was looking for something to do. Bobby went to the intersection one day to meet his cousin, Clarkie. Clarkie and his family recently had moved back from Lakeland, Florida, where Clarkie had his first paying job at a bowling alley setting pins.
When Clarkie met Bobby at the corner, he instantly knew something was wrong. "Bobby, you look like you lost your best friend. Is everything okay?"
"No."
"You want to talk about it?"
"No."
Clarkie knew at once that Bobby had broken up with his girlfriend. "You want to do something?" he asked, hoping to take Bobby's mind off his ex-girlfriend. "We can find the guys and play ball."
Bobby surprised him by saying, "I feel like getting away for a while."
Clarkie was fifteen and an experienced traveler. He had hitchhiked down to eastern Tennessee earlier that year to visit his sister, saving the bus fare his parents had given him for the trip. He felt confident that he could travel anywhere. "Where would you like to go? Florida is nice this time of year."
"Anywhere, I just need to get away." His girlfriend had just broken up with him, and he did not want to talk or think about it. Leaving home and running away seemed like an easy way to fix things.
"How much money have you got?" asked Clarkie.
"Five dollars. How about you?"
"Let's see," Clarkie said as he searched his pockets. "Fifty cents."
It was early fall, and a cold snap was coming. Clarkie thought about the weather and said, "Highway 41 is only a mile out of town. If we make it down to Lakeland, I could get my old job back at the bowling alley. There is a lot to do in Lakeland."
"Okay, let's go," said Bobby.