Last friday, when i got bored of working continuously for past three hours, i decided to take a short break to have a walk to the parking lot of library (from where i work most of the time). Two bicycles were parked by the library's entrance. The handles were hinged to the main door of library, and a couple, in their early 30's, were sitting under the shaded area by the entrance to avoid the direct sun. It was an unusually hot day for a typical February day in Florida. While i was looking at the unshaved beard of the guy and the girl, who was eating a bowl of half-cooked rice in a transparent bowl filled partially with water, a small dog came waging his tail around the parked bicycles. The couple had attached a small cabin to tow with their bicycles for their pet.
I approached the guy who was still looking lost staring at his dirt-filled nails under sun. He signaled me to tell that they both were deaf, so couldn't understand a word spoken by me. I, somehow moving my hands randomly, asked them from where were they riding the bikes, He told they'd been riding their bikes from Georgia and South Carolina's border and were planning to go till St Pete's beach (roughly 70 miles south from their current location). Upon asking further, he told that they were basically from New York and drove down in car to Georgia. They sold their car in Georgia and from the money collected, bought a pair of bicycles and other stuff to sleep at night. They had tied a tent and few clothes at the back end of one bicycle and the dog's cabin was tied to another. They had a box full of rice in the tied cabin and i assumed they were munching those uncooked rice from the bowl half filled with water. They were talking to each other using hands. I asked how do you manage to eat and sleep while riding bikes for days. They understood what i was asking after attempting repeatedly to convey. They were eating the rice from the box and were sleeping in tent in parking lots at night. No wonder looking at their faces and clothes, one could assume they hadn't had shower for over a month.
I offered them to pay for their lunch, though not in a forthright manner to make sure not to offend them with my offer. After thanking me couple of time for the offer, they graciously accepted it. I took my car from the parking lot and went to the nearby subway store. It was still around 2 in the noon, so there were few in the queue at the store. I packed two separate subs, asking them to put everything they had in store. When i came back to library after fifteen minutes, they were still sitting on cemented floor outside the entrance. The girl was playing with her dog, while the guy went to the restroom to wash his face. They thanked me a couple more times. They told me they're planning to stay at St Pete's beach for a month and then would head back to NY on the bikes. Since it would be summer by the time they'll start riding up north, the weather wouldn't pose much difficulty for them. While still surprised with their decision to ride all the way up from NY, I came back into the library slowing walking towards my desk. I was happy i could help them (though in smallest possible manner) with one-time's meal for a day on this arduous journey of theirs.
I approached the guy who was still looking lost staring at his dirt-filled nails under sun. He signaled me to tell that they both were deaf, so couldn't understand a word spoken by me. I, somehow moving my hands randomly, asked them from where were they riding the bikes, He told they'd been riding their bikes from Georgia and South Carolina's border and were planning to go till St Pete's beach (roughly 70 miles south from their current location). Upon asking further, he told that they were basically from New York and drove down in car to Georgia. They sold their car in Georgia and from the money collected, bought a pair of bicycles and other stuff to sleep at night. They had tied a tent and few clothes at the back end of one bicycle and the dog's cabin was tied to another. They had a box full of rice in the tied cabin and i assumed they were munching those uncooked rice from the bowl half filled with water. They were talking to each other using hands. I asked how do you manage to eat and sleep while riding bikes for days. They understood what i was asking after attempting repeatedly to convey. They were eating the rice from the box and were sleeping in tent in parking lots at night. No wonder looking at their faces and clothes, one could assume they hadn't had shower for over a month.
I offered them to pay for their lunch, though not in a forthright manner to make sure not to offend them with my offer. After thanking me couple of time for the offer, they graciously accepted it. I took my car from the parking lot and went to the nearby subway store. It was still around 2 in the noon, so there were few in the queue at the store. I packed two separate subs, asking them to put everything they had in store. When i came back to library after fifteen minutes, they were still sitting on cemented floor outside the entrance. The girl was playing with her dog, while the guy went to the restroom to wash his face. They thanked me a couple more times. They told me they're planning to stay at St Pete's beach for a month and then would head back to NY on the bikes. Since it would be summer by the time they'll start riding up north, the weather wouldn't pose much difficulty for them. While still surprised with their decision to ride all the way up from NY, I came back into the library slowing walking towards my desk. I was happy i could help them (though in smallest possible manner) with one-time's meal for a day on this arduous journey of theirs.
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