“Man walks 20 miles to work until one day, a cop follows him and sees why. But before we start, please make sure to subscribe to ‘Did You Know’ and hit the bell, so you never miss an upload from us. Also, leave a like right now. The cop car pulled up alongside him, but he continued to plot forward. But the cop car continued to follow. He had to make it, 10 miles to go, and he’d be safe. He looked at his watch and walked faster, his legs burning as he powered on, but there was no deterring this policeman.
Walter car had moved to Homewood, Alabama with his mother after tragedy struck. They had hoped to rebuild their lives after their home was destroyed by the monster Hurricane Katrina and wanted a fresh start. Walter was a twenty-year-old student, but he was determined to work to support his mother. Little did he know just how hard that would prove to be.
Walter had heard that there was a position available at Bellhops, a moving company about 20 miles away from where he lived. It was far to travel, but he had his trusty old car, so he drove over and filled in the application and was lucky to get an interview right then and there. He shook the hiring manager’s hand and agreed to start the very next day if only it were so easy.
Just a few feet away from his driveway, his old car spluttered to a halt. Walter’s heart started to race as he opened the hood and peered inside. Of all days, his car chose this one to finally give in and die. To his dismay, smoke poured from the engine, and he knew that there would be no starting it again. Walter pulled out his phone to tell the manager of Bellhops that he wouldn’t be starting after all. Then he changed his mind.
Walter was young and fit, but still, 20 miles is an impossible distance. But Walter was determined; maybe he could do it. He keyed in the address into Google Maps, then he started to cry. In defeat, it would take him 7 hours to get there on foot, and he had no money to get his repaired. What could Walter do? He needed this job.
His mother was unable to make house payments, and they could find themselves homeless again within a month. Walter simply couldn’t let that happen; he had to try. So he set his alarm for 12 AM and tried to get a good night’s sleep. When 12 AM rolled around, Walter awoke. He pulled on his most comfortable sneakers, threw on his jacket, and set off into the night. It would take seven hours to get there, but he was determined to reach the Bellhops client on time.
As if walking the backbreaking 20 miles wasn’t enough, life decided to throw Walter another curveball. Walter had started his walk at a brisk pace, but by the time he reached the halfway mark, his legs were shaking, sweat poured from his face, and his feet burned. He had walked over ten miles, and the exertion was taking its toll.
The thought of losing his job on the first day kept him going as he focused on moving one foot after the other again and again. Then he saw the flash of blue. He had been too focused on keeping his legs moving to notice, but a car had been following him for at least the last ten minutes. It was 4:20 AM, and he still had miles and miles to go.
Then the car flashed its light and blared its short warning siren, and he knew they were there for him. Walter turned his head to see the cop car rolling up beside him. ‘Where are you rushing off to, buddy?’ the cop asked pointedly. He had had a rough and late night on patrol duty, and the last thing he wanted was more trouble.
Walter, gasping for breath, tried to answer him without breaking his stride. He was all too aware that the clock was ticking. The cop had seen enough and ordered Walter into the car. He didn’t care to find out what this young man was doing in the street at this late hour. As far as he was concerned, he was up to no good.
But when Walter mustered enough breath to tell him the reason for his late-night walkabout, his eyes widened in disbelief. Officer Sean Gray had seen many things in his life, but this boy’s determination astounded him beyond belief. They drove the next 6 miles in silence until Walter saw the house appear in the distance.
Relief crashed over him like a wave; he had made it before time had run out. He thanked Officer Gray and shakily got out of the car. But there were still more surprises for Walter on that fateful day. The policeman escorted Walter to the door and told the homeowner, Jenny Hayden Lamely, how he had traveled 14 miles on foot to help her with her move.
She was flabbergasted by his dedication. When the rest of the Bellhops crew arrived, Walter tirelessly got to work loading boxes onto the moving van. He was exhausted but kept going. Then Jenny wrote the post on Facebook that exploded overnight. Jenny’s Facebook post read:”
