** The radio in my car is set on a classic Country Music station. Sometimes I hear a song that puts an idea in my head for a story.

The other day I heard a song by Bobby Bare called "500 Miles". I'm sure most of you have never heard it. But that song gave me the idea for this story.

*************

Seven months ago Tim left his home in his hometown of Nederland, Texas. He had heard that it was easy to make it big in Nashville, that record companies were begging for undiscovered talent.

Tim had always dreamed of making it big in the music business. His goal was to someday stand on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where greats like Johnny Cash, George Jones and Hank Williams once stood.

He spent every dime he had for a bus ticket to the 'Music City' and left his momma, Dena, in tears. But leaving her with the promise that he would make it big. And that he would buy her a mansion just like Elvis did for his momma.

But broken promises were all they were.

Door after door was slammed in his face. No one was interested in his music.

He sang on street corners for change. Renting a room at a sleazy hotel. His dream was quickly dying.

He was broke, hungry and alone.

He sat looking out the window at the hookers walking the streets and wished he was back home in Nederland. Back home to hear his momma tell him that everything would be alright.

He looks around in time to see the mail slide under his door.

Lighting up his last cigarette, he wipes away a stray tear and goes to pick up his mail. Two envelopes.

He opens the first envelope, an eviction notice. He sighs as he reads it, a tear rolling down his cheek. Ripping the letter up, he throws it on the floor.

He looks at the second envelope, a letter from his momma.

'Son, I love you and I miss you. Please come home. Momma' was all it said. The ink, stained from her tears.

He neatly folds the letter and puts it back into the envelope.

He let's go of a small sob as he looks back out at the busy street.

"I'm such a failure, Momma." He says quietly. "I'm so sorry."

Crushing out his cigarette, he looks around at the lumpy bed. He had to be out of the room tomorrow by 5:00.

He had two choices. Kill himself. Which would suit him just fine. But he couldn't bare to hurt the only person that really loved him. Or he could go home a complete failure and hopes that his momma would still love him.

He lays down on the bed and curls up in a ball as the tears flow down his cheeks. All his hopes and dreams, gone.

The next morning, he get's up and takes a shower. He takes the half eaten stale Honey Bun out of the refrigerator and eats it.

He picks up his momma's letter and slips it into his back pocket.

Packing up the few clothes he had into his small suitcase, he walks out of the hotel room. Locking the door behind him. He was going home a failure.

He walks for several hours. No one stopping to offer him a ride.

Finally, a blue pickup pulls over. The guy rolls down the passenger side window.

"Where you heading?" He asks.

"As far west as you can get me. I'm heading for Texas." Tim smiles, thankful for the lift.

"Throw your suitcase in the back." The man says.

"Thank you so much." Tim smiles as he lays his suitcase in the bed of the truck. He turns to take a hold of the door handle to the truck but the guy steps on the gas and speeds away.

"NO! WAIT PLEASE!!" Tim yells as he watches the truck disappear down the highway.

Tim runs a hand through his hair and chuckles. Takes a very low person to rob from a homeless man.

He walks for another hour before he hears the sound of air brakes and a semi-truck pulls off to the side of the road in front of him.

Tim hurries to the driver's side of the truck.

The driver rolls down the window and smiles. He was wearing a baseball cap. His face was round with a beard and had kind eyes.

"Where ya heading?" The trucker asks.

Tim chuckles lightly at the all too familiar question.

"Home to Texas." He answers.

"I'm going as far as West Memphis, Arkansas. Hop in." The driver smiles.

Tim walks around the truck and the trucker leans over and opens the door.

Tim takes a hold of the door and looks up at the driver.

"First of all, I have nothing else to steal. Some guy just took off with my suitcase in the back of his truck. Which he will be totally disappointed by the contents inside." Tim says with a smirk.

The trucker gives an honest laugh. "Hey, I'm just an honest guy trying to make a living."

Tim nods and climbs into the truck. 

The guy reaches into a cooler that was sitting in between the seats and pulls out an ice cold bottle of water.

"Thirsty?" He smiles handing Tim the water.

"God bless you." Tim smiles as the takes the water.

"My name is Chance." The man says holding out his hand.

"Tim." Tim says as he shakes Chance's hand.

"Tim, you mind if I smoke?" Chance asks as he was waiting for a clear spot in traffic to pull his rig back onto the highway.

"No, of course not." Tim says, shaking his head. "Umm, you got an extra one of those?" He smiles.

"Sure do." Chance says as he reaches above the sun visor and grabs two packs of cigarettes and pitches them to Tim. "You don't come out on the road without being prepared." He smiles as he pulls the truck onto the highway. "There's also some snacks in the sleeper, back there, if you're hunger."

"You don't mind? I am pretty hunger." Tim says.

"Eat all you want." Chance smiles politely.

As they drove, Tim told Chance his story about going to Nashville to follow his dreams of being a country singer and how his dreams were shot down. And now he was going home a complete failure.

"At least you gave it a shot. Listen, there are hundreds of managers and recording studios in Nashville, maybe you just didn't hit the right one. There is someone out there that will like what he hears and give you a chance. Just don't give up." Chance says.

"Yea, maybe." Tim says in a very doubtful tone.

Before too long, Tim was sound asleep, with his head leaned back on the seat.

~~

"Tim? Buddy, wake up." Chance says as he pats the leg of his hitch-hiker.

Tim rubs this tired eyes and looks around. "Where are we?"

"West Memphis. This is as far as I can go. I gotta head to St. Louis next." Chance says.

"Thank you so much, Chance. You're a life saver." Tim smiles as he gives Chance a hug.

"Don't give up on your dreams, Tim." Chance says as he hands Tim a bottle of water from his cooler.

"Right now I just want to go home. My momma is worried sick." Tim says.

"Good luck." Chance says as he pats Tim on the shoulder before walking away.

~~

The sun was beginning to set, the heat and humidity were almost unbearable. 

Tim breathes heavily as he struggles not to give up. His feet hurt, his legs were tired. His mind wondering, where would be a safe place to spend the night.

"I'm not gonna make it." He mumbles as he wipes the sweat from his forehead. His lungs hurt from trying to breathe the thick air.

He falls to his knees, his body too exhausted to take another step.

In his mind, he could see his sweet momma's face. "I'm so sorry, momma. I tried to come home." He whispers. He looks at the now deserted highway. "I can't do it. I just can't do it."

"Hey, are you alright." A man says taking him by the arm.

"I can't do it." Tim whispers, shaking his head as tries to focus on the image beside him.

The man tries to help Tim up. Tim's knees buckle and he starts to fall until someone grabs his other arm.

Everything was a blur to Tim. He found himself in the seat of another semi, being given a drink of cold water.

Tim looks around at his saviors. One guy had a beard and was wearing a baseball cap over his shaven head. The other one had long blond hair which he had tied back into a ponytail.

"You wouldn't happen to be Tim, would you?" The blond asks.

Tim nods as he stares at the two men.

"Our buddy Chance asked us to give you a lift if we saw you." The bald guy explains as he smiles at Tim's confused look.

Tim gives an exhausted chuckle as he brushes back his hair.

"I'm Adam and this is my brother, Chris." The blond says.

"Chance said you were trying to get home to Texas. We're heading to Port Arthur to pick up a load of fish. Would that help you any?" Chris asks.

"Port Arthur? Are you kidding me?" Tim says as his eyes widen. "Port Arthur isn't far from Nederland."

"Well, why don't you lie down in the sleeper back there and get some rest. We can be in Port Arthur in about two and a half hours." Chris says as he pulls back onto the highway.

Adam crawls over into the passenger seat as Tim lies down in the truck's sleeper cab.

"I truly believe in angels now." Tim mumbles as he closes his eyes.

Three hours later, he was on his last ten miles home. He had said goodbye to the two men that had possibly saved his life.

As he walks pass the Nederland, Tx. city limit sign, rain begins to fall.

He walks through the deserted streets at 3:30 in the morning. He looks up and brushes his rain soaked hair out of his face. He gives a tired smile when he sees his momma's house a block away. The porch light was on.

When he left, she turned on the porch light and told him it would stay on until he came back home. That porch light was his lighthouse, guiding him home.

Tears flood his eyes as he rings the doorbell. He sobs quietly as the living room light comes on.

Dena peeks out the peep hole and her heart stops as she sees her prodigal son. "Oh my God!" She whispers loudly and quickly unlocks the door and opens it.

"I couldn't do it, momma." Tim says as tears roll down his face. "I'm a failure."

Dena takes her son by the hand and pulls him in out of the pouring rain.

Lovingly, she wraps her arms around her little boy. "Baby, you'll always be a star in your momma's eyes.

************

If you like this story, please VOTE & leave your COMMENTS!!!