Two figures darted through rush-hour traffic in the drizzle of a rainy April evening in Longview. With unwashed T-shirts clinging to their backs, they flagged down wary drivers who were attempting to exit a grocery store parking lot, not far from downtown.
“Hey, can you spare a couple bucks?” they asked. “We’re trying to get a bite to eat.”
A few people rolled down their windows and handed over change. Others did not. “All they can say is yes or no,” said Shane Wendell, one of the panhandlers. “If they say no, I don’t hold it against them. But we don’t usually do this because we usually work.”
They had not worked on that day, a Monday. During the weekend, Wendell and his friend, Terry Pate, had lived off their earnings from a roofing job. The money had run out by that afternoon, washed away by pitchers of beer at a local tavern.
So they walked across the street to the grocery store, and they begged.
THE SCORE
After scrounging together some cash, Pate and Wendell bought a pouch of rolling tobacco and enough malt liquor to keep the buzz going. They made an unlikely pair.
Wendell was 35 years old. He was tall and easy-going, from the Pacific Northwest by way of Houston, and he wore a baseball cap pulled low over his curly blond hair. He had been homeless for five months.
Pate had been on the streets much longer, and it showed. With a quick temper, intense blue eyes and a face etched by hard living, Pate said he was a former surgeon’s assistant who had divorced a good woman in Malakoff. He had been homeless in Longview for more years than he cared to remember.
“We’re not all bums,” Pate said. “If somebody could just give us a job, we’d be back on our feet like that.” He snapped his fingers: “That quick.”
Pate ordered Wendell to carry the malt liquor from the grocery store, and he tried to return to the bar where his girlfriend was still drinking. Wendell wouldn’t allow his friend to wander off. The rain had stopped, night was approaching, and it was time to go to the place they called home. The men crossed East Marshall Avenue and turned down a side street. They walked past large homes and a business or two, then ducked into the woods and were gone.
ARRIVING IN CAMP
A footpath parts the weeds where Pate and Wendell stepped into the forest. It is all but invisible to the drivers who pass by it every day, but it is well-known among the street people in Longview.
The trail meanders about 150 paces through stands of sapling and brush, over a fallen log and past tall pine trees. It wends toward a campsite in the middle of a bamboo grove.
Wendell and Pate were not the first homeless people to make camp there. They had been sleeping at the spot off and on for a couple of months, adding to the mounds of refuse around the dome tents and campfire as they tossed off old clothes and shoes, food wrappers, empty cans and 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor.
For warmth, they burned canes of bamboo that sizzled and popped in the flames.
Wendell said the camp had been tidier when they stayed there more frequently. Lately, as the weather warmed and the mosquitoes returned, they had been spending more nights at motels and in the Salvation Army.
“It’s not always like this, but it can get that way,” Wendell said.
Pate’s girlfriend showed up. Jill Doss, 42, wore thick glasses and a V-neck blouse. She said she grew up in Longview, married at 16, then divorced and joined a carnival that was passing through East Texas when she was 20. She lived in six states before returning to Longview in 1998.
“I met a lot of awesome people between here and there,” she said.
Doss is the mother of a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, both of whom live with their dad. She had spent the previous night in a motel room with Pate, and Pate was jealous of her interactions with other men.
“Jill!” Pate barked at her. “Give the writer a break!”
Doss’ story was over.
WITH FRIENDS
“Company!”
The friendly shout rang from the trail. The camp’s previous occupants, a couple of guys named Tommy and John, had come calling.
The men were staying in a motel after finding steady work on a trash truck, and they cracked jokes and sprinkled lemon-lime salt into their drinks to kill the bitter taste of the malt liquor.
Pate sidled over to the man named John.
“Did you bring us a little somethin’ somethin’?” Pate asked him.
“Not yet,” he replied. “They’re not giving it to us till the morning, but we don’t feel like waiting so we’re about to go find it.”
Pate told Doss to fetch her Bible. He ordered the reporter to read a passage from 1st Corinthians 13, a chapter that defines love for the Christian religion.
Pate snarled at the chapter’s conclusion. “You can say it, or you can mean it,” he said.
The sun set over the bamboo grove, and Tommy and John left camp. When Doss stood up to follow them, Pate tried to stop her.
“Honor, Terry!” she shouted. “Where’s your honor?”
He watched her walk away in the firelight, then bolted after her. Wendell shouted as he ran past. “Terry!” It was no use. Pate reached his girlfriend on the trail outside of camp.
“You want to use me like this?” he said.
“Get away from me!” she screamed. “Get your hands off of me!”
A BEATING
Tree branches snapped and leaves rustled in the confusion. A rapid fire of fists on flesh pounded in the darkness. Pow! Pow! Pow! Wendell ran to break up the fight.
When he walked back into camp, Wendell said Tommy had ambushed Pate and beaten him for confronting Doss.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I just know they were fighting in the brush, and I broke it up. All I know is they’re both my friends, and I stand behind my friends.”
Beaten in the fight and fuming about it, Pate stumbled toward the street. Tommy returned to the camp to ask whether anyone had noticed a cell phone that had fallen from his pocket during the scuffle.
“He went down like some kind of kung fu move, and I caught him at least seven or eight good times,” Tommy said, demonstrating with a series of sharp uppercut jabs.
Wendell sighed. “I need to get out of this town,” he said.
Wendell had been breaking up a couple of fights a week in the camp. He said he drifted into Longview from Houston after he was laid off from his job and his wife left him with a mortgage and other bills. He had found work in Longview through a temporary labor service but lost the job when he misplaced his contact lenses and could not see to work.
He was thinking about hitching to Fort Worth to enroll in a course to become a commercial truck driver. It was hard to make plans when living day to day, though.
“I don’t know how else to explain it,” he said. “I don’t have a set plan for every day. I wish I did. I used to. I get up every morning. I try to get me something to eat. There’s always Newgate,” a homeless ministry in town. “You can get some doughnuts and coffee. I try to work every day. Sometimes I work, sometimes I don’t. If I don’t work, then I wander the streets, try to make something happen. If not, I have to eat at the shelters.”
That morning, Wendell said he had awakened alone in camp shortly after daylight. There were beers left over from the night before, so he started drinking. He said he had been drinking all day. That wasn’t a typical day, though, he said, because he more often tries to find work.
“Do you know how hard it is to get back on your feet when you’re down? It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s not, man, because when you’re dirty, you ain’t got no place to shower, you don’t have clean clothes, who’s gonna hire you?”
As he spoke, Wendell kept glancing into the darkness of the trail beyond the campfire. Finally, he called out to the woods: “I hear somebody out there!”
“I heard some footsteps,” he said.
THE NIGHT
When Pate returned to camp, he was still furious about the tussle.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said. “I’ve got a woman that I have cared about and walked out on me, and I had to wrestle some little punk out there because I’m too (messed) up, but tomorrow we’ll do a rematch.
“We better get a rematch,” he repeated. “You get me a rematch.”
Wendell scolded his friend.
“If you want to fight, fight in the street,” he said. “You do not need to be fighting in camp.”
Pate pleaded for money to buy crack cocaine, and when turned down, he spent the rest of the night muttering about the rematch, speaking in tongues, cursing the people around him, preaching from the Bible or, especially, calling out for his girlfriend.
“Where’s Jill?” he yelled.
“I don’t know!” Wendell replied. “Quit asking me that!”
Even at around 3 a.m., Pate awoke in his tent and called out her name.
“She’s gone, man!” Wendell said. “Let her go! You’re better off without her.”
AT DAYLIGHT
Wendell and Pate arose early the next morning and rustled through their belongings.
“Let me guess, we’re out of cigarettes,” Wendell said.
“Hup!” he exclaimed, finding the pouch of rolling tobacco. “We’re not down and out yet.”
After rolling a couple of smokes, they walked to the Newgate mission for coffee and doughnuts. They left before the preaching started.
It began to rain, and the friends quickened their pace as they made their way to the Labor Ready office a mile or two away.
If the rain would let up, they had scored a job repairing the roof of a restaurant near the grocery store. Then they’d have enough money to get a motel room, take a shower.
Pate’s girlfriend was at the day-labor site, milling around with the men waiting for jobs. Wendell feared a confrontation, but Pate only spoke to her and watched her walk away.
5,391 responses to “One night in a homeless camp”
I was extremely pleased to discover this web site. I want to to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and I have you book marked to see new things on your blog.
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the net. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my site . Thanks =)
Thanks for enabling me to acquire new suggestions about pc’s. I also possess the belief that certain of the best ways to help keep your laptop computer in perfect condition is by using a hard plastic material case, or maybe shell, that matches over the top of your computer. A lot of these protective gear are generally model precise since they are manufactured to fit perfectly above the natural housing. You can buy all of them directly from the vendor, or from third party places if they are designed for your laptop, however not every laptop can have a spend on the market. Once again, thanks for your suggestions.
You should be a part of a contest for one of the highest quality websites on the web. I am going to recommend this website!
Good post! We will be linking to this great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.
I?m impressed, I have to say. Actually hardly ever do I encounter a blog that?s each educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve gotten hit the nail on the head. Your idea is excellent; the problem is one thing that not sufficient people are speaking intelligently about. I am very blissful that I stumbled across this in my search for one thing referring to this.
I haven?t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
This is the right website for anyone who really wants to understand this topic. You understand so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been discussed for ages. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful.
There are some interesting closing dates on this article but I don?t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There’s some validity but I will take maintain opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as nicely
It is indeed my belief that mesothelioma is actually the most fatal cancer. It has unusual features. The more I really look at it the more I am confident it does not conduct itself like a real solid flesh cancer. In the event mesothelioma is actually a rogue virus-like infection, therefore there is the possibility of developing a vaccine plus offering vaccination for asbestos exposed people who are vulnerable to high risk regarding developing upcoming asbestos associated malignancies. Thanks for expressing your ideas on this important ailment.
Everyone loves it when individuals come together and share thoughts. Great website, continue the good work!
Can I simply say what a relief to discover someone who really understands what they’re discussing on the internet. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people must check this out and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular given that you surely possess the gift.
Thanks for your writing. I would also like to say that the health insurance brokerage service also works well with the benefit of the coordinators of the group insurance coverage. The health insurance broker is given a list of benefits wanted by somebody or a group coordinator. What a broker does is hunt for individuals or even coordinators which best match those needs. Then he gifts his tips and if each party agree, the broker formulates binding agreement between the 2 parties.
Hi I am so thrilled I found your webpage, I really found you by accident, while I was researching on Google for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a fantastic post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the great job.
I blog quite often and I truly appreciate your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.
Good info. Lucky me I came across your site by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve book marked it for later!
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after going through many of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely pleased I found it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
Unquestionably believe that which you stated. Your favourite reason seemed to be at the web the easiest factor to remember of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed even as people consider worries that they plainly do not understand about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest and defined out the entire thing with no need side-effects , folks can take a signal. Will probably be again to get more. Thank you
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who was doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this topic here on your website.
Spot on with this write-up, I really believe this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the information!
Everything is very open with a clear explanation of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a superb article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.
This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise information… Thank you for sharing this one. A must read post!
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Can I just say what a comfort to find a person that truly knows what they’re discussing on the internet. You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to look at this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular given that you most certainly possess the gift.
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been doing a little research on this. And he actually ordered me lunch simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this subject here on your website.
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the website is very good.
My partner and I stumbled over here coming from a different web address and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to finding out about your web page again.
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is great, let alone the content!
Greetings, I believe your website might be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, excellent website.
Good post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Many thanks!
It’s hard to come by educated people for this subject, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own blog now 😉
Very good information. Lucky me I recently found your site by chance (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later.
Hey there! I simply want to give you a big thumbs up for your great information you’ve got right here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
I quite like looking through an article that will make men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment.
With every little thing which appears to be building throughout this particular subject matter, all your perspectives are quite radical. Nonetheless, I am sorry, but I do not give credence to your entire suggestion, all be it radical none the less. It seems to us that your comments are generally not entirely justified and in reality you are yourself not even entirely certain of the argument. In any case I did take pleasure in looking at it.
Thanks for expressing your ideas on this blog. Furthermore, a fable regarding the banking companies intentions when talking about foreclosures is that the financial institution will not getreceive my installments. There is a degree of time the bank can take payments here and there. If you are also deep inside the hole, they should commonly call that you pay the particular payment completely. However, that doesn’t mean that they will not take any sort of payments at all. In the event you and the loan company can seem to work a thing out, a foreclosure course of action may end. However, if you continue to miss out on payments in the new approach, the property foreclosures process can pick up from where it left off.
Great blog you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me just as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I truly believed you would probably have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you can fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful article. Thank you for providing this info.
Hello there! This blog post could not be written any better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I will send this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Many thanks! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
I want to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to check out new things you post…
A powerful share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing somewhat analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast as a result of I discovered it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to debate this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. If doable, as you turn into experience, would you thoughts updating your blog with more particulars? It’s extremely useful for me. Massive thumb up for this weblog publish!
Someone essentially help to make seriously posts I would state. This is the very first time I frequented your web page and thus far? I amazed with the research you made to create this particular publish extraordinary. Great job!
Thanks for this article. I’d also like to convey that it can be hard when you are in school and just starting out to establish a long history of credit. There are many pupils who are only trying to endure and have a protracted or positive credit history is often a difficult element to have.
Thanks for discussing your ideas with this blog. Also, a fantasy regarding the banks intentions if talking about foreclosures is that the bank will not take my repayments. There is a certain quantity of time that this bank will take payments occasionally. If you are way too deep inside the hole, they should commonly call that you pay the payment 100 . However, i am not saying that they will have any sort of payments at all. Should you and the bank can find a way to work anything out, the particular foreclosure approach may halt. However, if you continue to skip payments wih the new approach, the property foreclosures process can just pick up exactly where it was left off.