A cherished experience on an American Highway

On reaching Houston the other day, I was thrilled to recollect a cherished meeting with Mike and Cathy Bucker of Church of God on the American Highway, on August 8, 1999.

The images remain vivid: a birthday celebration in Cincinnati, an unexpected vehicle breakdown near Williamstown on USA Interstate 75, the anxiety of being stranded on a busy highway, and the reassuring presence of strangers who appeared when hope was fading.

America’s interstate highways are impressive with their engineering, discipline and efficiency. Their design minimizes many of the risks familiar to Indian travellers, with dedicated shoulders, clearly marked exits, rest areas and strict traffic enforcement. Yet, that evening also revealed a different side of such efficiency.

On a highway where thousands of vehicles sped past, we found ourselves surprisingly alone. In a country where systems function remarkably well, human assistance may not always arrive as quickly as one expects. India, by contrast, has traditionally depended more on human interaction than on infrastructure.

Though India’s National Highways are developed in recent decades, the American interstate system remains distinctive for its design, extensive facilities and emphasis on safety. It was on one such highway that I experienced an unforgettable and cherished lesson in human kindness in August 1999.

The American Interstate Highway System is designed for speed, safety and efficiency.

Yet there was another side to this impressive system. The highways often passed through long stretches with little roadside activity. Unlike in India, where villages, shops and fellow travellers are usually within sight and help often comes informally, an American highway can leave a stranded motorist feeling surprisingly isolated despite all its sophisticated infrastructure. It was on such a highway, connecting Ohio and Kentucky, I learned how, in moments of difficulty, human kindness can be more valuable than even the most advanced transportation system.

Despite all its impressive infrastructure, a vehicle breakdown on an American highway can be a frightening experience, as I discovered on August 8, 1999.

VR Gannamraju and his wife Shailaja, who were living in Lexington, joined us. After the birthday celebrations, Gannamraju and I, and his two children, set out for Lexington to spend the weekend there. Shailaja stayed back with my daughter. Gannamraju was driving. About halfway through the hundred-mile journey on Interstate 75, near Williamstown, our vehicle developed a mechanical problem and came to a halt. We stepped out and looked around helplessly. The roar of speeding vehicles was almost unbearable, but none stopped. We noticed a vehicle stop about a hundred yards behind us. We approached them. To our immense relief, they offered to take us to the next exit.

Their car was already packed with passengers and luggage, yet Mike and Cathy Buker cheerfully rearranged themselves to accommodate us. During the journey, they told us that they believed they had been sent by Jesus Christ to help people in need. Members of the ‘Church of God’, they were travelling to 50 miles beyond Lexington. We had no words to express our gratitude. They dropped us at the next exit, enabling us to seek further assistance. We telephoned a friend in Lexington, Sreenivasa Rao. Accompanied by his wife Lavanya, he took us safely to Lexington. Thus, my fifty-first birthday came to be celebrated in three places: Cincinnati, Williamstown, and Lexington.

What touched us even more was that Mike and Cathy Buker sent an e-mail the very next day to inquire whether we had reached our destination safely. Such concern from complete strangers was both unexpected and heart-warming.

As the years turned into decades, we gradually lost contact, but the memory of their kindness never faded.

Recently, while searching the internet, I came across references to Michael and Cathy Buker, a respected couple associated with Parkway Ministries Church of God in Corbin, Kentucky.

I learned that Michael Lee Buker had passed away on August 6, 2023, aged 70, while Cathy continued her association with the church and its community activities. Whether they are the same Mike and Cathy Buker, who came to our rescue on Interstate 75 remains impossible to establish with certainty. In my heart, I would believe that they are indeed the same people.

This article is a sincere tribute to the two Good Samaritans. Roads, vehicles and journeys eventually fade into memory. What endures is the humanity we encounter along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao[email protected]