Mission of Mercy

Ferret asked me this morning to drive him down to Perlis truck stop for a shower.  I think the shower cost $7 dollars he said.  It was a long drive down the interstate without my radio as it says I need to enter a code to get it to work (some anti-theft bullshit).  They unhooked the battery when they changed the locks on my car.  I suspect I will have to take it to the dealership and fork out moolah to get it fixed.

Ferret looked like a new man after a shower and shave.  I dropped him off at the laundromat in town so he could launder the clothes in a big black plastic trash bag he was toting around. 

"I am still going to get a home," he told me fiercely as he got out of my car.

"Keep talking like that and you will," I replied as I bid him goodbye.

I drove off as Ferret was carrying his bag inside.  He was on his own for the rest of the day. 

I would always shower at the truck stop as well when I was homeless.  I would ride my motorcycle over from God's country, carrying a daypack of clean or almost clean clothes.  They would give you a bar of soap, wash cloth, and a drying towel.  You would have to enter the code they gave you to open the door to a small room where you would shower.  I always remember the water being very hot.  I was no stranger to truck stops being an over-the-road truck driver for almost a year.      

Sleepless in the Valley

I awoke at 2 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. It didn’t help that I went to bed at 8 PM in the evening. I was just exhausted after a busy day. I got on up, turned off my short wave radio, and put some clothes on. I enjoy the solitude of the night and the cool air. It gets so hot around here during the daytime. I am considering becoming nocturnal and sleeping in the day until fall arrives.

When I was a long haul truck driver, I preferred driving during the night. Most truck drivers and normal drivers were diurnal and that meant that the traffic was light after midnight and I had ample places to park to get some sleep when morning rolled around as everyone was back on the road. Sometimes, I miss those late nights, behind the wheel, and with talk radio playing in the background as I traveled down the road headed for places afar. Those moments always made me ponder and think deeply.

I did manage to get my father’s wiring sorted today. It took hours and he paid me well. Watching my father work all morning instilled a sense of awe in me. He has to work so hard to keep up his business. He has numerous employees and they all turn to him for what to do. On top of that, he is constantly answering the phone and having to fill prescriptions correctly without error. It made me admire him. I just couldn’t do what he does and stay sane. It also made me wonder if this incredibly stressful job has a lot to do with his heart problems recently and his bypass surgery.

Well, I have a casserole dish of homemade macaroni and cheese in the oven and it is almost done. It smells heavenly as I write this. I know that must sound odd that I am cooking such things at 3 AM in the morning, but I was just starving and needed some comfort food. As soon as the timer goes off, I am going to dish me up a bowl, pour a glass of tea, and sit down and enjoy a treat I haven’t had in awhile. Oh, and by the time you read this, good morning to you to! :-)

Travels with Preacher Man

I had quit my job as a research technician at a major university and decided to enroll in one of those month-long truck driving schools. I took to driving a big rig like a fish to water. “You are going to make a damn fine truck driver,” My instructor used to say.

Within a matter of weeks I had that glossy new commercial driver’s license in my hands. I was itching to get out on the roadways and start making those big bucks. The lure and romance of the open road was calling me.

I applied to numerous companies and got several offers for starting positions. There was this one company with big shiny blue trucks and it caught my eye. They also paid well. I soon had a bus ticket in hand and was on my way to Mississippi to start my training. I was assigned to the Dollar General account and my trainer was called Preacher Man. I was going to live with this strange man for two months as he showed me the ropes. This made me apprehensive but the urge to get my own truck and to drive solo drove me ever forwards in my quest. (It was also refreshing to be away from the ever watchful eye of my then wife.)

Preacher man turned out to be an interesting fellow. Preacher lived dual lives. During the week he was a foul mouthed and brusque truck driver. On the weekend he was a mild mannered pastor at a small local church. Preacher was married and had three kids. A picture of his family was prominently displayed on the dash of his rig. Preacher Man also had an affinity for prostitutes who are affectionately called “Lot Lizards” in truck driver lingo.

I will never forget my first night as a long haul truck driver. No sooner than we had almost pulled out of the parking lot a demure female voice called out over the CB.

“Any of you boys looking for a good time?” She said.

Preacher picked up the CB and responded.

“I am up for a good time if the price is right.” He said as he took that picture off his dash and stored it above the sun visor.

I sat there in shock as I had never experienced something such as this but I knew what was going on. They negotiated for a few moments and then soon two young ladies were crawling into the cab of the truck with us. They looked like teenagers they were so young.

“Does your friend there need a companion as well?” One lady asked in reference to me.

The lady’s companion put her hand on my leg, squeezed it, and smiled.

“I’m married but thanks anyway.” I replied as I blushed before Preacher could respond.
Preacher Man drove back into the complex and dropped me off at the trucker’s lounge so he could take care of his business. I remember sitting in that lounge for what seemed like ages waiting on Preacher Man to return. “What in the hell have I got myself into?” I thought.

Preacher turned out to be an okay fellow but I never did like his occasional romps with Lot Lizards. The truck always reeked of sex after every encounter and it made me uncomfortable. I was overjoyed when I finally was promoted and took into possession my very own big rig. I finally had some privacy and some peace and quiet. Trucking did turn out to be one of the hardest jobs I ever worked though.