THE TRUCKER
Epilogue
Six months later....
We were doing another long run, from Miami, all the way up to Toronto. But when I pointed out the timing, Alex smiled at me proudly for managing to remember this nugget of information in an otherwise confusing world full of (ewww) facts.
So at the appropriate time, he indulged me and turned onto a certain highway, and we drove a few miles. Of course this translated into a couple of minutes and then we were there. I was transported into joy and nostalgia.
We were at the Truck Stop Diner, the only Truck Stop diner that looked like a truck! This is where it all began!
Alex parked and we went inside, arms around each others’ shoulders. We got a few stink eyes but we’d both put on a couple of muscles so we just flexed impressively and ignored everyone else.
We chose a booth, sat down, ordered coffee. The waitress tottered over with her lame-ass carafe of lukewarm shit water and tried to pass it off as coffee.
I shot my hand out and covered the top of the mug before she could pour. My eyes glittered like hard green stones beneath my baseball hat visor.
“Now darlin’!” I drawled, “I know you’re not planning on serving us coffee that’s practically cold. Now I see one of new-fangled mike-ro-waved ovens back there so why don’t you heat up that jug and get back to us, shore-nuff?”
The waitress, who looked so old and droopy that she had probably come with the place, looked rather startled and wide-eyed but she backed away and obeyed.
When she was out of earshot, Alex spoke in reproof, “Now boy! I haven’t heard you speak so forcefully in a long time. You know to respect your SUPERIORS!”
“Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!” I apologized in a whisper, eyes downcast, hoping I could talk my way out of a corrective spanking. It didn’t hurt exactly but it was extremely humiliating. I chanced a look up into soft eyes which I hoped meant he was accepting my apology. “It’s just...there was something....something that...resonat....reso.....”
“Use your short words, boy.”
“Yes Sir.” Relief flooded my soul. Thinking was hard. “There was something off about it. Like I had cold coffee before. And I wanted it to be perfect...on our special day. I stroked a thumb lightning quick across his knuckles, so fast no one else noticed. It was our signal for intimacy. I gave him a dose of puppy dog eyes for good measure.
Alex gave me a look that showed I was forgiven. I was so glad. Alex was so SUPERIOR and so wise.
The waitress came back with hot coffee. She poured and waited, an eyebrow raised. I took a sip and it was hot and delicious.
“Perfect. Thank you darlin’,” I said as I’d been taught to talk to my SUPERIORS.
“Saaaaaaay...” she continued to look at me funny. “Haven’t I seen you hereabouts before?”
“You sure have....one year ago today when I met this big lug. “And we’ve been truckin’ it together ever since! Best year o’ my life!”
“She looked confused. “No....it was sooner than that...like six months ago...you came in needing a tow. You ran out of gas. Call me a tow truck....remember?” she asked in what she thought was a winsome way but made her seem like even more of a hag.
Out of gas...out of gas.....Call me a tow truck...You’re a tow truck...came a witchy voice.
I....what was going on here? Who was I? Where was I? I was confused. Something was wrong. Wrong. Scared. I was confused. I was scared. I looked up in panic. I looked into Alex’s eyes for strength.
“Alex! Alex what’s going...!?”
Alex put his hand on my shoulder, as he usually did, and as usual it chased all the confusion from my mind. He looked deep into my eyes and I looked deep into his and I never wanted to stop.
Alex rubbed my shoulder comfortingly and the blue and white checked flannel felt soft and fantastic against my skin. “Jake! Everything’s all right! Your name is Jake. We met here a year ago. She’s mistaken. A year. We met here and started riding together. You’re a trucker. Everything’s fine.”
He dropped his hand from my shoulder. My eyes were glazed. With a snap they came back into focus.
“Sorry ma’am.” I looked at her with confidence. “You must have me mistaken for some pretty boy city boy! I was here a year ago and I met this super guy here! I’m a trucker!” I tapped my cap visor in a salute. “Shore nuff!”