by Gail Sattler
Gwen stood, still fuming, her breath coming out in shallow bursts, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Gradually she became aware that every person at every table was staring at her. Complete silence filled the room. Even the waitress stood stock still in the corner, the coffeepot in her hand.
Lionel grabbed Gwen by the hand. “We’re leaving.”
Without protest, she let him lead her outside to his truck. He unlocked the door, they both hopped inside, and he locked it again. “I’d offer you a coffee, but I don’t think you need the caffeine.” Without asking first, he reached into the fridge and handed her a juice box. “I know the place is a mess. It’ll only take a minute to straighten up, though.”
He kicked aside some clutter from the floor, flicked a switch to release the bunk bed, raised it, and secured it to the back wall. Next he lifted up a fold-down table and clicked it into place. The music from a popular Christian CD began to play.
“Sit down. Take a deep breath. Relax.”
Gwen sank into the chair, thunked her elbows on the table, and buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Lionel poked the straw into the juice box and pushed it across the table toward her. “He was a pig.”
She shook her head. “That’s still no excuse for my behavior. That wasn’t kind or loving, and that wasn’t going to open his heart to Jesus.”
“I don’t know if kindness would be effective in a situation like that. Your delivery certainly caught the attention of everyone in the place.”
Gwen raised her head.
“Seriously. I don’t think anything could make him change right now. But one day your words will come back to him, and one day they might make a difference.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Oh, yes. You certainly made an impression. And not only with the jerks at that one table.”
Gwen buried her head in her hands again. She hadn’t wanted to make an impression, but she couldn’t deny that she had. She would never be able to show her face in that particular place again. Still, she was driving for only two months. This was Lionel’s life, and after making such a scene in his company, she had just made it impossible for him to go back.
“It’s difficult to be a witness for Christ on the road, but it can happen. I’m an example of that. Don’t be too hard on yourself. God uses all kinds of situations for His glory, even if we don’t know it at the time.”
Her ears perked up. Gwen had been raised in a Christian home and had made her decision to follow Christ when she was young. She loved to hear stories and the testimonies of people who turned their lives over to Christ when they were adults. One of the best moments of her own life was when her friend Molly became a Christian after many years of witnessing and praying for her. She had personal proof that prayer worked.
Even though she didn’t know the man’s name, and even though he had insulted her terribly, Gwen knew, right then, that she had to pray for him.
Lionel looked at her from across the small table. One corner of his mouth tilted up. He reached across the table and covered both her hands with his larger ones. “Let’s pray for him.”
She didn’t know how he knew what she was thinking, but she couldn’t have agreed more. They joined hands over the table and prayed for the man, for God’s mercy and kindness to touch him, for the man to open his heart to salvation in Christ Jesus, and that he could become a witness to the unsaved once he turned his life around. They also prayed for the man’s wife, for God to hold her up, that she could forgive her husband and their marriage could be saved.
“Amen,” they said in unison.
Gwen lifted her head and opened her eyes slowly. She wasn’t sure, but she thought Lionel’s eyes were a little too shiny.
He blinked and turned away, causing her to wonder if the dim lights and shadows were playing tricks on her.
Lionel checked his wristwatch. “It’s getting close to midnight. Chad will want to drive a few more hours before you two stop for the night, and I’ve got to make some miles too. Maybe I’ll catch you on the flip-flop.”
Gwen stood but didn’t leave the cab. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but something special had passed between them. Although she prayed with other people all the time, this was different.
She watched him as he prepared to make a pot of coffee. Lionel was a nice Christian man. Still, even though she could see so many good things about him, she knew she could never get involved with him. All her life she had seen the heartache and disappointments her cousins and her aunt Chelsea endured when Uncle Chad wasn’t around.
Gwen knew her own personality and needs well enough to know she needed more solidity and more togetherness than that from the man who would be her husband.
Knowing the lifestyle up close, Gwen had vowed she would never get involved with a truck driver. When the summer was over and her time as a trucker was over, she would never see Lionel again. The thought saddened her, but that was life.
Yet, for now, for the summer, they could be special friends.
Gwen opened the cab door and hopped to the ground. “I’ll go wake up Uncle Chad. See you next time our paths cross.”
Chapter 3
Burt handed Gwen the envelope containing the running orders. “No appointment on this one. You’ve got to get it there as fast as you can without breaking any laws. It’s a specialty piece of machinery for a plant breakdown in Evansville, Indiana. Every day they’re shut down costs them ten grand, and four hundred people are out of work until you get there.”
Gwen cringed. She knew the doubles teams got all the priority and rush loads, but she never thought of a situation like this.
“If you get there in the middle of the night, it doesn’t matter. Call that number on the envelope when you’re an hour out of town. By the time you pull into the lot, they’ll have a crew standing by, ready and waiting.”
Uncle Chad nodded. “I’ll drive first through the mountains, then you take over when I’m out of hours.”
Gwen nodded.
They drove to the manufacturer’s plant to pick up the load. When it was ready, they hooked up, made sure it was blocked properly, checked the trailer, and within half an hour they were on the highway.
“This is it, Gwen. Our first real doubles trip, and it’s a dandy.”
“Yes.” It was a tremendous responsibility, unlike any she had ever faced. Every day she accepted the accountability of her students, the mentoring and guiding of young lives, but that was on an ongoing basis. She had never before been forced into such an urgently critical situation. Now, from a different perspective, she saw Uncle Chad’s job in a whole new light. Being a truck driver was more important than driving widgets from A to B. At times, people’s livelihoods depended on them. Their driving skills might very possibly be the determining factor in the failure or success of a business. If that business was the predominant industry in a small town, the fate of an entire community might rest in their hands.
This time Gwen didn’t feel like chatting on the CB as the miles went by. Even though they were days away from their destination, the urgency of the need for speed was always on her mind. Unlike her first trip, when she thought they were traveling so fast, this time, considering the urgency of their load, they seemed to be moving in slow motion.
They reached the start of their journey through the mountains and leaving the West Coast as darkness fell. The ups and downs and the curved roads only seemed to taunt her, reminding her this would be the slowest portion of the trip.
As they continued, she watched Uncle Chad downshift, preparing to make the most difficult ascent in this section of the mountains. At least the worst part of the trip was nearly over.
“Uncle Chad? What’s that noise?”
They were both silent as a ticking sound suddenly increased in volume.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” he muttered.
A loud bang and the grinding of metal on metal jolted the entire unit. The truck
rocked and lurched as the engine seized. Gwen grabbed the door handle with one hand and braced herself against the dashboard for support while her uncle fought with the wheel, forcing the truck to the side of the road. They came to a very sudden, complete stop.
Gwen’s heart pounded as she forced herself to breathe. “This is bad, isn’t it?”
“I don’t even have to look, I know what’s happened. The truck’s thrown a rod. It’s very bad.”
“Can you fix it?”
Through the glow of the dashboard lights, she could see a very humorless smile on his face. “Fix it? No. I have to call a tow truck. The repairs are a major job, and very expensive. The truck will be down at least a week.”
She stared into the rearview mirror at the trailer they were pulling. “But we’ve got to get that machinery to Evansville as soon as possible.”
He reached between the seats and pulled out his cell phone. “They’ll have to dispatch another truck to come and get it. We’re not going anywhere.”
Lionel pulled into the terminal compound and backed his load against the fence.
The trip had been a long one, and he was tired. He’d left Portland later than usual, so he’d parked his truck for a few hours at Seattle instead of driving through their rush hour. It was now nearly midnight, but he was almost home. When he finally got back to his North Vancouver apartment, Lionel planned to sit outside on the balcony and watch the lights of downtown Vancouver from across the Burrard Inlet to wind down. From a distance, he always enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of the Vancouver nightlife. Then he would crawl into his nice soft bed for a good long sleep, since he wasn’t going to be dispatched out.
“Here’s the paperwork, Burt. See you tomorrow.”
“Whoa! Lionel! Not so fast.”
He waited while Burt finished a phone call and hung up.
“Sorry about this, Buddy. I don’t have any drivers in town with any hours left. I’ve got to send you out.”
“Out? I’ve only got three hours left before I have to book off. Send me in the morning.”
Burt shook his head. “No can do. Chad’s broken down in Snoqualmie Pass with that hot load for Evansville. It will take you three hours to bobtail there. Then you can sleep. You’re taking the doubles load. We can’t delay eight hours. Get going.”
Lionel fueled his truck and left as soon as he could. In nearly ten years he’d never done a doubles run, and he wasn’t looking forward to it now. He didn’t want to think of driving a very rush load almost all the way to the East Coast. He had just come into town after being away for over a week. He only wanted to eat something and go to sleep. The only good part of this trip would be that, since Chad had been dispatched from home tonight, he would have a fridge full of good food, which now he would share.
Thinking of Chad’s fridge made him think of Chad’s wife. At times, Lionel was almost jealous of Chad and the closeness of his family, how they managed to overcome the trials of long absences. He used to think about coming home to a wife and kids anxious for his return, but he knew that was a fantasy. His parents hadn’t been able to keep their marriage together, no matter how much or how little time they spent together. Experience had shown him that, when put to the test, the one woman he would have called “special” turned out to be no different than his mother. Chad had indeed been blessed to have a woman like Chelsea as his life’s partner.
Briefly Lionel wondered what life would be like with a special woman to welcome him home with open arms after a long absence. The first woman who came to his mind was Chad’s niece. He knew Gwen was single because Chad had told him so. As well, Gwen had chosen to drive around the continent all summer, which proved Gwen truly didn’t have anyone she called special to stay home for. He didn’t know why a woman like Gwen was still single at thirty years of age. He was thirty-one and single, and he planned to stay that way.
Lionel shook his head to break away from his mental meanderings. Gwen was a teacher—a people person. She was in her element in a crowd, both with children and adults. Everyone liked her. He had seen that firsthand. Every time she came into contact with people, they warmed up to her. For someone to whom people gravitated, the temptation was too great. Absence did not make the heart grow fonder. He’d learned that the hard way.
He slowed his speed as he approached the glow of headlights near the summit of Snoqualmie. A tow truck was already hooked up to Chad’s Kenworth. Lionel parked behind the rig and stood to the side. He watched as the truck was pulled out from under the trailer. Shaking slightly, the trailer settled onto the landing legs and, when it was on solid ground, the tow truck pulled Chad’s truck clear.
Chad appeared at his side. “Threw a rod,” he mumbled, shaking his head.
Lionel also shook his head. “Bad stuff. Down time?”
“Figure a week and a half. Maybe two.”
“Taking it home?”
“Yeah. Most of the repairs should still be covered under warranty.”
“Expensive towing bill.”
“Figure so.”
Lionel said a short prayer of thanks for Chad that, since this was a major job, the truck had broken down fairly close to home.
He turned to climb back into his own truck and get ready to hook up to the trailer but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Chad climb into the passenger side of the tow truck. Chad waved as they started moving.
Lionel abruptly pushed his truck door shut, ran to the tow truck, and banged on Chad’s door once with his open palm. The tow truck stopped. Chad rolled down the window.
“Where are you going?” he shouted over the noise of the engine. “I was told this load had to go doubles to Indiana and it was hot.”
Chad nodded to the side of the road.
Lionel turned his head in the direction of Chad’s nod.
“I’ve got to go with my truck,” Chad said. “You’re driving with Gwen.”
Lionel’s breath caught as he saw Gwen standing stiffly at the side of the road beside the trailer. Her duffel bag was slung over her shoulder. A number of grocery bags and a few other items lay at her feet. Her shoulders were hunched, her arms were crossed over her chest.
This was not the same Gwen who had pitched in on her first trip to help slide the bogeys, or held her own when Burt tried to make her look foolish in front of the other drivers. She hadn’t shown any sign of weakness then. The size and weight of driving a tractor-trailer unit hadn’t intimidated her either. When she lost her temper at the truck stop a few days ago, her righteous indignation had instantly earned the respect of many truckers, and his too.
Gwen now looked terrified. And all she had to do was get into his Freightliner.
“I can’t drive with your niece.”
“You don’t have a choice. She’s the other half of the doubles team, and this half has to stay with the downed truck.”
“I can’t.”
Chad sighed. “I don’t like it either, but Gwen doesn’t know anything about mechanics. I can’t leave her in charge of such an investment. Jeff just got out of the hospital, so I can’t expect him to look after this. Face it, the company doesn’t see her as a woman. They only see a licensed driver and a load that’s got to move.”
“It’s not that she’s a woman,” Lionel stammered, “it’s that she’s … uh … I mean …” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Even though she was a beginner, she was a qualified driver. He also knew she was no shrinking violet if trouble came up. So far they got along well enough when they were together, both in the serious stuff as well as the good-natured teasing. They had shared a very special moment when they’d prayed together.
What he didn’t want to think about was their being together, all day and all night, without a break for over a week. Most important, it was neither right nor proper, even if they were on the road and on the job, to travel with a woman, day and night.
His gut twisted. Being with her all day didn’t bother him half so much as being with her all night.
�
�There’s no option here, Lionel. I have to go with my truck, and Gwen is going with you. The load’s already been delayed three hours. You’ve got to get moving.”
Moving. He thought of what it would be like. Technically, in any twenty-four-hour period, on a critical load like this, both of them would drive ten hours apiece. Interspersed in those twenty hours they’d have a number of breaks totaling four hours to fuel, eat, and see to personal needs. Basically, the truck didn’t stop. There would never be a time they would be resting or sleeping at the same time. This was work.
He stiffened his back and squeezed his eyes shut. Dear Lord, please give me strength. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, he prayed. It could be done, and it would be done Lionel walked to Gwen. “I’m out of hours. I’ll hook up, and then you’re driving.”
Gwen knew she would be driving through the mountains at night at some point, but she never imagined this.
She had barely managed to get familiar with Uncle Chad’s truck, and now she had to get to know this one. Most of all, she had to get used to Lionel.
He hadn’t said anything, but Gwen knew Lionel wasn’t comfortable with the situation. For that matter, neither was she. With Lionel in the passenger seat, she’d never felt so scrutinized in her life, including the time she took her driver’s test for her Class-One license. The multiple shifts required for mountain driving were bad enough, but the job was made much worse with Lionel watching her every move. She wished the breakdown could have happened on the prairies. Then again, if it had happened any farther from home, she wouldn’t have been driving with Lionel, but a stranger.
Rather than feeling sorry for herself, Gwen chose to thank God that she was teamed with someone she knew, at least a little. Most of all, even though Lionel was a man, he was a Christian, and since Lionel knew her uncle, he would have to answer to her uncle Chad for any potential misdemeanor.