Queen of the Road

by Tricia Stringer

  The wake-up alarm sounded, startling her back to the task at hand. She flicked her eyes across the dash. Everything was steady, including her speed. She checked her mirrors. A dashboard light came on. She kept an eye on it as she drove. All was fine for a moment, then the seatbelt light came on and again the wake-up warning sounded. This time she knew her speed hadn’t varied. What was going on?

  Up ahead was a parking bay, the last one before she turned west onto the Eyre Highway. She pulled in to give Big Red the once over. No one else was parked in the large expanse of red dirt so she had plenty of room to manoeuvre the truck. She edged up close to the first of a row of huge cement tanks graffitied with all kinds of messages, from ‘Marry me Mary’ to ‘Panthers Premiers 2012’ to ‘Save the Boat People’.

  With the engine idling and the radio off, she heard her phone ring. She patted her pocket but she hadn’t put it back there after the call from Nigel. It was no longer on the console, where she’d left it. The noise seemed to be coming from lower down. She climbed across and felt down the side of the passenger seat. Only papers there. She ran her hand along the back of the seat. Her phone stopped ringing but she felt the edge of it wedged in the gap.

  Angela tugged it out. There were several missed calls, all from the Adelaide office. She dialled the number and within seconds Shell answered. Casting a wary eye over the lights flickering on the console, she cut off Shell’s Ranger Transport spiel.

  ‘Have you been trying to ring me?’ she asked.

  ‘Angela, where are you?’

  ‘In a parking bay, just past Port Augusta.’ Angela blinked as she heard a muffled curse come from the otherwise polite yard manager. ‘Listen, Shell, what do you need? I’ve got a bit of bother of my own.’

  ‘The maintenance guy arrived mid-morning with a replacement wire. Something to do with your electronics.’

  Except for the blinking light, the dash was now without lights and sound. Maybe this was the problem but it seemed more of a nuisance than anything else. ‘We can arrange for them to replace it when I–’

  ‘You can’t keep going,’ Shell’s voice croaked at her. ‘It could affect your driving.’

  Angela looked around. Another truck rolled south along the highway, while the giant tanks stretched silently to her northern side. Other than that, there was nothing out here but red dirt smattered with low bush. She glanced back at Claudia. Her cheeks still glowed.

  ‘If I can’t go back and I can’t go forward, what am I to do? I’m in the middle of nowhere.’

  ‘Just sit tight. The maintenance guy’s on his way. I gave him your route and sent him off after you. Now that I know where you are, I’ll let him know. He should only be a couple of hours away.’

  ‘A couple of hours!’

  ‘He said he left a note in the truck telling you not to go anywhere. I tried to ring as soon as he turned up. Your phone kept going to message bank. You’re lucky you got as far as you did in one piece.’

  Angela looked around the cab and let out a sigh. The passenger seat and the floor were strewn with the debris of Claudia’s early morning play.

  ‘Angela?’ Shell’s voice echoed in her ear.

  ‘Yes, I’m here.’

  ‘You can’t keep driving.’

  ‘I get it, Shell. Just keep me posted.’

  ‘Keep your phone close.’

  Angela ended the call and placed the phone securely in her shirt pocket. Behind her, Claudia gave a small cough and a moan but didn’t wake up. Beyond the truck there was little sign of human presence between them and the horizon. Angela gripped the steering wheel and leaned forward. Just before she lowered her head into her hands, she noticed that someone had written, ‘Cassie, you’re the wind beneath my wings’, in large blue letters on the side of the nearest cement tank.

  She gave a snort, jerked herself upright and got out of the truck. Nigel had said that to her back in the early days. He’d even played the song on his clarinet for her. Just another one of the sentimental tricks he’d used. Now she understood just how gullible she’d been, and hoped Cassie, whoever she was, wasn’t so easily charmed.

  She jabbed at one of the new tyres with the toe of her boot. Bloody Nigel, if he hadn’t kept Claudia out in the rain she wouldn’t be sick, and if he hadn’t rung this morning Angela’s phone would have been in her pocket when Shell had tried to call. Angela jabbed at the next tyre. If she thought about it long enough, she was sure she could blame him for the electronics failure in the truck too. She shook her head and sank down to her haunches, using the wheel as a back rest. She knew it was a waste of energy following this train of thought. Damn Nigel! Why should she be dancing to his tune when he was the one who walked away? It was over between them. If he wanted to keep Claudia in his life, he needed to make formal arrangements.

  Angela paced around the truck for a while then used her energy to give the inside of the cab a once-over. She found the note about the wire amongst the papers and pencils on the floor. It must have got caught up in Claudia’s things while she was playing. Angela berated herself for not taking more care when she’d bundled the little girl into the truck. By the time the maintenance guy arrived, Angela had given plenty of thought to the mess she was in. Not just today’s mishaps – or yesterday’s – but to her life in general.

  It took him longer than he thought to replace the wire and test it with his computer. Claudia woke up while he was working and Angela coaxed her to eat and drink and swallow some more medicine. Before they left the parking bay, Claudia had been happy to get back into the bunk and she quickly fell asleep again.

  Now the sun had set and there was little moon. Big Red’s high beams lit up the road but beyond their range, the world was black as ink. Angela risked waking Claudia by putting the two-way radio on. It was going to be another late arrival into Munirilla and she needed some company in the cab, even if it was only the disjointed voices of other truckies. There was usually someone whose antics were entertaining.

  Her thoughts strayed to an idea that had been forming back at the parking bay. If she was honest with herself, the glimmer of it had been niggling away since their last picnic with Coop. He’d asked questions she wasn’t able to answer at the time, but they’d stayed with her, floating on the edge of conscious thought ever since. Today she had given them some proper consideration and the answers didn’t surprise her. Apart from a job she didn’t like and a father who was busy a lot of the time, there was little to take her back to Melbourne. There was no reason why they couldn’t stay in Munirilla. Not forever, that was too big a thought, but maybe for a couple of years. She could drive for her father and see how it worked out. The Melbourne firm she worked for was downsizing and would be happy to have her resignation – one less redundancy to pay out. She wouldn’t miss it either, she realised. Driving Big Red was much more enjoyable. Today’s problems were rare, and becoming rarer as she got the hang of things. The maintenance guy had said so himself. He’d never had to replace that particular wire on a truck as new as this one.

  Angela was comfortable behind the wheel and not daunted by the distance. Claudia was the only sticking point in the equation, but maybe they could work something out with Leanne so that the little girl didn’t need to make every trip.

  As for money, Leanne and Jim appeared to manage on one wage with three little boys. Jim was Ken’s right-hand man but Angela didn’t imagine it was a high-paying position. Leanne had mentioned their mortgage before, so they earned at least enough to cover that. Maybe they lived on credit, like she did. In reality, she had no idea what their financial situation was, but she made a mental note to work out some kind of payment for Leanne’s regular childcare. She should have insisted on paying something much earlier.

  Angela shifted in her seat. She turned off the radio as a burst of static crackled from it. They were passing through the last town before Munirilla. Another thirty minutes and they’d be home. Angela smiled at the thought of the shabby little flat. It wasn’t what she imagined sh
e’d ever think of as homely, but she’d turned it into a cosy space for the short periods they spent there. Even the scratching in the wall had become a comforting sound in the night when all other noises ceased. Not like the city, where she couldn’t remember ever knowing silence.

  The headlights slashed a path through the black night ahead. In front of her, the road stretched with a few bends and trees crowded to the verge. She hadn’t seen another vehicle for quite a while. Cocooned in Big Red, she and Claudia were all alone out here. Angela smiled. The thought of that didn’t bother her at all anymore.

  She wondered how her dad would react if she told him she’d keep going with the run. He’d been effusive in his praise for her work last night, and there were other trucks and routes within the company for Tiny Trev, so she wouldn’t be doing him out of a job.

  But something her father said was still puzzling her. He’d known she hadn’t gone back to the depot. She’d just assumed that Shell had told him, but Shell hadn’t known, and it couldn’t have been Terry.

  A light came into view in her side mirror. Someone else was on the highway behind her. They weren’t alone after all.

  She replayed the conversation with her father in her head. He’d talked about how well this job was going and that there’d be a bonus for her, and he said something about her taking time to relax and go out with friends. What had made him think she had friends in Adelaide? She couldn’t remember mentioning Jeremy to him, but maybe she had. Maybe her father had just been generalising.

  The headlights in her side mirrors were now bigger and brighter. It hurt her eyes to look at them. Whatever was behind her was moving fast. It would have to be smaller than a truck but it had very powerful high beams. Then the lights dimmed. Angela blinked at the road ahead trying to disperse the flashes in her eyes.

  There was something else her father said that had seemed strange. He’d said she should enjoy a few drinks. He’d mentioned it twice too, in a way that seemed too specific to be a general comment. But no one knew she’d had lunch with Jeremy except Nigel, and he’d only guessed she’d been drinking after Claudia’s comment about Angela smelling like a pub.

  Angela frowned. Maybe she was reading more into it than she should. She checked her side mirrors. The lights had gone. Maybe they’d pulled over. She glanced at the mirror again and was once more dazzled by brilliant light. Her heart skipped a beat. The other driver was riding her tail and shining the full force of their high beams. She checked her speed. If it was that highway patrolman again, she didn’t want to give him any excuse to pull her over.

  The lights had made spots dance across her vision. Her own lights showed a long, clear stretch of road ahead. She waited for the vehicle to overtake, wanting to get back to the peace of having the road to herself.

  The lights edged closer – too close – but didn’t pass. Why? She eased back her speed a little but they stayed right behind her, matching her speed. Angela gripped the wheel tighter. She was reminded of the driver with the caravan from one of her first journeys to Munirilla, speeding up and slowing down like it was playing cat and mouse with her.

  Whoever was behind her was now too close for safety. She sped up just a little, but they stuck close. She tried slowing down again, but that didn’t work either. It was as if Big Red were towing the other vehicle, whatever it was – the brightness of its lights made it impossible to tell.

  She glanced at the trip meter. They were still about twenty kilometres from Munirilla. This was crazy. She edged her speed back up to the limit. As she did so, the lights came around her rig, moving quickly up beside her. Now she could make out the rows of red lights on its flank. It was some kind of truck. For a few seconds their twin sets of headlights lit up the road like an airport runway.

  Angela dimmed her beams and was startled by the beep of the driver fatigue warning. She glanced at her speed and could feel the tremble in her legs – she must have eased off the accelerator unconsciously. Ahead of her, the other truck was fast disappearing into the night. All she could see now were its taillights.

  ‘Mummy?’

  Angela jumped at the sound of Claudia’s voice, then quickly collected herself.

  ‘It’s okay, Claud.’

  ‘My head hurts.’

  ‘We’re nearly home. I’ll give you some more medicine soon, and then you get to sleep in your own bed.’

  Claudia groaned and Angela silently cursed the idiot driver who’d ruined her peaceful night. It must have just been someone on the long haul west, playing a game to keep themselves entertained. But it was a dangerous game to play. Angela clicked her tongue. Then, as the ‘Welcome to Munirilla – the Hub of Eyre Peninsula’ sign came into view, she let out a small sigh. Just when she’d made the decision to stay on with this job, just when she thought she was taking control of her life, her confidence had been shaken.

  Chapter 38

  ‘I can’t believe they’d do that to me, but they did.’ Ken dropped the pen he’d been turning in his fingers and looked up. ‘I’m sorry Angela.’ His voice was soft and the words came out slowly, as if they were being dragged from him, but Angela could see the contrition in his eyes. She felt sorry for him.

  They were sitting either side of his desk and it was still early. Ken had phoned and asked her to call in before opening hours. It turned out the farmers whose chemicals were missing had cancelled the orders themselves and got Berls to deliver them instead.

  For Angela it was a hollow victory. She hadn’t made a mistake and neither had Ken – but they’d both lost business.

  He looked as wrecked as she felt. Her sleep had been restless, plagued with dreams of rogue trucks running her off the road.

  ‘I don’t understand it either,’ she said. ‘From what I’m hearing, Ranger Transport offers cheaper rates. Why would they go back to Berls?’

  ‘Both farmers told me they were offered a better deal.’

  ‘So Berls are undercutting …’ Angela clicked her tongue. ‘I still don’t get it. Why? You said they’re not interested in general carrier work.’

  ‘They’re not. Or at least, they weren’t. It’s always been stock for them. They only did some of the general freight more recently, after the last permanent guy pulled out.’

  ‘But I saw them with a brand new tautliner trailer. Why would they buy that if they’re only doing stock?’

  Ken shrugged. ‘They have a couple of drivers who do general deliveries to the mining areas up north. They’ve diversified in recent years – because of the drought. They used those trailers to bring goods here before you came.’

  ‘Why didn’t they just take on the run then? Why’d you need someone else?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I spoke to Cliff Senior at length about it, long before we advertised for anyone else.’ Ken ran his fingers through his hair. ‘He said they were too busy, didn’t want to take on more drivers. There’s Cliff, his three sons, a couple of other drivers – I think Cliff prefers to keep the business to the family as much as he can.’

  Angela frowned. ‘So what if they weren’t doing so well elsewhere? What if they wanted to take over the general freight here?’

  ‘I’ve heard a few rumours, but Cliff would have said something, surely.’

  ‘Maybe not – not if he’s got competition. There’s plenty of work but not enough for two companies.’

  ‘If he’d spoken up, Berls would’ve had the work. Still could.’

  ‘But I’m doing it.’

  ‘They’re local.’

  ‘So you’d give Cliff the contract over me?’

  ‘It’s not you personally.’ Ken lowered his gaze. ‘Anyway, you’re not staying. It’ll be some other chap–’

  ‘Who’ll still work for Ranger,’ Angela cut in. ‘You made a deal with my father and it looks to me as if you’re backing out.’

  ‘Cliff has been serving this community all his life.’

  ‘Serving? Frank showed me what Berls were charging before I came along. I call that ripping off the
community, not serving it.’ Angela stood up. She was trying to keep a calm exterior but inside she was in turmoil.

  ‘He’s reliable, Angela. You might be cheaper but your deliveries have been a bit to and fro.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Two days one week, three days the next.’

  Angela’s compassion for Ken was all but gone. ‘I reckon there’s enough business for three runs a week but every delivery gets chopped and changed.’

  ‘That’s what I mean.’

  ‘No Ken! That’s what I mean.’ She jabbed her chest with her finger. ‘Berls have been undercutting, causing changes to orders. I’m prepared to do the work but I can’t do it if it’s not there.’

  Ken stood up as well. ‘You don’t know that Berls are undercutting.’

  ‘It’s pretty obvious from where I’m standing. But seeing as you’re so close, why don’t you ask your buddy Cliff yourself?’

  ‘Don’t come in here telling me what to do.’

  Angela pushed back from the desk. ‘You called me,’ she said. ‘Just like you asked Ranger Transport to come here in the first place. So if you want to terminate the contract, you’ll need to deal with my father. He runs an honest business. He charges fair rates. Berls must be losing money to do it so much cheaper. Ask yourself how long they’ll be willing to keep it up.’

  Ken slumped forward and shook his head. Angela clamped her lips shut. There was no point going on about it, Ken seemed to have made up his mind. He groaned. Angela stayed where she was, staring at the top of his head. He groaned again and rubbed his chest. Was he having a heart attack? Angela looked through the glass to the shop behind her – still empty. Should she call an ambulance? She hovered over him.

  ‘Ken?’

  He let out a big sigh and lifted his head. His face was pale.