Chapter 2

Life was going on and I was driving down to Texas with a load of paper products. I was stopped by a parade route going down the street to where I was taking my paper load. A couple of college students came up to my truck and starting yelling obscenely at me.

"You're responsible for global warming. You killed thousands and thousands of our trees. You're polluting our environment."

What the fuck? What the hell were these idiots talking about? I was about ready to get out of my truck with a tire iron and pollute a couple of heads when a police squad car pulled up and told these two assholes to get back in their parade.

"Please get back in your truck sir," said the officer.

"What the hell is going on? What were those two jokers coming after me for?" I asked the officer.

"It's an Earth Day parade, Sir. You know, save the trees, save the spotted owl. Ride a bike, stop polluting our atmosphere and burning our natural resources," the officer said.

"You mean they're blaming me for driving a truck and making a living? What the hell has the world come to? The guy out here trying to make a living is the bad guy and these idiots that have nothing better to do think they are the good guys. Maybe I lived too long already," I told the officer.

The officer was laughing. "I agree with you, sir, but we are just here to keep the peace. It would be kind of hard fighting crime without vehicles."

The college kids kept giving me the finger as they marched down the road. I couldn't believe they spent their time even making up their stupid signs. How would they have drawn the stupid sign if there wasn't a tree cut down to give them their paper to make the stupid sign to begin with. I was sure glad my kids never took part in these crazy causes.

I sat there reading the signs. "Save the spotted owl. Stop using our natural resources. Don't drive SUV's, Electric cars are the way of the future." On and on, sign after sign.

Someone needed to sit these students down and explain the facts of life to them. To get electric, you need to burn either coal or a fuel of some type. That is our natural resources. Big car, small car, did it make a difference in the end?

What would these kids do if someone shut off their grandparents' heat? I think most of these kids need to understand that every truck driver is doing a service. Everything we have is moved from one location to another by truck, train, or boat.

Look, I'm not against nature. I like animals, trees, nice parks, fresh water, but there needs to be a balance here. What is one willing to give up to have something else. Why does every generation think they have all the answers? Oh well, the parade has moved on so I can deliver my rolls of paper.

I drove in and some of the workers were just shaking their heads at the college kids. I would sure be glad when I got unloaded and out of this area.

As soon as I got out of the city limits I found me a nice truck stop. They had day rooms and a lounge for the truckers who wanted to clean up. I got my room and, after cleaning up, I headed to the lounge. I wasn't planning on spending the night in the motel; I just wanted to clean up some of this street grime off my body. I was sipping a beer and watching the club girls dancing. I looked around and saw some of the couples holding each other tightly while dancing. I thought about Mary and how we would go dancing with Bill and Barb. After a couple of beers I decided to hit the road. I thought I could drive for a few more hours before settling in for the night. I had a sleeper cab which was my home away from home.

As I approached it I saw a guy walking around with a tire iron walking between the trucks yelling in Spanish. I thought it might be one of the protesters and got myself prepared to fight.

From a distance he yelled at me. "Sir, have you seen a dark haired Mexican girl? She's short, maybe 5' 1", a little stocky but pretty. She's twenty years old."

I realized he wasn't part of the Earth Day protestors but was looking for someone. At least I didn't have to fight him.

"There were a couple of Mexican girls matching that description inside the lounge," I answered. "Why are you looking for her if I may ask?"

"She was my girlfriend. She took this tire iron and hit my car with it. I saw her run across the parking lot. I'll kill her if I see her. She damaged my car."

"Take it easy, fellow. Don't go killing anyone over a dented car. Just call the police and file a report. Give yourself time to calm down."

I got in my truck and started it up. I heard a noise and looked back in my sleeper compartment and saw the girl.

"What the fuck are you doing in my truck?"

"Please, sir, help me. You heard him; he'll hurt me. Just drive out and you can let me out in the next town."

I could see she was really scared and I saw the guy still walking around the parking lot with the tire iron. I knew I should have asked her to get out of my truck but I thought about my daughter. What if it was her and she needed help. I went ahead and drove out of the parking lot.

"Okay, get your butt up here and talk to me. What's this all about?"

I finally had a good look at her. Her old boyfriend's description was about right. She was a cute gal and a little on the chunky side. Dark hair, shoulder length, she had on shorts which showed a nice pair of legs and her blouse was more of the t-shirt variety. Looked like a nice set of boobs.

I spoke first. "You're not part of that damn 'Earth Day' crowd are you?"

"No, Sir, my name is Carlita. My friends call me Carly. The man chasing me is Carlos. He was my old boyfriend."

"Why was he chasing you and did you hit his car like he said?" I asked.

"We broke up a couple of weeks ago. I went home and found him screwing another woman. I threw a lamp at him and ran out the door. I went to one of my girlfriends and moved in with her. When Carlos wasn't at the trailer, me and Francesca, my girlfriend went and got my things."

"So, what happened tonight?" I asked.

"I turned twenty-one two days ago and my girlfriends took me out for my birthday. We were dancing and having a good time when I saw Carlos come in with that whore. I got mad and ran out to his car and took the tire iron and beat on his car. He came after me and I hid in your truck."

"So, what are you going to do now? Where do you live?"

"I live in a small village a few miles away from the lounge. I can't go back or I'll have to go to jail. I have to find somewhere to go. Where are you going?"

"I'm headed back home to Ohio. You can't come with me. I'll just have to drop you off somewhere. Don't you have family or friends where you can go? Surely they will miss you."

"I come from a family of nine kids. My parents are poor and can't afford to keep me. I moved out when I turned eighteen and moved in with Carlos. We've lived together till I found him cheating on me. I've got nowhere to go. Please take me with you."

"Look, Carly, I need time to think. Why don't you go back in the sleeping compartment and get some rest. We'll talk later."

I had no idea what to do. Here was this young girl, sleeping in my truck and I was driving farther and farther away from her hometown. I couldn't just drop her off and tell her to fend for herself; I wasn't made that way. What the hell was I going to do? Christ, she was only twenty-one and on her own. She didn't have anything with her. What the hell was I going to do with her?

Here I was a lonely old fool with a young woman in his truck. I needed to get some rest too. I pulled over at a rest area and tried to figure where I was going to lay my head. I glanced back and saw her sleeping. I watched as her breasts went up and down to the motions of her breathing. What was I thinking? She was younger than my own kids for God sake.

I tried sleeping sitting up but I hated trying to sleep this way. I decided to take my chances in the bed with Carly. After all, it was my bunk and was big enough for two people.

I climbed back and kind of nudged Carly over to one side and slid in next to her. It'd been over three years since I actually slept with another woman. I do mean sleep, not having sex. I did pay a couple of women for sex since Mary's death. I was tired of masturbating and wanted the real thing, so I went to a prostitute a few times. It just wasn't the same when you had to pay for it.

I eventually fell asleep, when I woke up; Carly was pressed back against me, her round butt pushing against my privates. Good thing I had my jeans on or she would have been fucked, literally.

She woke up a few seconds later and turned over. I explained to her that I needed to sleep too. She said she understood and was glad I didn't just push her out of the truck. I explained to her that I could never do that.

We got up and went inside to have some breakfast. As we were eating I asked her a few questions, trying to get a handle on the situation.

"Carly, what kind of work did you do?"

"I help my girlfriend clean houses. She gave me $75.00 a week plus room and board. Before that, when I lived with Carlos, I worked as a cashier at the drug store. I didn't have a car and wasn't able to get back and forth after leaving Carlos."

"I want you to call your girlfriend and your parents to see if everything is alright. Let them know that you are safe."

After she talked to her girlfriend, she told me that Carlos did call the police and said his car was damaged. He didn't mention her by name but he was looking for her. When she called her mom she was told to find work and take care. She was old enough to be on her own. I couldn't figure out how parents could treat their kids that way. Carly said that's how all her relatives are. You turn eighteen and you leave to make your own life. Now I had to decide what to do with Carly.

I don't know why I did it, probably from the years of loneliness since the loss of Mary, but I asked Carly if she wanted to come home with me and be my housekeeper. I knew at the time it was a mistake but loneliness does something to your mind. You don't know until you've been there.

I explained to her that she could be my housekeeper. She would have her own room and I would pay her one hundred dollars a week to buy herself personal things. We could try it out for a while and if she didn't like the situation then I could take her back home on my next trip to Texas.

The only other alterative was for me to take her to the bus station and buy her a ticket back to where she came from.

"I can't go back. I don't want to go back. I want a new life. You are such a nice man and have been so nice to me. I'll go with you and be your housekeeper. I don't have any personal things. Could you give me an advance on my paychecks so I could buy a few items?"

She had tears in her eyes and I felt like just maybe it would work out. On our way back to Ohio I stopped at a K-Mart and Carly and I did a little shopping. She bought herself pretty much two of everything for now. She was so happy, you would have thought she had won the lottery.

"I don't know how I can repay you for all you're doing for me. You are such a nice man."

"Okay, okay, Carly, take it easy. I'll subtract twenty-five dollars a week from your pay. That way you will still have enough each week to still buy yourself some more personal items."

She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for helping her. We headed on home, not saying too much but listening to my CD's.

I knew I was going to get a lot of backlash from my family. I was preparing myself for the onslaught of questions I was probably going to get. They, my family and friends, just don't understand being alone. I decided that Carly and I would get settled in and I would contact my daughter tomorrow.

When I pulled up to my house in the truck, Carly couldn't believe how nice it was. I lived in the country and had a large lot to park the truck in. As we entered the house, Carly was excited like a young school girl. Of course it wasn't that long ago for her.

"You must be rich, having such a nice house and furnishings. It's so nice. My parents live in a big old house. I only lived in trailers beside with my parents. This house is so big and nice. You got everything," she said.

"Carly, I'm not rich. I'm not even wealthy. I live like most people. I paid for this house over my lifetime. I haven't bought much of anything since the death of my wife. I spend most of my time on the road. It's the reason I suggested to you being my housekeeper. You can live here and it will be your job to see the place stays clean. You can do some cooking when I'm home. You're not my slave so you can lead your own life. Just respect my place and keep it clean. So, do we have a deal?"

Carly was jumping up and down like a kid with a new toy. She came over and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek again. I showed her to her room which used to be Sheila's before she got married. Sheila had taken all her personal things with her when she left but the room was still decorated like a girl's room.