Week 8: Long Haul Trucker

The satellite radio was cutting in and out as Luke Dobbs drove along the cliff side roads in Peril County. Over the past 20 days, he had driven his 18 wheeler to Nashville, then Denver, onto Seattle, back to Wichita, over to Chicago, down to Cincinnati and finally home. It was a complicated trip, with more stops than usual, but the pay was good. He reached down to his console and grabbed a bottle of diet soda. A quick shake in his hand proved that the bottle was indeed empty. Just as well, he was about to stop.

Luke mashed a button and the radio buzzed over to a local station playing Bluegrass. He’d never been a fan, but it was better than the choppy noise that was coming out of his speakers before. Rita, his wife of fifteen years, had messaged him an hour ago that she didn’t have food waiting and that if he wanted dinner, he would need to get something on his way. There was a Speedy Quick just outside of town that had pretty good fish dinners that he figured would still be hot this time of night. He pulled into the “Trucks” section and collected all the empty bottles and loose trash he could see in the cab. He grabbed some fish and a pepperoni roll from the front counter. Couple of pops and a candy bar made this a complete meal for Luke, and he pointed his truck for home.

Traveling the country made him appreciate this small piece of the mountains he called home. The planes of Kansas, the Rockies in Colorado, the Nevada desert and the lights in the cities couldn’t compare to the simple beauty of Preacher’s Creek in Black Grass, Kentucky. Luke’s family had lived here for generations on this plot of land. His mother still lived in the old home place, with the farm and barn. His sister lived across the creek with her husband and three kids in a double wide. Luke had made a good enough living doing long-haul driving to build a nice home for Rita and himself. It even allowed her to stay home with their kids.

The sun had set hours ago by the time he pulled into the paved driveway that lead to his house. A large street light illuminated his front yard and he could hear Banner, the family’s dog, barking inside. He climbed out of the cab and pulled out a bin of dirty cloths. There was a rustling from inside and suddenly the front door burst open. Hailey and Zander bounded out and met their daddy at the top of the porch.

“What did you bring us, Daddy?” Hailey asked as she jumped up into her father’s arms. She was a cute seven-year old with blonde hair and a big gap between her front teeth. Zander clung to his dad’s waist. He was small for his age of ten, with messy black hair and round glasses. He looked up at the mention of presents.

Luke feigned a look of shock and confusion. “Was I supposed to bring you guys something?”

“Daaaadyyyyy!” the young girl whined, playfully, that had become a well rehearsed game between father and daughter. “You know you always bring us something.”

He sat his daughter down and started patting over his body, as if looking for something, a broad grin over his bearded face. “Well, I did find a few things that might interest you a bit.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a square, green lollypop with a giant beetle inside it. “Zander, this is for you bud. It’s called a scarab sucker. Now, you can eat it, I guess. But I think it’s just pretty cool to look at. Reckon it’s up to you if you wanna lick on a beetle or not.”

The boy took the curious confection and started at it for a moment. A sly grin crossed his face. He hugged his dad tightly, scrunching up his face as he squeezed. “It’s awesome!”

“Now, for the lady of the house, we have…” Luke walked over to his plastic tub filled with laundry and reached along the far side. He pulled out a small, slender plastic man, his hands over his mouth and a pained look on its face. “This is a special friend for you, and Banner I guess. Give him a hug.”

Hailey took the toy and mashed it in the middle. An obnoxiously long, and loud puking sound emitted from the man as his hands moved from his mouth. The girl giggled loudly. “It’s gross. I love it.” Luke bent down and kissed his daughter on the top of her head.

“C’mon, let’s get inside ‘fore mommy whips us all!” Luke said as he ushered his children back into the house. The strong scent of bleach and ammonia struck him like a punch to the face. “Babe, something spill? What’s that smell?”

A short, round woman walked into the kitchen wearing an old tee shirt, sweatpants and yellow plastic gloves. “No, that stupid dog shit in the play room and ain’t nobody else gonna clean it up. I’m elbow deep in dog crap and you waltz in here like a hero.” Luke could tell his wife was in one of her moods and not much he could say was going to ease it.

“Rita, honey. I’ll clean up whatever. Just let me get in the door. It’s nice to see you. I’ve sure missed you.” He put the bin of clothes on the kitchen table and walked toward his wife, motioning for a hug.

She turned up her nose and shook her head. “I’m covered in dog crap!” she called, half mad, half tickled.

“Better or worse, babe. I guess dog crap is worse, but I ain’t had a hug from my wife in weeks, so I’ll risk a little poop.” He enveloped his wife in a tight embrace and rocked back and forth in a kind of waltz. She indulged him for a moment before pushing him away.

“Yer a dang fool.”

“Only over you, baby!” he replied with a smile.

Rita pulled the yellow gloves from her hands and ushered her kids toward their rooms. “That’s enough excitement for one evenin’. Off to bed, you two. Ya got school in the mornin’.”

Hailey and Zander gave their dad one final hug before heading off to bed. Luke picked up the laundry tub and carried it over to the washing machine. It was full of towels that had a dank, sour smell. “That needs another wash.” he said to no-one in particular. Putting the tub on the floor, he snatched up some pods and fabric softener and started the washer again.

He found Rita sitting in a recliner in front of the TV, playing on her phone. The couch across the room was covered with toys and unfolded clothes. He sat at the corner and started sorting and folding shirts. “Anything interesting go on while I was gone you didn’t tell me about?” he asked, trying to start a conversation.

“There puttin’ a new dollar store up on Hatchett Fork Road, across from the branch bank,” she said flatly without looking away from her screen.

Luke folded another shirt. “Well, that’ll help that end of the county. Keep ‘em from comin’ all the way into town for stuff I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Luke found a pair of sweatpants and rolled them into a tight bundle before tying them together with the waistband. “S’there something you’re upset about? Somethin’ I did that I don’t know I did, maybe?”

Rita swiped on her phone. “No, It’s fine.”

“Sweetie, I know fine. I’ve seen you ‘fine’ and I’m pretty sure this ain’t it.” Hank found the match for the black sock in his hand and made a ball out of the pair.

Her shoulder raised up to the point that they almost touched her ears. She let out a loud sigh. “It’s just hard, Luke. You’re gone for weeks at a time and I’m here takin’ care a these children and this house and you’re out seein’ the country. All I’m seein’ is Banner take a shit in the play room.”

Luke had suspected that this, or something similar was the problem. It was a common issue when he came home that Rita resented him for leaving. Strangely, in a few days, she would resent him being home. “I gotta work, hon. And it ain’t like I’m out sight seein’ when I’m on the road. All I’m seeing is a stretch a road through the windshield.”

“Yeah, but the view changes, Luke! An’ when you’re home, it ain’t like you ever wanna do anything or go anywhere.” She was looking at him now, unable to hide her frustration.

He furrowed his brow. “I do wanna do stuff. I wanna see you and the kids. I ain’t got much time and I want to spend it with y’all as much as I can.” He understood her frustration, at least a little.

She plopped back into her chair and stared back into her phone. “It don’t matter. You’ll be gone in three or four days anyway.”

“That’s not fair, now. I’ve offered to get off the long haul routes and do more regional and local stuff where I won’t be gone near as much. It’s a big pay cut, and we’ll have to make a lot of changes, but I think we could make it work.” He was getting annoyed, but trying to keep it hidden. The last few times he’d come home, arguments like this had sprung up and it didn’t matter what he said or did, Rita made him feel wrong somehow.

Rita huffed loudly again. “How are we gonna live on half the money you’re makin’ right now, huh? When we got married, you said you wanted me to stay home and raise your babies. So I never went to the community college like I wanted to. And, it ain’t like I can just walk down town and get a job at the bank or the hospital, now is it?”

Luke folded another shirt. “You workin’ is a completely different discussion. I’m just sayin’ that if you want me home more, we can make that work. We’ll just have to budget and sell my truck and the boat.”

“So, we just gonna share a car when you home, then? You think that makes sense?” Her eyes never left her phone as she berated him. She swiped again.

He pulled a fitted sheet from the pile of laundry and thought better than to try to fold it. “Hon, all I’m sayin’ is if you’re want me home more, I’ll make it happen. Now, let’s turn off the tv and go to bed, what do you say?”

“My feet are swollen, so I’m gonna sleep here in the recliner. I do most nights anymore, anyway. But the bed is made up, so you can sleep in there.”

Luke stood and walked over to his wife. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Alright, then. I’ll head on ta bed. Love ya.”

Rita sniffed hard. “Can you take the kids to school in the mornin’? I’d like to sleep in for once, if I can.”

He scratched his head and gave a tired smile. “Yeah, babe. Sure.” It was dark in the hallway as he turned toward the master bedroom. Their bedroom?

“Glad your home, honey,” she called out as he clicked the light-switch.

“Me too, babe. Me too.”