A few years back, I was working for a trucking company in a small town near where I lived. All types of characters pass through a trucking terminal, it is a real experience. Drivers get lonely while they are out on the road, and they are quick to share their stories with you, if you take the time to listen. I apologize in advance, as this is a sad story, so if you aren't in the mood, now might be a good time to stop reading.
"Dan" stopped by the terminal one day and asked to fill out an application. It wasn't unusual, to have drivers stop in, so we had a large stack of applications waiting by the desk for just such an occasion. I pulled one from the stack and presented it to him. I asked him if he wanted to stay to fill it out or take it with him, and he said he wanted to stay. So I showed him to the drivers break room, and left him to the task. After a while, I got up and started back to check on him. I passed the window, and noticed the strange car in the lot. A young woman sat in the front with 3 or 4 kids in the back. They all were quiet and patient, which was amazing to me, because most kids I know can't sit still in a car if their lives depended upon it.
I went back to check on Dan, he was just finishing up with the application. I took it from him and scanned over it. He listed a local motel as his address. I asked him if he would be around for a while, and he replied that yes, he and his wife had just moved back from the west coast. If memory serves me, he started in northern California and had moved north to Oregon before heading back here. He said that he and his wife had fallen on hard times out west. That to even make a living out there was rough, but once you fell behind, it was next to impossible to catch up. They had sold almost everything they had and were hanging on a thread. As I looked over his application, I could tell he had the proper qualifications, so I asked him to sit tight, and give me a minute to see if the manager was able to talk to him.
My manager and I weren't the best of friends, but he respected my judgement, and when I went to him with the application, and asked him if he would take a minute to talk to this potential driver, he hesitated a minute, but then agreed. I ushered Dan in to speak to the manager, and by the time Dan left his office, he was our newest city driver. Our manager scheduled him for all the proper tests, and had me give him the rest of the paperwork for him to fill out as a new employee. When Dan left our building that day, I saw a truly relaxed and happy man. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders.
Dan came on board and became one of the guys. He fit in well, and we became fast friends as well. He brought his wife and kids in to meet all of us who worked in the office. Back in the day, we had regular Friday night cookouts at the terminal, and Dan's family always came and brought a dish to pass. It was a great time. I watched Dan become happier and more secure, and was so very glad that I had pushed his application in front of our manager.
About 2 months into his time with us, he and I talked about his son's birthday. His oldest son and my daughter were the same age. He said he so wanted to have a family party for him, but they were still a long way from being back on their feet and were also still living in a motel in one room. Well, that just couldn't happen! I worked with the manager and the other girls in the office, we took up an anonymous collection, and went to work. We went to our local grocery and purchased gift certificates for both a family meal from their deli and a special birthday cake for their party. Then with the remaining money, we bought several presents for the birthday boy, and an additional present for each of his brothers and sisters as well. We presented these to Dan and his wife "Jill", in private, after our next Friday cook out. They were in tears! They said they felt so blessed to have come back to our "family" and would never forget all the kindness showed to them.
Several years went by, Dan and his family got back on their feet, bought a house, settled in and all seemed well. One of the other drivers, "Bill", I had recruited from a local moving company. He and Dan had become best friends. Bill had decided he made more money at the moving company, and was going back to them. He asked Dan to come with him, to team drive moves to Florida. They would be back and forth at least two or three times a month, more when possible. Dan's mom lived in Florida, and it would give him a chance to check in on her more often. So, he jumped at the chance and both of my favorite drivers left to move retiree's to Florida.
All went along well for awhile. Then I heard from some of the other drivers, the Dan's wife Jill was not doing well with the change. His long times away, leaving her to manage four kids by herself was taking a toll. She was also struggling with early onset arthritis. She was depressed and in pain, and alone. Dan tried to come back to our terminal, but the economy had turned and we just didn't have any jobs available. So, he continued to move retirees and tried to be home as much as possible. About a year later, he was home, and woke to find his wife still on the couch from the night before. She never spent the whole night on the couch. He went to her, but it was too late. Jill had died in her sleep. The culprit was believed to be a new arthritis drug she was taking. An autopsy was ordered, but I was never privy to the results. Dan couldn't drive over the road any longer and be there for his kids. He decided to move his children to Florida, where his mom could help him raise them, and he could find another job. My daughter was able to keep in touch with his son for awhile, but eventually they lost touch as well.
I hadn't heard but a few things from friends, in passing. until just recently. I think our lives may be meant to cross one more time. I heard from two different people, that Dan is now struggling with cancer and it does not look good. He is moving back to be near his remaining family, I can only guess that his mom must have by now passed as well. I'm told he may have six months to a year, depending on some new medicine that they want to try. I hope it works for him. I think most of his children have graduated from school by now, except maybe the youngest. She still may have a year or two to go. If I find out he is here, I would like to seek him out, just to talk about good times and let him know he always had friends here who still thought about him often. His wife Jill is buried in the cemetery, just up the road from my house. I have gone there a few times, and will be so sad to see the day when I will visit them both there. Time can be so cruel, trying to understand why some people seem to do all the right things and still can't get to a comfortable and happy place in their lives confounds and depresses me. I know it all happens for reasons we cannot possibly understand, but if I could have one prayer answered, it would be to enlighten us, just enough so that we can find peace. I know we are supposed to find peace in faith, but having blind faith is very difficult. Ah, maybe that is why I'm still here, not enough lessons learned yet. I have much to learn.
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