Near Death Experience

It must have been near midnite, yeah, it must have been near midnite. The full moon was casting silvery milky beams onto the blacktop. The white broken lines were reflecting the moonbeams iridescently back onto the truck. One after the other, like a parade of flattened Pixie Sticks. Must have been near midnite.

The day had been a long one. The load was delayed till after noon, when the unfiltered Sun could beat a man down, wring the last bit of sweat and call for more. Any other time and the driver would not have taken the load. This wasn't like any other time. These times now are tough. Can't afford to turn down work. No sir, can't turn down work.

There was a day in this land when all you had to do to make it was to dream. You want to be a pilot? Go do it. You want to farm? Go do it. You want to own a house and a fancy car? Go do it. That's not to say that doing is easy. Nope. Never was. Never will be. Life is hard. Life ain't fair. And no amount of government will change that. But what government can change is your dreams. Take them away and bury them. Sweat them out of you like a noonday Sun!

Finally the load is on. Tarped for protection from the other motorists sharing the long road ahead. It would be days before the destination would be achieved. Days of monotonous driving. Days of wonder. Days of unknown problems. Days of challenges. There in lies the wonder of the road. There in lies the last frontier of the promise of America.

The driver and his beloved Pete are just scraping by. New tires, new trailer brakes, new this and new that have taken away the safe harbor of rainy day funds. Now it is down to hope and a prayer that things will stay together long enough till better days are here again. Now it is up to an economy that has cratered in the last few months. Too many trucks after too few goods. Now it is out of the hands of even the most driven man or woman.

Yeah, it must have been near midnite. The driver failed to see the twisted black ominous dregs left upon the lane after a retread tire gave up the task. The left steer tire caught a corner of the wasted retread and threw it toward the center of the truck, breaking an oil line. The explosive sound alerted the driver to the impending disaster ahead, one that can't now be avoided.

The speeding drivers on the passenger side of the Pete catapulted the waste fiercely under the loaded trailer. The spent retread skimmed the surface of the road like a devilish black surfer out for mayhem. And the dual set of overburdened trailer tires on the driver side of number 4 axle was the surfer's target.

Direct hit! The duals exploded with gusto! Pieces of both tires sprayed the underside of the trailer and left shrapnel for the following duals to run over and become victims themselves. The trailer sagged to the ground, shifting the weight. Quick to action, the driver began counter measures. Slowing the rig. Applying brake and shifting down. One strong arm handling the steering while the other strong arm handled the gearing. The rig was safely brought to a stop at the side of the road.

Yeah, it must have been near midnite. After the smoke and dust cleared the driver surveyed the damage. The load stayed secure. The truck needed minor repairs. The trailer was in good shape. Tires were another story. Looked like near $5,000 in roadside work. The driver laid his weary head upon his arms that were draped over the steering wheel. Glad to be alive. But this latest fiasco would mean the end of his business. Well. Let's wait for sunrise.


(Photos by author)