Several weeks later I was in Connecticut and was assigned a load to Columbia, South Carolina. There was a major hurricane due to enter that area at about the time I should have been arriving. I accepted the load and headed south and into the eye of the storm. I made it as far as Doswell, Virginia before being forced into a truck stop by winds high enough to flip even a heavily loaded truck ( I was carrying a very light load of vinyl siding). The truck stop, however, remained open for those brave enough to conquer the act of walking the 20 yards to the door for coffee. I was one such brave soul, and ventured out towards the door. A particularly strong gust that I would estimate to be seventy miles per hour blew "The Hat" off my head and across the parking lot some 50 yards away, and into a small stand of trees. I followed the path I had seen it take and braved the heavy winds and pounding rains, in a search and rescue mission like none other. I eventually found "The Hat" nestled in the crook of a small, double-trunk tree and placed it back on my head. I held it firmly in place as I marched headlong to the truckstop door to get a cup of coffee. I dried it under a hand dyer in the men's room before heading back out to the relative safety of my truck cab for the night.
I returned home to Tennessee a couple of weeks later for a few days off. The morning I was due to leave I got up early, fixed my coffee, and started packing for the next three weeks on the road. I inadvertantly grabbed the wrong hat before walking out the door. I drove all day reaching central Iowa before realizing my mistake. The next morning I called my wife and had her ship "The Hat" via overnight delivery to the Petro truckstop in Cheyenne, Wyoming where I knew I would spending the next night. I arrived in Cheyenne late that evening, and went to bed after driving all day. The next morning when I awoke I went inside to get my coffee and check on my shipment. It had arrived. I tore into the package right there at the counter. The cashier must have thought I was a total nutcase when she saw what was in the box that had me so excited. Once again I had "The Hat" back on my head and I felt complete.
This trip took me to several memorable locations including a stroll through the Las Vegas strip and a ride on one of the largest and fastest roller-coasters in the US in Primm, Nevada. I had the opportunity to rock climb in Arches National Park in Utah, and hike in the high country of Colorado. I stood on the four corners in the Southwest, and walked on the Salt Flats of Utah. While in Salt Lake City I made a stop on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Standing beside the great, flat expanse of water, I bent to scoop a bit in my hand. "The Hat" fell off and right into the Great Salt Lake. When it finally dried it was white and salt-encrusted for a few hours until I could reach the next truck stop and rinse it out in the sink.
The truck I was driving, although beautiful dark purple and chrome on the outside, was beginning to age, and show signs of several years of hard running in the engine department. Several times it broke down on the side of the highway, usually in the most remote possible location, leaving me to do temporary repairs in order to get to the next shop. During these roadside repairs "The Hat" gained many grease stains. One one such repair I had to bleed the fuel system, and ended up soaking it in diesel fuel.
I went home for Easter in 2004 and celebrated it with my family, little did I know that it would be the last time we were ever together as a family. That Sunday my youngest son took "The Hat" from my head and all four kids took turns playing keep-away for over an hour. They even used it as a hiding place when having one of their Easter egg hunts. I left the following day for my next three-week stint over the road, and have not seen them since.
About midway through this trip I was given a load from St. Louis, Missouri to Portland, Oregon. I decided to stop in St. Joseph, Missouri, north of Kansas City for a much needed shower, and laundry stop. While doing my last load I was approached by another driver asking if I had space for a stowaway or two. He took me to meet this young couple who were headed for Oklahoma to try to start a life together. Normally I was willing to help folks like this, but I was headed the opposite direction. After looking around at the other drivers, and taking into account the number who were already stopped for the night, as well as the fact that the girl was only 17 years old and very pretty and could be vulnerable to some of the undesireables, I decided I would take them farther north to Omaha, Nebraska, where they had a better possibility of finding a ride. We arrived in Omaha around 9:30PM and all were hungry, so I took them in, gave each of them one of my free shower coupons and bought them both dinner. We stayed up and talked late into the night before falling asleep. They were unable to find a ride, and I didn't feel right just leaving them there, so I offered to let them ride with me until I got a run going through Oklahoma. He even offered to work as a lumper when I needed one so that they could provide for themselves. The next two days we were enroute to Portland, and I was headed down a new road that would change my life forever.
We arrived in Portland on Friday and the load was due to deliver on Monday. We stayed at the TA truckstop for the weekend. The girl's boyfriend went inside to use the bathroom and left she and I out in the truck. She confessed that she was developing a crush on me and I was beginning to feel the same. I was havng an uneasy time with my wife at that time due to he recent infidelities. I made a decision that weekend to move on with my life, and why not start with a pretty young lady who had just turned 18 two days ago? We dismissed the boyfriend from the truck, and he called a relative locally who took him in. Monday morning she and I woke to go deliver the load, and the truck wouldn't start. It turned outo be a major repair, which would take several days, so my boss sprung for a motel room. Little did he know it was a room for two. Until that point nobody but me had ever worn "The Hat", but she became the first when she put it on while we had sex for the first time.
A few weeks later, after calling and ending things with my wife, the new girlfriend and I decided to make a life together living on the road. We both enjoyed each other's company and the travelling. My friend Rob and I were still in touch via cell phone, and for a short time he even drove my boss' other truck beore moving on and leasing his own. I had been in touch with a long-lost sister whom I hadn't seen in over 25 years, and cooincidence had it to give us a run going through Sacramento, California. I was finally able to meet my sister. The load we were under was to take us back to Portland, Oregon, and my boss had requested a meeting with me. A few months before I had been stopped for speeding in Kansas and recieved a hefty fine. My wife had never paid tat ticket with the money I sent home, and consequently my license was now suspended. Upon meeting with my boss I was informed that he was selling the trucks he owned, and that I was to empty out my belongings and take the truck to the local Freightliner dealership. My girlfriend and I were offered a bus ticket to wherever we wanted to go, we both decided to head to her hometown, where we first met, St. Joseph, Missouri. We packed all of the stuff out of the truck throwing many things away. I kept my old hat. We boarded a Greyhound late that evening and took turns sleeping using "The Hat" to cover our faces from the lights. Three days later we disembarked in St.Joseph at 3:00 AM. We had to sleep on a bench outside the bus station until she was able to reach somene to come pick us up.
To be continued in pt. 3...
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