I’ve been a truck driver for many years.
Life has a way of pulling you down paths you never intended to take. For me, that path became clear when my husband abandoned me and our four-year-old twins, Gia and Vinnie.
So, when I needed to support my children alone, I realized this was the greatest alternative.
The drawback was that it required me to put on the road for weeks at a time. I was fortunate that my mother stepped up to care for my children while I was away, but I missed much too much.
For illustrative purposes only.
Unfortunately, they are now grown and have moved out of the house. They still call and express gratitude, but my mother was more of a mother to them than I was. And the guilt of missing their childhood is still with me most nights.
But everything changed on a particularly dreary evening as I drove across a quiet stretch of highway.
I observed a boy, perhaps 16, standing by the wayside. His clothing was wrinkled. He appeared weary.
I slowed and pulled over.
Finally, he climbed in, laboring slightly due to the cab’s height.
“My name’s Julianne,” I said, pulling back onto the highway. “Most folks call me Jules.”
“Alex.”
For illustrative purposes only.
“Where are you headed?”
“I don’t really know,” he mumbled, still staring out the window.
“You running away from something?”
He nodded but didn’t elaborate.
“Do you want to talk?” I asked softly after he had consumed a few bites. “You seem like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“Fought with my mom,” he finally mumbled. “I ran away.”
“She wouldn’t let me go to France with my class,” he burst out. “Everyone else is going, but she said we can’t afford it.” His voice cracked again. “I hate being the poorest kid in class. She always says no to everything. It’s like she doesn’t even try to understand how much this means to me.”
“She works at a supermarket,” he muttered, his words heavy with resentment. “My dad left when I was little. She’s always working, always tired. Always saying we can’t afford things.”
For illustrative purposes only.
“My husband left when my twins were four,” I said. “It was a long time ago, but I had to figure out how to keep food on the table real quick.”
That caught his attention. He gave me a sideways glance as if he were amused. “Is that why you’re a truck driver? I’ve never seen a woman doing this before.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I missed a lot of moments with my kids. It still hurts thinking about it. But you know what? They never went hungry or wanted for anything.”
“But didn’t they hate you for never being there?” he asked, and I could hear his real question underneath: Would it be better if my mom worked this job?
Alex looked away from me.
“She cries sometimes,” he said suddenly. “When she thinks I’m asleep. I hear her on the phone with my aunt, talking about bills and stuff.”
“Everyone’s gonna come back with all these stories and pictures, and I’ll be the loser who stayed home.”
“You’re not a loser, Alex,” I said firmly. “And neither is your mom. You’re both just doing the best you can with what you’ve been given. You have more already than many.”
“I’m taking you home. I’m ahead of schedule, so I’ve got time to make sure you get there safely. You need to talk to your mom.”
For illustrative purposes only.
He directed me to a modest house. As soon as Alex got out of the truck, the front door swung open.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he sobbed into her shoulder. “I was being stupid. I’m so sorry.”
His mother, Mary, turned to me while still carrying her child. “Thank you,” she said shakily. “Thank you for bringing him back. I didn’t know what to think when I found his note. I’ve been calling everyone, driving around looking for him…”
Mary took a picture of him and me with her phone and insisted on writing down my name and firm information.
I naively neglected to warn her that my employer had a strict no-hitchhikers policy, and Mary thanked me in a Facebook post later that night that went viral.
So, a week later, when my boss, Mr. Luther, summoned me to his office, I was certain I was fired.
But he smiled from ear to ear. “Jules, our viral star!”
For illustrative purposes only.
“I think you have a leader potential, so I believe the position of logistics manager is perfect for you. You’ll have to relocate or commute to the city, but it’s more than double the pay and much better hours.”
Sometimes the best decisions in life come from following your heart rather than the rules.
That night, I assisted one youngster in reconnecting with his mother, which may have impacted his perspective on life. However, they had unwittingly helped me far more.
Leave a Reply