CHAPTER 25
(Meeting my new dispatcher)
When I talk I'm not usually known for talking loud. I had once helped a church softball team by filling in for an umpire. My brother thought it was hysterically funny because most of the teammates were cops and knew those calls were gonna end up going in all directions. They didn't seem to relish my soft tone as an umpire but that was really too bad. I had over heard a few pencil jokes and one of them mentioned nothing really seemed to prevent gunpowder and lead. I'm used to the stereotyping by now being a previous mail bomber but I don't let it get to me anymore. I just usually make mental notes in my massive big brain that I used to catch Mindy peeking at as I could barely fit a hat on it to keep it from showing off too much brain cleavage. I like to think that I'm deftly skilled at creeping up on people but somebody hired within Celadon was about to prove that I'm nothing more than an amateur. Kathy. Not to be confused with the Cathy from the Sunday News comic strip.
My momma always told me that if I wanted to be successful in life I better find myself a woman that is a whole lot smarter than me. I was about to learn that my new dispatcher was not only smarter than me, but older as well.
I was handed yet even more stacks of papers to hold onto as I circled around the cafeteria looking for a place to sit down. There wasn't much more orientation stuff to do other than be assigned a dispatcher and put the bed sheets on in our rigs.
The orientation director handed me a piece of paper that said "Fleet 14" and the name of my dispatcher was also on the paper as "Kathy". I didn't know it but Kathy had been watching me the whole entire time and was literally like a ghost.
"Here's your paper Steidler. Go meet your dispatcher."
I was confused. I looked around. "Where is she?" "Oh hey it's you."
I nearly jumped. How long had she been sitting there watching me this whole entire time? How was she able to sneak up on me like that?
I shook Kathy's hand. "You must be Kathy." She smiled demurely. "And you are Blake?"
I corrected her. "Well not really. All my dispatchers call me Bob."
"Oh ok Bob. I'm just gonna correct that right now."
Kathy had her own dossier on me splayed out in front of her. These trucking companies scare me sometimes because I am very much convinced that they know more about myself, THAN I KNOW ABOUT MYSELF.
I knew she was a few years older than me but Kathy was downright gorgeous. I don't know all my designer clothing names but she definitely had an upscale navy blue dress she was wearing. Her hair was auburn and slightly short just not as short as I like it but that was okay. I was elated to have her as a dispatcher and was already predicting in my mind most likely getting dispatched on easy gravy freight with ALL the time in the world to get there. I have always noticed that having male dispatchers sucked as they push drivers harder and harder right into the ground. I knew I would get along with this pretty lady like we were Bonnie and Clyde.
I watched Kathy cross out "Blake" and replace it with "Bob". I was hoping she could write in something a little more suitable like "Big Bad Bob". This was Indiana and I always felt a little more flirty with these Indy gals. They were the farmer's daughter type that actually knew the number of guys they have been with. One stop shoppers I like to call them. Very much different than the drama queens on Jersey Shore TV show.
Kathy had some words for me. She looked around quickly to make sure nobody could ear hustle.
"You know what Bob it's really nice meeting you. I'm just glad they didn't give me a really stupid one."
I tried to keep a straight face. Boy are you gonna be in for a surprise I joked inside my mind. Evidently my Checkered Chaps shirt was still doing the trick. I even had these people suckered into believing I wore nice pants all the time too.
Kathy looked around once again for any potential ear hustlers.
"And you know what Bob. The last one I had was stealing from the company."
A little red Dejavu flag went off in my mind at Kathy mentioning the word "Stealing". I immediately had flash backs of a previous manager named Sarah I had at the age of 18 when I was working two full time jobs just to survive.
I'll never forget working my first few weeks at that gas station. Every single day manager Sarah was posting posters in the back saying "Their is a Thief Among Us".
Who did the cops eventually arrest? Who was the Girl Scout coming up short with the cookie count? None other but the manager herself. Sarah. Innocent Girl Scout code of honor Sarah. The whole town was shocked. I of course wasn't shocked. I was taught the Bible growing up. Genesis warns us from the door about Eve suckering Adam into eating that apple. I don't think there ever really was a snake to blame it on. Eve made that up too. God had created Adam and attorney. But could I possibly be that paranoid to believe a nice pretty lady in a royal blue dress could turn out to be like Sarah?
I figured I should talk a little more before she would think I'm weird or make any dementia assumptions. I knew if I talked too much I'd blow it and scare her away by saying something incredibly stupid but if I sat there and said nothing at all? Why she'd most likely assume I was damaged goods.
"So how do you usually run your drivers. Do you have loads on weekends too?"
Kathy was quick to reply so I knew she wasn't lying. "Oh there's always loads. Absolutely sure. I keep my drivers moving."
I tried not to giggle. Well Kathy, this lil blue dot sitting across from you is going to be an exception. Not gonna see much moving from THIS blue dot. In fact quite the opposite. This lil blue dot is going to be doing lots of blinking!