The restaurant was an Iron Skillet, which advertises the best home cooking this side of home. And i'll hand it to them, it was good food. Along with regular dining tables, they have four U-shaped counters, just like the old lunch counters, that are dedicated to truckers only. And they mean it. Signs are posted, Truckers Only.
And the trucker counters are where Wanda worked her magic.
(Photo is a stock internet photo, not of Wanda)
She was short, probably no taller than 5 foot, and her broad smile featured a large space between her two front teeth that made her look like a 10-year-old grown old before her time. When she smiled (which was all the time) her brown eyes sparkled with energy. Her hair was gray at the roots, but she colored it a purply shade of red, that gave it a distinct two-tone look. Her hair was up in a pony tail held in place by a lavender taffeta ribbon with beads on the ends. She was a little chunky in her black skirt and pink work shirt, but i tell you, her personality made her absolutely shine. This woman never stopped talking, starting with a cheery "be right with you sweetheart," and continuing on through your meal until you rose to leave, when her voice followed you to the cash register, "can i get you a drink for the road honey? Hey, honey, you need another ice tea?".
Wanda is 54 and has worked at this Petro truck stop for 20 years. She claims that if you go to any Petro station in the country, one out of six drivers will know her -- and I don't doubt it for a minute. Nothing rattled or shook this woman, and i have to honestly say i've never seen anyone who appeared to love her job more than Wanda.
We were stuck in the Petro yard for over 24 hours waiting for a load assignment, so i had an opportunity to come back after dinner for a late night slice of pie. Wanda was just getteing off shift and was counting her tips. I sat by her so we could visit. It didn't take any invitation for her to launch into over an hour's worth of chatting that barely involved me. As she talked she absent-mindedly organized her bills into various stacks, first according to denomination, then by groups of $10, and back again, carefully unfolding every corner of the bills, but never seeming to make much real progress with her financial organization.
Wanda loves truckers. At least two of her five husbands have been truckers, including her first who really, sweetheart, was her first true love. Especially because he was such a good kisser and hugger. Her current husband, who sounds like something of a jerk, is likely to become the 5th EX-husband soon. But, they own a house together and she's not sure how to deal with that, so they may just stay together, and he's a pretty good kisser too when he wants to be, but he's also kinda mean, so she doesn't really know what she wants to do...etc., etc. Whew. The most interesting thing, though, and it was captivating, is how engaged she was with her conversation with ME. She wasn't just talking to hear her voice. She seemed to be really talking to me and wanted to make a connection with another human being. It was really quite remarkable. And her feet HAD to hurt, but she couldn't have been in a more chipper mood, just hanging out well over an hour after her shift had ended.
Apparently a truck driver station on SIRIUS satellite radio had a call-in contest, and Wanda was voted one of the top three truck stop waitresses in the entire country. And you know what? She deserves it. She was exactly what you imagine when you think of a truck stop waitress. And i mean that in the absolutely best sense. Thanks, Wanda, for sharing a little time, space, conversation and coffee with me.
Stay safe everyone.... Avoid backing whenever possible.
KWA
Awesome! Keep em coming!
ReplyDelete...and the THUNDER ROLLS ON!!
ReplyDelete:) glad you're back. Mjh
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