Part Four, Work and The Barn
The past 10 hours with Sandy had been magic. I had no idea that the 10 hours would even happen that way. They were a complete surprise for me. For some reason Sandy and I had a special connection. And that connection brought me some of the happiest moments in my life. I think I fell in love. I'm not totally sure, but I may have. But I also knew she would be leaving today. And I didn't know how I would take this inevitable loss. Whatever the day may bring, it was time to get it started...
The alarm went off at 5 AM. It was still dark but you could see the sky getting light over the mountains to the east. We woke up in each other's arms. I could feel her exhaling into my face. Her warm breath was intoxicating. I pulled her tits tight into my chest and gently brought my lips into contact with her soft lips. We kissed softly and passionately. We gently shared our tongues. My dick got hard and Sandy pressed her crotch down on top of me. We spent several minutes sharing our last moments of intimacy before the world tore us apart forever. It was a sad and tender moment. We finally pulled our lips apart and untangled our arms and legs.
We sat on the edge of the bed and brushed tears from our cheeks. Sandy and I got up and got dressed. I was sad that we were parting ways. We went to the bath house, cleaned up a little and brushed our teeth. We walked quietly back down to my room. We sat on the bed and hugged. I told her I loved her and wished she wasn't going. She said we hadn't even known each other for 24 hours and it was too soon to make such declarations. But she said she loved me too. We walked out to my truck and kissed one last time. We both had tears in our eyes. I left at her 5:45. As I drove away, I watched her, standing in the dawn light, watching me until she was out of site in my mirrors. My heart had a hole in it that I knew I could never fill. I already missed Sandy so much.
The past 24 hours had been such a chaotic mixture of loneliness, raw sex, drama, facing the unknown, new beginnings and new endings. Leaving Denver felt like an event from weeks ago. Loneliness had been eradicated from my mind and body by a beautiful woman from San Francisco. I had a job on which to base my new life. My new life started with the heartbreaking loss of the first woman I loved with both my heart and soul. The last 10 hours had been the best hours of my life and, now, they were becoming just a memory. Their ending was the start of the worst time in my life. In the span of one day, I had experienced every emotion a person could possibly feel in a lifetime. I started out, frustrated at home in Denver. I found everything in life I could possibly want with a stranger on the road. I experienced perfect love with Sandy. And by 5:45 this morning, I was alone, lonely, heartbroken, and lost in Western Colorado with no home. I cried and the tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped onto my work shirt. I missed being held in Sandy's arms. Life in Steamboat Springs sucks.
This tumultuous part of my life was over.
I was onsite at 6 AM.
Workers were already there and drinking hot coffee from thermoses. Shit, how did I miss that? No coffee. And I hadn't filled out my paperwork and turned it in at the trailer. This day was starting out badly. I was going to get fired by Brenda. Maybe I should go to the Bay with Sandy...
Paul found me filling out my employment papers. I had to get those done. I didn't want to get fired by Brenda. I couldn't face that woman. She seemed evil. Paul just stood there with a steaming cup of coffee and shaking his head.
"You didn't turn that shit in to Brenda yet? You're playin' with fire boy. You don't wanna piss off Brenda. Finish that shit up and put it in the mailbox by the door of the trailer. Meet me in stock in ten." Paul walked off with his coffee in hand. I finished my paperwork and stuffed it, along with my driver's license, in the mailbox on the side of the trailer by the door. The trailer was still locked and the lights were off. Brenda wasn't there yet, so maybe I dodged that bullet.
I met Paul in stock. He looked like he had been waiting for me for a long time. Hopefully not for too long to get him going. I didn't want to piss him off first thing in the morning. I had all my stuff from the COOP and thought I was ready for anything.
"Nice hat. New gloves. You never did this shit before, did ya?"
"No sir. Tell me what you want done and I will do it."
"When a delivery comes in, put it away...immediately. When a work order comes in, drop everything, fill it and get it to whoever requested it... immediately. Take breaks and lunch when you are caught up and have time. If the guys don't have materials, this place don't get built and it will be your fault. You don't want it to be your fault! You don't want that..." Paul was full of good news and encouragement.
This was turning into the job from hell and I didn't figure I'd last too long before I got fired. The day started under a black cloud. I'd just lost Sandy. I wondered where Sandy was. I wondered if she found a ride west with a good person. I hoped she was safe.
The job started getting a little better as the hours went by. No thoughts of Sandy. Didn't have time. I was so overwhelmed, my mind focused on just the job. I was able to get everything in the racks and bins and start cleaning up the area. I saw Paul walking by. He stopped, looked through the fence, nodded to himself and walked on.
Then, at 10:00, a roach coach pulled up by the main gate and blew its air horn. Silence hit the work area and everyone headed out to the coach for food and fluids. Christ, we get food service here. I got in line with the rest of the crew. I was starved. Hard to imagine I was getting food from a roach coach and thinking of it as real food.
"Hi, I'm Wendy. You are?"
"Jim."
"Nice hat. You're new. Just grab what you want." She started with another crew member. Most of the money went into her apron pocket. A ten went into her bra. Then she got back to me.
"That's 4 bucks. Need anything for after work?" She winked. Shit. Is she selling drugs, too? That's all I needed...
"No, mam. Just this." I took my food and drink and started to leave. She grabbed my arm.
"If you need anything, anything at all, you let me know." She winked again and went to the next guy in line.
Wendy was pretty unremarkable. She dressed plain and simple. Nice tits under her t-shirt. But I got the feeling she didn't take shit from anyone. No one was going to give her shit and not regret it later. She had a busy schedule and didn't waste any time. She was quick and competent. When the line was gone, she was gone.
The break was over in fifteen minutes and everyone was back at work. I was in the pen when a flatbed pulled up by my gate. The driver got out with a clipboard and flagged me over.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Your load. Get it off. I gotta get back to Salt Lake before dark."
"I never done this before. Little help?"
"Shit, you new guys. Here's your paperwork. Here's the load. Get your shit off my truck, now. You get the Loed. I'll get the straps."
"Loed?"
"The big ass forklift over there!" He pointed at a huge grey forklift parked in the corner.
Fuck, this shit show is never going to end. How the hell do you drive a forklift? I went to the Loed and looked at it. There was a hardhat in the seat. Keys were in the ignition. The truck driver was pulling off straps. I had to do something, quick. I grabbed the hard hat and put it on. I climbed up the ladder and flopped in the seat. Brake and gas pedal, one on either side of the steering column. Two levers on the left side of the column, one knob with F above N above R another with H above L. Had to be for the transmission. I had forward, neutral and reverse. And low and high speed. On the dash to the right were three more levers, knobs with arrows, left-right, up-down, forward-back. All for the forks?
I tried turning the key, but nothing happened. I pressed the brake and tried again and it started. Put the drive knob in F and pressed on the gas. The engine died. I Looked at the dash and there was a big red B lit up. Shit, there's a hand brake hidden somewhere. I looked around and found a lever with a button on the end. I pushed the button, lowered the lever and the Loed rocked back and forth a little. I put the tranny back in N, pressed the foot brake and started the engine again. The Loed came back to life. There is a God.
I pulled back on the up down lever and the forks came off the ground. I pulled back on the tilt lever and the mast pulled back. I tried the left-right lever and the forks moved left and right. This was easy. I can do this. Just don't "fuck up" was my thought. I pushed the shift lever to the forward position and stepped on the gas. I turned the steering wheel and the Loed began to move and turn to the right. It was weird because the back wheels steered and the front pivoted around the mast. Interesting. That quirk could take some getting used to.
I drove very slowly over to the flatbed trailer with two six foot long battering rams sticking out front. I found the end pallet with no loading straps. Make or break time. I raised the forks and saw that they did not line up with the gaps under the pallet. I tried to shift the forks to line them up, but there wasn't enough travel. I re-centered the forks to the mast, backed up and re-positioned the Loed until the forks lined up with the pallet. The forks were pointed to high into the air so I tilted the mast forward until they were level with the trailer. I pulled forward and the forks actually touched the flat bed and slid under the pallet. I pulled back on the up-down lever and the pallet raised up off the flatbed into the air.
I pulled the shift lever into reverse and added a little gas. The Loed backed up until the pallet was clear of the trailer. I put the Loed into forward and couldn't see a thing in front because the pallet was blocking my forward view. I lowered the pallet until I could see what was in front of me. I slowly drove to an empty part of the stock yard and put the pallet down. Shit, this is easy. I'm killing it... I went back to the trailer to get another pallet.
The driver tapped his watch and told me he had to pick up a load before heading west.
"Pick up the pace" he yelled.
I brought the new pallet back and set it in front of the first pallet. Hey. This really is easy. So, I kept on doing what I was doing and unloaded the trailer.
"Thank God you're finally done. Now I can get outta here." The truck driver was pissed because I took so long. I thought I did okay for never having seen a Loed before and operating a fork lift. I had plenty of practice driving tanks in my war game videos, so I had a little help from there. I spent a few extra minutes looking at labels and warning tags stuck here and there on the Loed. Might be some information that will come in handy in the future.
Paul came over and he was pissed too. I think that is his normal emotional self. So, I braced for whatever was coming.
"What the fuck was that? Grass grows faster! You think we and the truck driver have all day?" Paul expected that trailer to be empty in 10 minutes or less.
"This is a construction site, not a tree nursery! Fuck me."
"Sorry Boss. Never drove a Loed before. Took a minute to figure it out. I'll get better."
"Shit, you don't know how to drive a forklift?"
"Well...I do now...kinda."
"Well learn better!" Paul walked away and that was it. Okay. I'm a forklift driver AND a stock boy now.
