Amy Lynn Steele pounded her steering wheel in total frustration as the low fuel light began to illuminate the dark interior of her car with its bright yellow light. Around her the snow that had been falling for the last several hours began to swirl in an eddy over the hood of her rental car. Another six inches had already accumulated since traffic on I-81 came to a stand-still from a fatal accident a few miles ahead of her. Now it took all of her stamina to switch off the ignition and save what precious amount of fuel she did have left to get her to the nearest gas station when traffic did get moving again.
Before her small fingers could even leave the shiny metal key, the cold of the winter's night began to creep in to the car. Amy shuttered at the thought, knowing full well she was not prepared to speed the night in such conditions. Her trip to York, Pennsylvania was supposed to be for a weekend trade show; a short overnight trip for which Amy did not pack many clothes. Looking through the rearview mirror at her overnight bag in the back seat, Amy thought of its contents.
Without question her toiletries would come in handy in the morning, but the nylons, mini-skirt, blouse and blazer sole purpose was to entice sales, not to ward off the cold of a winter's night. Once again Amy cursed out loud and pounded the steering wheel in frustration.
"Why hadn't I packed an emergency kit," she chided herself as she sat in the car, removing her high heels and rubbing her cold toes to keep them warm as she huddled up in the car. "Why hadn't I packed warmer clothes? Why had I chosen to go to such a small trade show in the first place? Why had I chosen this god-forsaken highway? Why hadn't I filled up in Wilkes-Barre? Why oh why didn' tI find a better job," she finally thought as the seconds grew into minutes, and the minutes into hours, the car growing colder and colder as the night progressed
As Amy contemplated her life in the dismal conditions of her rental car, a sudden burst of light snapped her out of her doldrums. Through the rearview mirror Amy watched as the driver of the truck that sat two cars behind her, dismounted his cab, slid into the space between his truck and trailer and relieved himself. Even though Amy could not see anything in the darkness and the angle of view, she knew what he was doing as a vapor cloud emerged from the effects of hot urine on cold snow. For a moment Amy was repulsed by the act, but that feeling was turned into jealousy as he nonchalantly swung back up into his truck cab not even knowing he had just been watched.
"Must be nice," Amy said out loud as she watched the dome light flicker off, for even at this distance she could hear his big diesel engine running and knew his cab must have been warm. Still, as she looked back at the truck that was now shroud in darkness, except for a row of orange lights illuminated across the top of the cab, she realized it was what she did not see that was of importance. She had not seen anyone sitting in the passenger seat.
Amy struggled to find her shoes as she swept around in the darkness, bouncing her hand off the accelerator and brake pedal before finally coming into contact with her heels. Slipping them on, her feet felt like blocks of ice as she stepped out of the rental car and walked back towards the truck.
In the snow it was a precarious walk. Trying her best to maintain her balance in the slippery mess, Amy felt the snow run over the tops of her pumps and soak through her nylons. Still trying to sound like the preverbal princess in distress, she stepped onto the running board of the big rig and wrapped on the door, just as if she was knocking on the door of a home.
"Excuse me Sir, I know you don't know me, but my car is almost out of gas, I'm certainly not dressed for the cold and I'm freezing to death. Would you mind if I got up into your cab just long enough to get warm," she asked, her body shivering a little as if on cue.
"Hell no Miss, jump on up", the truck driver said as he watched her lanky frame teeter in heels and the deepening snow as she crossed in front of the truck and climbed up into the passengers seat, banging her shoes on the door frame to knock as much snow off them as possible before entering.
"Thank you so much. I really was not prepared for any of this."
"I can see that," he said looking at her meager clothing as the dome light slowly timed out and then left them in the darkness again. Turning on the heater to full blast, he spoke again. "Anytime you travel in the winter, you really should have some warm clothes and emergency gear squirreled away, just in case something like this happens."
"You sound like my mother."
"I do don't I. Sound advice though. Are you hungry? I got a turkey sandwich here if you want it?" Amy went to reach into his Igloo lunch box but hesitated before she took it.
"It's your last one?"
"I know, but if you are hungry, take it."
"You do know I was the one that cut you off back there when I came down the on-ramp don't you?"
"Yeah I knew it was you. Forgive and forget though huh? Besides its nice just having someone to talk to for a change."