Nightmare's End

 

I ain't gonna work on Kelsey's farm no more, no, I ain't gonna work for Kelsey's pa no more.

Kelsey being the daughter of the owner of the trucking company I used to work for. Over the years of my employment she has taken on a larger and larger role at the company, presumably in preparation of taking over when her dad finally retires. It was she who was the architect of the ruse that swindled me out of thousands of dollars.

Today was my last day. I ended up leaving early. I had gone over to say goodby to one of the other drivers. During the course of our conversation I learned that slips had been sent out to sign up for direct deposit, months ago. I never got any slip to sign up for direct deposit. I have been asking for direct deposit for years. Kelsey always says, "We're working on it." Literally, for years; it's that hard to get direct deposit. Now they have it and I wasn't told about it. I went into the dispatch office and asked. They said I should have goten a slip. I said, "Whether real or imagined I feel snubbed," layed down my fuel cards and walked out.

And that's not the last of it. I had six vacation days due me so last week I took five days off, to use them up before my departure. After I left Stone Belt today I took my check to the bank and found that I'd only been paid for two days. I just got off of the phone with Justin, the guy who does payroll and he assures me that I only had those two days coming. Well, isn't that a fine how do you do.

I figured that was the end of it but while I was typing that last paragraph my phone rang. It was Justin. It turnes out that there was a "clerical error" and I will be getting paid for the other three days that I took off. They're afraid of me. No, actually they're afraid of the Department of Labor, but I have no appetite for confrontation. I'll let them dig their own grave.

I have such a work ethic that I was feeling guilty at first, leaving early, but after this last little bit I hope that they really needed me this afternoon. Maybe Kelsey's pa will have to get out and pick up a couple of loads, wouldn't that be rich.

So it's over; not just working for a bad company, but my entire driving career. When I'd tell people that I was moving on I'd wanted to say, "I'm quitting while I'm ahead," but couldn't, because I wasn't done yet. Just like when I used to drive into a stressful area and I'd think, "I've always survived before." Just because I'd done crazy shit and come out unscathed in the past was no guarantee that I was going to do it again. We always survive, until we don't. So until I'd actually hung up my keys I couldn't say that I was ahead. Why, who knows, quitting early today might have actually saved my life. But now it truly is over with and none of the terrible things that could have happened did. I'm done, and I'm ahead.

The nightmare's over.