A light in the darkness

It snowed last night.

Found a tiny bit on the truck hood when I got up this morning. A tiny bit--if I'd waited for daylight I might not have seen it. But snow. End of March. Almost in Kentucky.

Mine was the only truck I saw it on. I suspect I'm the only one who hadn't idled the truck during the night At 39 degrees I might have, if I'd wanted to sleep longer...

But I went my merry way instead. Got slowed down a bit about halfway to Tennessee. Nothing on my side of the road, but northbound traffic on the Interstate was blocked. All lanes.

A tractor-trailer was lying across the road.

On its side.

Burning.

The trailer was almost gone--the top of it, anyway. The tractor was still recognizable, its nose pressed against the rock wall, its wheels dangling in the air. A silhouette in the steady ball of flame that surrounded it.

Just like in the movies.

I only remember seeing the lights from one emergency vehicle. Don't know what it was except that it wasn't a police car. I didn't look for details. Just crawled on past until the road cleared ahead of me and went on.

Hoping the driver got out.

Trying not to imagine if he didn't.

(3/27)
I'm sitting in a rundown gravel parking lot outside a factory that's notorious for taking all night to get around to loading you. I haven't been able to call my wife in two days (long story). Might not tonight, either.

I was starting to get annoyed with the situation. So I sat down to update the journal. And wrote the above.

I think I'll stop complaining. For now.