Late Night Radio: The Night Shift

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to the show! I've got another American snapshot for you.

The road wound on and on, and the sandwich vanished too quickly. Orion and his hunting dogs marched into the western sky by the time I crested the mountain pass. A roar and a flash of light pulled my eye to the roadside tracks. A train growled up the steep grade, and another met it, hustling a mile of shipping containers downhill. I raced it along Rt. 29, hurtling into the blackness. Those Amazon orders would be there by dawn.

The road wears my tires out, but does me good. I tossed the second sandwich wrapper to the empty passenger seat, thinking back to an hour ago.

“$120 an hour?” My eyes bugged. He nodded, his knit cap matching his reddish beard, standing by the food pickup counter. Tinny music played in the background. I picked my jaw off the gas station floor, and shot out my hand in admiration. “Way to go, buddy.” Tim shook it, his glasses glinting modestly in the florescent lights.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.