Un-Connected by Noah Rea Page B

getting out of town.  I wanted a change of scenery for
sure.  He said he got lonely on the road some but it was fun in many ways.  He
went through a divorce while he was driving.  Eddie said it was a rough career
for a marriage.  But when he told me he made good money I decided to try it. 
Mostly because there was nothing else paying anything and I wanted to get out
of town.  I hadn’t heard anything from all my resumes’ and interviews even
after several months.”
                “Eddie
and dad helped me find a good used truck that was about four years old.  It was
really expensive but I was able to pay cash for it.  I had to borrow to buy a
trailer but dad loaned me that money and I paid him back in about four months. 
I went to truck driving school and got a job before I graduated.  I drove for LandTeam
for two years.  I had just gone independent when I ran into you.”
                She
stopped and just looked at me like that is all there is.
                “How
are your parents doing?”
                “My
parents are fine.  Dad can’t hear well so when I call I talk to mom.  They are
doing well and don’t expect to hear from me that often.  I call them about
every two weeks.  I probably stay with them about once every three months when
I can get a load close by.”
                “They
are catholic and are very involved at church.  Dad works with the soup kitchen
and does other stuff.  He and mom volunteer at Habitat for Humanity.  They
probably go to Mass three or four times a week.  So they aren’t the most devout
there is but they are more so than most and are good people.  They love the
Lord.  They read the Bible and pray together nearly every day.  I am thankful
for them and proud of them.  I always know I am loved.  They are such a good
example of two people in love and making marriage work.  I was a little ashamed
for them to see my marriage coming apart while they had done so well.  They
continued to love me and tell me it wasn’t my fault and I shouldn’t feel bad
about it.”
                We
both sat quietly for several minutes.  She had been so hurt by Larry’s betrayal
that she hadn’t really gotten over it until about a year ago.  She hadn’t told
me at the time because we weren’t getting that personal then.  Even now I could
see the sadness in her eyes and hear the emotion in her voice. She showed me
that it still hurt her some.
                “I
would never cheat on you.  I’m a one woman man.”
                She
smiled but didn’t answer my statement.  “I learned a lot from Larry. Not all of
it is good.  I learned that I can’t be pretty enough or good enough or available
enough for some men.  Men like him will never be satisfied with one woman and he
will really never be satisfied.  They don’t or can’t be really close and
vulnerable and all in.  Finding a good man who will keep his word is hard. 
Most younger women don’t have a clue what I’m talking about in those rare times
I feel like talking to them about men.”
                She
paused again.  “This is hard for me to talk to you about even now.  I love you
and having you in my life is helping me.”  Then she went on.
                “For
most young women appearance, money and fun are all that matter.  They don’t
know what to look for in a man.  If they can find a hunk with money they will
make the fun and they think they can make it all last.  They think that once
they are living together or married, they have the good times locked up.  They
don’t realize the good times are totally dependent on the kind of man he is and
the kind of person she is.  It comes down to character.  They have to be the
right kind of woman but it seems the men are the most lacking.  Most women have
no idea what is going on when their relationship starts coming apart.  I didn’t
but now I