04/09/2023
Premonitions: Diner Tales 1967-1970
I've been asked to include the written version.
Premonitions
It's December, rain in the Valley. Ice up on Cresson Mountain, four AM coffee so old it's sour. Death to anyone who would brew a fresh pot before 4;30 when the Juniata Culvert Drivers start to filter in.
Rigs running in the back parking lot behind the diesel pumps, waiting out the storm. Windows steamed up on Schmitty's PPG semi where Annette's Mustang is parked.
A Sunoco tanker pulls up close to the door. The driver shakes off the sleety mix as he slips inside. His regular run, motor running, wipers shaving the ice.
Sugar has his coffee on the counter, his regular place, before he sits.
"Goddamn," after the first taste. "Gonna wake me up or put me in my grave. You'd think Harry could afford to lose a nickel on a pot of coffee."
"You could just get here later."
Every night this same conversation, couple of quick sips, no refill and gone. But not this night.
"Sugar, that damn mountain scares the **** out of me. You wanna know why? I know it's gonna kill me." He tries for a laugh. It falls short into the middle-of-the-night winter-cushioned silence. "Maybe tonight on this ice. Maybe just taking that bottom curve too fast. Maybe fallin' asleep. Maybe all three, you know?"
A quick shrug, then looks away. Sugar glances at the juke box wishing for some music to rescue them. Sugar has no words for this, thinks he will get up now, head back into the storm. But she refills his cup.
He wipes his brow with his napkin. Sleet? Sweat? and glances up from the too hot to sip coffee.
"It's not dyin' ya know, just the idea of burnin' up in that truck."
He is trembling. Shaking the way she remembers shaking with a 104 degree fever - strep throat three winters back. He's scared.
She is nearly seventeen, too much out there waiting, too much she just does not yet know. She places her hands over the nameless Sunoco driver's still trembling fingers. The "OPEN 24 HOURS" sign flashing in what has become a sleety snow covering the ice, stale coffee burning them both as it spills out onto the counter.
