An/ Don't own anything beside the plot.
Summary. Modern Au One Shot. A truck driver and the daughter of a lawyer could it even possible work. Modern Willabeth set in Australia. Will receives some news that changes his life.
Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia 3:00 AM
I threw my bag into the cab my Mack Titan. I wast heading north to Cains to pick up a load of parts and supplies to take to a mine about 500 kms north of Broome. I checked the water and oil. I unclipped the chain and let off Reblo. Reblo went off to relieve himself.
I walked back inside the house thought the sliding door. I grabbed the esky and portable cooker. I pulled my SATE phone from my coat pocket. Reblo was asleep on bunk in the sleeper.
It was just the two of us on the road most of the time. We where on the road for ten months of the year at one time. I barely saw my girlfriend when I was on the road for as much of the year as I was.
I removed my Rough Rider Akubra and set it on the passenger seat. I turned the key and the new engine roared to life. My dad had been a truckie and my grandad had started the business back in the early sixties
My dad's brothers had all gone on their own paths. It had been my dad, Uncle Rod, Ed, Ken and Ben. He was the fourth youngest of fourteen kids. In total there where elven boys and three girls.
I let out the clutch and changed up a few gears as the wheels began to move. I had been driving road trains for the last six years now I had been kept back a grade when I was younger. I had been in grade ten when I got my licence dad had gotten a job in the territory for a few months.
If I made good time I could make it to Cains by ten a clock. There was hardly no traffic on the Flinders Hwy it was just on 4:45 AM the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. I had a good run so far with no road works or delays.
I smiled to my self as I though about Elizabeth. I hadn't seen her since early December when she had been in Perth on a business trip with her boss of the finance consultant she worked for. The look on her boss's face when I walked into the restaurant looking for Elizabeth was one of well it was hard to tell what kind of look it was.
I was dressed in my use well attire of diesel and oil stained jeans, singlet and long sleeved work shirt that was unbuttoned and my faithful old Akubra sat perched on my head and scuffed and stained Thomas Cook Doggers.
Everyone eyes where on me as I most have been a sight to behold to those toffy nosed bastards. I didn't give two shits what people thought about me.
I had to a laugh to myself when I caught sight of one of Elizabeth co workers giving me the death glare as I kissed Elizabeth. The look of purer jealousy or the green-eyed monster was evident with the dirty look he was giving me. I couldn't think of the pathetic idoits name.
James Norringtion that was it. Elizabeth had finished her degree in Accounting a bit over a year ago. I had few days free seeing as the depot was going to be closed over the weekend.
Elizabeth had been awake since four am unable to sleep. The last week she had been feeling unwell. She had called in sick yesterday to work.
The doctor had told her that they would call her tomorrow with the results of the blood test. That had been yesterday, Elizabeth had decided against ringing Will and telling him she thought she was gravely ill. She knew he would drop everything and come be with her through it all.
But he had a business to run. As much as she loved that man he worried about her living in Melbourne and being away from him. Seeing him whenever he was in Melbourne dropping off a load or whenever they went to Perth, Darwin or Adelaide for a business trip was never enough for either of them.
James Norringtion was the biggest thorn in the side of her relationship with Will. On the flight back to Melbourne the bastard had made snide remarks about the man she loved. James was more like the man her father wanted her to marry.
But unlike James, Will had worked for everything he had. Blood, Sweat and Tears had been how Will had gotten to where he was now. One remark had been about how Will could never provide for her unlike James himself. The entire time through dinner with her boss, James and their clients they where meeting with it had been like a battle of egos or pride she didn't know or even care.
Will had been about to leave when the clients had asked Will to join them. Not wanting to be rude he had accepted to join them.
The dirty looks towards Will had almost made Will hit James. Will was not an overall violent man. If he had to use his fists he would if need be. Thankfully James had been in Sydney for the last three days on business.
It was just two a clock in the afternoon when I crossed the Territory, Queensland Border. I was ahead of schedule. I still had another an hour and a half until my driving hours where up.
There was a rest area about twenty-five kms down the road from where I was now. It was a little over an hour later I had pulled into the rest area and set up camp for the night.
I remember that night I had dinner with Elizabeth, her boss, that bastard Norringtion and their clients they where meeting with in Perth. Norringtion had made small talk me the entire night. I felt somewhat uncomfortable about the whole thing.
I hated going to some fancy ass restaurateur like that one. Give me a cold beer and hardy pub meal of meat, chips, gravy and a bit veg any day. The client's wife had looked at me with distain as I smelled a little of diesel and oil. I had changed the oil and fuel filter over not an hour before coming to find Elizabeth.
After diner had finished and small talk had been exchanged. I had excused my self and thanking them for the invite and that I had an early start in the morning. Elizabeth had left with me. She could tell that I was close to losing my temper with Norringtion.
Everyday we where apart was more harder then the next. Seeing each other every few months was not enough. We hadn't talked about having kids or getting married. I smiled as I remembered the day we had met for the first time.
I was on my way to Port Headland with a load of steel pipes and containers from Townsville. A bus had broken down on the side of the road about five hours out of Port Headland. I had just turned eighteen my dad had busted his back so he couldn't drive for another twelve months or so.
I slowed the Mack Vaulueliner and pulled in behind the bus. I jumped down from the cab. It was group of grade twelve students on a school trip for some bloody class.
I was just over six foot three. I had taken after my dad and granddad who where both tall and big men. The bus had done a radiator and broken the piston housing for some reason. I had called a mechanic in Port Headland and a friend of mine. He wouldn't get there till at least another six to nine hours.
I chuckled to myself about that day. I shook my head as I remembered the look on her boyfriend well now ex boyfriend face when Elizabeth grabbed her bags and threw them up into the cab of the Vaulueliner and had left the class and the teacher speechless.
I never found wither or not she got into trouble when she got back to school.
Elizabeth had been a nervous wreak waiting for Doctor Miller to ring with the results of the blood test they had done yesterday to find out what was causing her illness. All day she been debating with herself wither or not she call Will and tell him that something was wrong,
She had decided against it. It would only cause him to worry. The phone ringing made Elizabeth jump slightly. If she though about it carefully she had missed her period the last two months but she had thought nothing of it.
"Doctor Miller are sure that's right" Elizabeth said in shock that she was pregnant and hadn't even noticed that she had been more tired as of late then she normally would be.
"We'll need you to come in for a ultrasound to see how far along you are" Miller said from the other end of line. Elizabeth didn't know how Will was going to take it. They had never talked about having kids or getting married.
"Sure can I ring back tomorrow I need to talk to my boyfriend and see when he can get down to Melbourne he's on the road for most of the year" She asked Miller agreed that she could call him back tomorrow before he had hung up.
I was dozing off in the make shift hammock I had put up between two big gum trees. Reblo was asleep next to me. My SAT phone ringing woke me with a start.
"Yea" I answered the phone. A few mates of mine blasted their air horns as they belted past going west or east past the rest area.
"Will when can you make it down to Melbourne" I heard Elizabeth ask. Something had to be going on that she needed to know when I could make down to Melbourne.
"About another week or so why" I said her voice had sounded like she had been crying. I would kill whoever it had been that that had hurt her.
"Because I got something to tell you and please don't freak out about it" Elizabeth said nervously thinking whatever it was that I was going to freak out about it.
"Liz whatever it is you know you can tell me" I said, that most have been some comfort to her but it wasn't not enough to calm her down.
"The last week I've been feeling under the weather, I went to the doctor and had a blood test. What I'm trying to tell you is that I'm pregnant," Elizabeth said. The news that I was going to be a father was sinking in.
"What how long have know. " I asked, she could tell I wasn't anger but happy that we where having a baby.
"I just found out about half an hour ago" Elizabeth sounded a lot calmer and happier that I wasn't anger or freaking out.
"I'll be down as soon as I can but do you know how far along you are" I asked, I was babbling but I could care bloody less I was over the moon about the fact I was going to be a father.
"No I told Doctor Miller I was going to talk to you first then book the ultrasound because I want you there" She could tell I was happy and over the bloody moon about being a father.
"I'll be down in a week. I love you and look after yourself and the baby "I said I looked up as my dad's truck a 1990 Mack Valueliner pulled up alongside my truck.
"I love you too," She said before hanging up. I looked over at my dad as walked over to where I was sitting with the biggest smile on my face.
"Will you alright what's with the smile," He asked somewhat concerned why I was smiling so much.
"Your going to be a grandad" Was all I said before walking over to the esky and grabbing two beers.
Authur's note. This is only a one shot depending on the feedback with reviews. I might write a full story.