Sometimes you don’t realize until after the fact that you really do get what you wish for
“Why don’t we have a look at this?” Pam asked.
“We could never afford it!” I joked.
A number of years ago (20 to be precise), my girlfriend called me up to inform me that she was moving to Edmonton. She was very matter of fact about it and would be leaving in the next week or 10 days. Where did this come from? I wondered to myself.
“So what’s going to happen with us?” I asked her.
“Well, you can either come with me, or …”
Thinking that I was in love and didn’t want to lose her, I promptly quit my job, gave up my cabin, sold my truck and helped to get her truck packed and ready for the trip. It was a very impetuous decision; I mean, I had a great job, a really cute cabin out in Gruberville, a reliable truck … Since my divorce about three years prior, I was finally getting back firmly on my feet.
Would I do it again? Probably not, especially at my age now. But you know what they say: everything happens for a reason.
The drive down the Alcan was pretty much a normal drive. The road was in great shape and the weather was gorgeous (even the truck seemed to be in a good mood). Then the inevitable happened … A moose darted out of the bush right in front of us. I slammed on the brakes, swerved hard and just missed it. Breath was held, adrenaline was pumping, coffee was spilled, but we were okay. Feeling very relieved.
Then she turned to me and said, “You know that once we get to Edmonton, we’re going to break up, right?”
Huh? “Don’t be silly,” I said.
“I’m serious,” she said.
“You only wanted to get a ride down to Edmonton.” I tried to plead my case about giving up everything to be with her, but over the first few weeks in Edmonton, her prophecy came true and I ended up alone, back in my old stomping grounds that I’d worked so hard to get out of earlier in my life.
I did what I could to find an apartment and a job, finally landing one at Award Windows. It couldn’t have been farther from my home. My shift started at 8 a.m. every morning and they were very accommodating with me.
I was late every single day. I had to catch the first bus out of the east end at 5:30 a.m., make two transfers and then walk a full mile from the closest bus stop to the plant in the far northwest of the city.
In many ways I hated that walk every morning, but it gave me a lot of time to reflect on the decisions that had put me into this uncomfortable spot. I distinctly remember a brand-new 2006 GMC pickup driving past me one morning, and thinking, Wouldn’t that be nice? I wonder if I’ll ever be able to afford even an old truck again? I wish!
Through a series of unrelated events I started working for an old friend in Calgary and, ultimately, Pam and I met in a little pub in Turner Valley. We fell in love and have been together ever since.
Everything happens for a reason.
We moved back up to the Yukon and have been loving life and working hard ever since. Now we own a beautiful place out in Mendenhall, Pam’s retired and I’m very happy to be the conduit that brings our writers’ incredible stories and talents to you — our readers.
Pre-Covid, we were both working full-time; but additionally, in the summer, I was performing music out at the Destruction Bay Lodge & RV Park, for tourist caravans that Loren would bring in. We’d park our beat-up old camper out there in the back 40 and sometimes stay overnight, sometimes drive back to work in the morning.
One day, as we were heading from the camper to the lodge for the show, this gorgeous rig pulled in with for-sale signs all over it. I mean, this rig was absolutely gorgeous. A two-tone, four-door Duramax GMC dually pulling a really nice 32-foot fifth wheel.
“Why don’t we have a look at this?” Pam asked.
“We could never afford it!” I joked. But I went up to the passenger’s window and the lady rolled it down. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much are you looking for to sell the truck and trailer?”
“You’ll have to ask my husband Joe,” was the reply. I explained that I was late for a stage show and we’d come by after to chat some more.
Joe turned out to be one hell of a salesman and very proud of his rig. He explained that the truck was factory-ordered with every single add-on that GMC offered that year — power windows, door locks and sunroof, Bose sound system, heated leather seats, air, cruise, fog lights and a custom-ordered one-of-a-kind two-tone paint job.
The trailer was amazing as well. Two slides, full kitchen with a full-size fridge, four-burner stove plus oven and microwave, air, furnace, full bath with a shower, queen-sized bed, tons of storage space (both inside and outside), a full-length awning, brand-new tires and spare, electric jacks … It was nicer than our house!
“This is great, Joe. How much do you want for it?”
Again, Joe diverted the question. “Well, the truck is a 2006 model and has less than 100,000 miles on it,” he said, “and neither the truck or the trailer have ever seen snow.” He continued, “I live in Kelowna and I went to see my friends at both the GMC dealership and the RV place to find out what it’s worth. Not resale — wholesale. I’m not looking to make any profit here. I just want it to go to someone who’ll love it as much as we do, and give them a fair but great deal.”
“So, how much?” Thirty-five thousand was the answer. Pam and I both had our jaws hit the ground. We had been looking at new, small trailers in town that seemed to start at $45,000, and we’d lose a quarter of that as soon as we drove it off the lot.
“We’re going to talk to our bank manager first thing in the morning. How do we get hold of you?” It turns out they were spending the next week at the Hi Country in Whitehorse. Perfect!
Our bank manager came through right away (she is absolutely wonderful — best bank manager I have ever met) and within a couple of days we were the proud owners of the best truck and trailer that we’d ever owned.
We had so much fun with that truck and trailer. We “yard camped” in it, took it for camping trips and used it as a guest house. Sometimes we’d pull it into town and set up at the Hi Country to save the commute time to work if we knew we would be busy. We took my parents up to “Dodge” for a week and used the truck to get up the Dome, into the goldfields and up to show off the Tombstones.
I hauled countless loads and trailers with it, even up the Nahanni Range Road, to restock our drill camp and the drillers. I used it to help out friends and pull people out of the ditch when needed. We have so many great memories. When we refinanced the mortgage, we paid off the loan for the truck and trailer, in full. The truck still didn’t have 100,000 miles on it yet.
Alas, the day came when it was time to sell them both. Pam couldn’t get into the trailer anymore, and without steady work at the time, I couldn’t afford to fill the tank in the truck anymore. Some really great people bought each of them. I still see the truck every once in a while, around town, and always wave. I don’t know who the current owner is, but I know the truck.
One day, at our favourite campsite, we were sitting around the fire and I remembered my wish from that walk, that morning to work, so many years ago.
“Sometimes you don’t realize, until after the fact, that you really do get what you wish for,” I said to Pam, and then I proceeded to tell her the story of walking to work that day — and now we had practically the identical truck that I’d wished upon!
