The Taxi Ride

Do you want to work for a company that’s going places.???

Well....thats what a partially hidden ad reads right in front of me as I sit on my northern service to Leeds from Sheffield..

I certainly would want to work in company of people who are and will go places. Both Literally and figuratively.

Its amazing how someone in a span of exactly 6 minutes of conversation time can share their entire life story with you.

I got out of my long day of workshops at a school in Chapel town near Sheffield. Time is 15:09. My taxi had been waiting for me. I hopped in. And as usual I glanced over to see my driver. Greeted him and politely confirmed going to Sheffield station.

The journey began. I sat quietly behind...reflecting on my day’s work. The ruggedly handsome face looked back at me once to check if I was ok and got back to whistling a random tune. The radio boomed as the jockey discussed Britains favourite topic. The weather. He was sharing his glorious escapade into the midlands on what had been the best weekend the country had seen in months. Sunny...warm and perfect to experiment...dine..wine and apparently dress up like Fred Flintstone and go to a pub in the countryside.

The taxi driver picked up his phone...put it on speaker...and gave me the first glimpse into his life....

Him: Aye! Is she around?

The male voice on the other side ( sounding extremely bored)- Yea...hang in there...

Him: Cool

A gruff female voice answers: You orite?

Him: Well..yea...am coming over in a bit with the dog. Going to see it right away. Is Ken around?

The voice on the other end: No he is out right now.

Him: the dog is for you...you get it...its not for him...they say the pup is some 6 months old and needs love.

Her: Well...yea I need the pup too...i need all the love that I can get for now

Him: I know you do (very unromantically). I will see you in a bit.

He hangs up...and then waits for a few seconds. Traffic Jam

Him: See where we’ve landed b’cos of you

I smile in response. And after a long pause and examining the condition of the traffic I replied, “ Well, this is the worst that I have seen yet.”

Him: So you Indian or South American?

Me: Indian...mumbai

Him: Mumbai..Bombay...Shantaram...Ambedkar...

And then whistles again...

I am surprised at him dropping the last two names. But I didn’t converse further. I just waited

Him: So have you had a good day? Are you staying here in the UK

Me: Yes in Leeds...

Him: Are you married....err...engaged...errr..taken?

Me( Highly amused): None. Doing my Masters

Him: Oh so you are gonna be The Master soon...like a Jedi Master...he is The only master

I just laughed casually

Him: So how many languages do you speak

Me: English...Hindi...a couple of other Indian languages...attempted French...attempting Spanish

Him: Spanish..

He quickly.mumbles a few sentences in Spanish...almost waiting for me to respond. But thankfully for me ...my phone rang and it kept me busy for the next few odd minutes

Him: Busy girl

Me: Who...me...well...no...hehe...yea...I like keeping myself this way

Him: I think you should save up some money and come and stay in beautiful Sheffield.

Me: I am not sure of living in this country for too long.

Somewhere this is when I was curios enough to take the conversation further. So I asked him ,” Where are you from”

Him : Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Spain, America.

I just waited for him to explain

Him: I come from all these places. Parents live in Sheffield. Ancestors are Romanian and Italian. Some 500 years ago they belonged there.

Me: and you...where do you belong ?

Him: For now...right here... Do you like Fish and Chips?

Me: I am vegetarian

Him( almost excitedly) : So am I. For 21 years.

I thought to myself...that was almost as old as I was...I put my poor mathematical ability to use. He didn’t look or sound that old.

Me: So why travel this extensively

Him: Well to Live my life not exist like a cabbage

And that statement did it for me. I was intrigued beyond what I has initially been

Me: What inspires you?

Him: Architecture... Nietsche.. You have a name don’t you

Me: Sharanya

Him: Ahh a Sanctuary...

Me: Whats yours?

Him: Craig..comes from a scottish word 'crag' which means a rock.....

I was quite amazed...and just let him ramble on about Nietzche for the next few minutes

Him: So why do you need a Masters.

Surprisingly at that moment...I just blurted out. “ I don’t know”.

In retrospect I realize that for the first time in the last ten months I had let all my confident statements that guarded me in a wall of pride with respect to my education down. It was right there...

That one question...and my only answer.

I had to change the subject...

Me: So what’s your favourite country

He had sensed the awkwardness in me...and I saw his lips curl into half a smile...

Him: The one that I haven’t been to yet

Another bolt of amazement...and he went up three more notches in my curiosity ladder

Him: But I can tell you which one I Hated the most

I waited in anticipation of the answer. A list of all the possible countries ran through my mind

Him: America.

America!

Him: Well the country is full of cabbages. Non thinkers...and he rambled into a lot of nothings and somethings that I didn’t quite follow. They are all brain dead..

Well. I had nothing to say to that. The extremely articulate person in me...had nothing at all to say to this man...who had spoken everything from philosophy...to politics..and interestingly made perfect sense in everything he had said to me...

We reached the station. I was tempted to get his number...talk more...get to know this man better. “ I am a journalist. You have loads of stories to share.”

“ We all do..dont we”.

There it was...my own words...my own thoughts...resonanting and echoing from him...From he who had had the education more precious than any number of masters ...that of experience...and that of choice...

Me: “Do you email?”

Him: Why email when I can talk...but then who am I to say what’s right and wrong...nothing is either right or wrong...its just an opinion.

This is when I decided to hold onto my thoughts which were racing...trying hard to make a point make sense of something...To try and use all the intellect...depth and all that jazz which I had for so long believed made me who I was My “streetsmartness”.

I said nothing.

It was time for me to go. I got off the car and looked through the front seat window to pay him the money.

Him: Here is something at you. I think that’s why I am single.

And almost impulsively I replied saying, “ You choose to think...you choose to be single”

He laughed and said, “ Deep...think you should save that. Alvida”

And just like that it was over. I had reached my destination to set out on another journey. Our paths had crossed and we left our own ways.

If not work. I did learn in company of him who had gone places...and will continue to do so.

Alvida .