The Cab Ride



Site News
Christian Links
Christian Stories
Sponsor a Child
Opinion Articles
Inspirational Stories
Funny Stories
Funny Pictures
Funny Chat Logs
Poems
Fiction Stories
Music
Spreadsheets
Last Days of Socrates
The Powerpuff Girls
Comics
Variety Site Forum
Other Fun Links
My Email: [email protected]


Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away.

But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm, and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated." "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent down and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run or had honked once and then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.



2 Quizzes 10 Encouragements 11 Rules
Abortion Alphabetical Friend Ann Margaret
A Baby's Hug The Baseball Game Big Wheel
Bin Laden Warning Brick Cab Ride
Comet Child Abuse Poem Child Abuse Poem 2
Cute Kids Doll Donkey
Drive Carefully Drunk Driving Flowers
Homeschooled How the Poor Live I've Learned
I Wish You Enough Keepers Kids' Love
The King's Highway Kisses Kyle
Last Request The Littlest Firefighter Lotus Totus
Love Family Military Pay Miracle
Online Safety Pickle Jar The Pretty One
Quotes Quotes2 Seize the Day
Special Daddy Speeding The Girl in a Pink Dress
The USA - Good Folks What Goes Around Who You Are

Christian Inspirational Stories


All Variety Reading Pages

Site News Christian Links Christian Stories
Sponsor a Child Opinion Articles Inspirational Stories
Funny Stories Funny Pictures Funny Chat Logs
Poems Fiction Stories Music
Spreadsheets Last Days of Socrates The Powerpuff Girls
Comics Variety Site Forum Other Fun Links

My Email: [email protected]