Call 39 : YELLOW CAB

Hello Son, 

This morning, Mom was in school. Concert is on the November 13 so the children are having daily rehearsals now. We had a really fun practice just now. 

Dad dropped Mom in school in the morning. Teacher L was supposed to give Mom a lift back. That was the plan. However, today, there was a Teachers' Meeting after school. It would take more than an hour and Mom didn't want to wait. 

Was wondering how to get back ...

Anyway, after school, an ex-student, W, came through the gate, to pick up his sister, when he called, "Teacher Lynn," as he passed her to get his sister from her class.

Mom returned his greeting and couldn't help but wonder if her transport had arrived. She told Teacher L that she would try to get a lift from the boy's parents. 

W came out with his sister. Mom asked, "Can Teacher Lynn go home in your car today?" He said, "Cannnn." She mentally sent a quick note of thanks to her son for the transport home.

We walked to the car. At the car, she noticed the driver was a man, who was not W's father. He could be a relative, she supposed. After the kids hopped into the car, she asked politely if he could give her a lift to her condo - "Over There," she said, pointing to the RIGHT. 

He replied, Oh, he's not going THAT way, he's gonna be taking the LEFT turn.

She didn't expect that, to be honest. Anyway, she graciously replied, that it was okay, thanked him and waved bye-bye to the kids. She walked across to the shops. 

Now what was that??? She pondered sullenly to herself.

She honestly thought her son had sent her that transport. Felt kinda strange to be left stranded. Saw a few cabs that passed by that were all occupied. It was 1:15pm. Lunch hour. No wonder. All the ants are coming out from their nest time. She decided to take a slow walk home, and try to get a cab along the way, but before that, she would buy some food first, because she didn't think she'd be up to preparing lunch if she were to go home ... by foot.

Sigh, stop making a big deal out of this, she chided herself. It's not that far anyway. 

She bought the food and started heading back. She must have only walked about 50 meters to reach Faber Ria from the shops, when she found herself panting, like she had been climbing a steep hill in the blazing heat. Of all days, she chose today to forget to put on her PA Triple-Plus Super-Sunblock. She didn't stop there; she had put on the wrong shoes too.

Mumbling aloud in lethargy, (Yes, lethargy - rolling eyes here, are we now?) she called out to her son,  

"Daniel, please get Mom a cab. It's too hot to walk."

Barely had she taken a few steps before a cab appeared, but on the opposite direction.

The driver had in fact made eye contact, but she did not wave him down. She was afraid the cab driver might tell her off, for making a turn-around and then only going a very short distance ahead to the condo. Today, she didn't want anyone to tell her off, least of all, a telling-off by a cab driver. That would be the ultimate humiliation of the day. She had gone through that insulting experience dinosaur-years ago and for some reason, she had never been able to let that rest. Her principle ever since, is never to hail a cab on the opposite side of the road if You only want to go a very, very, very short distance.

She found herself muttering under her breath, "On this side of the road, Son, THIS side." Took 2 steps forward, and turned to look behind her, hoping to see a taxi appearing magically.

No, no sign of a cab yet. Oh, hurry up, Son.

Hurry up!

Took another 2 steps, and turned around to check again. At a distance, she spotted a yellow cab. Felt your presence instantly. Oh woah, that was pretty fast. Instinctively, she looked up into the sky, and whispered, "Thanks Son." She stood by the side of the road, hoping that the cab would be empty.

It was.

Thanks Son for sending Mom the cab. She reached home in like 2 minutes. :D No, the cab-guy didn't scold her. Not because of the short distance but also she didn't have small change to pay for her fare, and neither did he have the change to give her back the balance. 

So she had to run, yes, RUN, to the condo cafe to change her note. Would You believe it - the cafe did not have enough change either. No choice but to hurry to the mini-market by the corner of the cafe, grabbed a loaf of bread, and thrust the note to the shopkeeper. Of course, it had to be today, that he felt he had to count, re-count and re-count again, the balance back to her, ever so carefully.


And so darn slowly ...



By the time, she got back to the cab, the meter had run another one more ringgit. How long was she away??? Anyway, she paid and thanked the cab-man gratefully for waiting.

Justine got back about 10 minutes later, at 2pm, and the first thing she said at the door was, "Food, Food, I'm hungry." 

Ahhhh, now Mom understands why W's driver did not, could not, would not, should not, must not - give her a lift. The X- File - solved. Had he sent her home, she wouldn't have been able to buy lunch just now. Dad's out with the car. Tsk tsk tsk, mystery solved. Case closed.

So, it all worked out good today.

  

Talk to You tomorrow, Son. Lids are getting heavy. Must be all the exercise today at the dance hall. What with the Ultraman, Superman, Spiderman and Ironman moves to our THRILLER performance. :D 

Oh by the way, Mom's made an appointment to see the uhh, Hair Consultant from France ... hehehe ... and she's submitted 3 names of friends to go along with her. No, they don't know yet though. :D Surely You don't expect her to go by herself ... :D

Thanks again for today, Daniel, and for watching over us all. <3 Mom really appreciates You sending the yellow cab right away. Just told Dad about the cab-thing and his first question was, "The driver didn't scold You, ah?" 

You see, even Dad remembers ...