A Memorable Taxi-Ride

My taxi ride back from church on one of the Sundays in Leeds was the shortest and most enjoyable ever. I don’t think I saw his face because I was not particular about the driver. I was more concerned about getting back to my hotel room as I was hungry. I had a taxi app on my phone, but since I didn’t have Wifi, I went to the Information Desk of the church where someone called a cab for me.

I had been blessed by the message. I loved the church because it was for the over-churched like myself and the unchurched. An imperfect bunch of people coming together in their imperfection to Mr. Fix-it; the Dependable, Unchangeable Way-maker, Chain-breaker, Promise-Keeper, Destiny-Helper, and one can go on and on. A guest speaker from the United States was on the pulpit. Vibrant speaker. He had wits and guts. He introduced us to his family of a lovely wife, whom he referred to as a goddess, then his three kids. He was black, and his wife and two boys were too, so you would naturally wonder how they had a white girl he fondly held to his chest in their family photograph on the giant screen. He then explained how they adopted this “star” into their family at five weeks old, as her mother had lovingly given her up for adoption, knowing she could not take care of her. Anyway, his star was now his favorite as she couldn’t be wrong with her brothers. The audience roared in laughter. His dynamic message was for another day.

Now, back to the taxi driver. As soon as I got into the cab, he asked me if the church was a regular church. I answered in the affirmative. Now, I usually keep mum when in public transit. I just do not engage in conversations. However, I was happy to converse, seeing it was an opportunity to invite him to church and share my faith, although I was only visiting. He then said that despite being a Muslim, he liked visiting churches. He found peace any time he saw one and wondered why we were always at each other’s throats in the world. He then told me about a church he visited in Moscow how some individuals raved so much about bringing the church building down. However, the church was still standing today, even though the people who clamoured to get it down had long passed. He lamented how we were all married to technology instead of talking with one another. When he asks his son to speak to him, he doesn’t know what to say as he’s in a hurry to get back to his phone. He also told me about his daughter, who married only a fortnight before. His wife and himself saw a photograph of her in her diapers back then as she lay innocently on his chest. How time flies, he said. That daughter was already on her honeymoon. He emphasised the importance of friendship in marriage as life was in stages and very transient. “Life is so short. We are here for a maximum of 70 or 80 years”, he said. He specifically mentioned that I may never meet him again, so why not let us make the short period we had together memorable? I was touched. I had heard a strong message in church. However, this taxi ride of seven minutes to my hotel was just as strong. For the first time in a long time, I desired to meet him again. I wanted to be his friend. I liked his spirit and would have loved to get his contact. However, he was just doing his job…being himself. I still do not remember his looks. I remember the cab was white. Since someone put the call through on my behalf by looking up a taxi online, it may be too much trouble tracing him. Never say never, but I doubt if we would ever meet again. Nonetheless, I would remember this taxi ride for a long, long time.

"So, why not make the most out of every connection? We ought to exude love and empathy, black, red, yellow, and white. We’re all humans. Ought we not make the best of the time we have together?"

Well, one more thing, his zest inspired me to write this piece. I have not written informally in a long while. Positive people ignite, don’t they? Thank you for your time.:)