| El que adelante no mira, atras se queda
(He who doesn't look forward will stay behind) On New Years Eve I heard they were calling this year's firework spectacular "007." And I was too busy with routine that my mind didn't associate James Bond 007 with the year 2007. When my son Luigi Franco and I watched the fireworks near the Stratosphere it finally hit me, 2007! Thinking back on 2006 I realized a lot of things had happened in the year. Events that made me see a lot things a bit more clearly. One, was cab driving. So let me tell you of one day in particular which made me tired of the things we as cab drivers must put up with. It was early in the morning and a couple had just come out of the Wild Wild West and as I headed West on Tropicana towards the Orleans I glanced over and saw them wave. The guy was late twenties or early thirties and so was the girl he was with. He was about six foot tall and weighed over two hundred pounds and she was petite in size. We hadn't even left out of the parking lot and he starts screaming at her, "You bitch you smoked all the cigarettes, didn't you?" He grabbed her by the hair and shook it. She simply put her head down and said nothing. "Hey driver can you take us up to that trailer park right before Jones and by the way, do you have a smoke?" Man, I glanced at that girl and I must admit I was really pissed off at what just happened inside my taxi, but I didn't say anything. Right before we reached Valley View he said to please stop at the Terrible Herb's convenience store so he could purchase some smokes. I made the sharp turn into the drive way and he then told the girl, "Get off the cab bitch and go buy the damn cigarettes!" She quickly went inside the store and as she did he told me how they'd been gambling and drinking over at The Wild West the night before. "That stupid bitch hit a Royal Flush playing video poker for a thousand dollars and she put it all back!" he said. "What do you think of that?" Again I said nothing but remembered a proverb I keep tucked in the back of my mind; At times we must deal with fools according to their foolishness. Fast approaching Jones I couldn't wait to get rid of this idiot who suffers with abusive anger, but unfortunately for me the ride would continue on. "Wait driver take us to the Smith's market so I can buy some beer to take home," he said. You know what I was thinking, this guy doesn't need anymore beer and his honey must've thought the same thing. But she told him, "Let's just go home you don't need anything." I know abusive patterns and this situation was as predictable of what can be expected. He swiftly reached around with his right hand and slapped her crisply. "Shut the hell up!" he yelled, "Don't tell me what I need." Now I know better than to get involved and a smarter man would've said nothing, but I'm not that man. I also know this; men who hit women are cowards and suffer from emotional insecurities. I thought about triggering the camera for a second, but didn't. I just turned the taxi right into the 7-11, got off the cab, opened his door and told him to get out right there. So he exist the cab and I kind of push him firmly against the door. The girl jumps out from the other side and started to yell at me like I was the bad guy. The big bully didn't say a thing just handed me the money for the ride. Somehow I knew that was going to happen. I just drove away. Who did I think I was anyway, Nambac the vigilante cab driver? I took the long way to the airport so I could think about things, clear my head and let the adrenaline subside. I wanted to get it off my chest but seeing all the cabbies scurrying around the roach coach I decided better not. I sat in my cab until loading up on top. Soon the brown shirt sent my fare over and they're dragging two heavy suitcases so I greeted them, "I'll take that sir," I said politely to the man. Do you know what he said in return? "Damn right you will." To handle difficult strangers I always ignore the words and smile, but I didn't feel like smiling today. Instead I loaded them up and gave them the silent treatment, but the guy was something else, he laughed at me and said, "Hey Paco do you speak English?" I was totally flabbergasted yet I replied in Espanola, "Que sabe dos lenguas vale por dos."(He who knows two languages is worth two people.) I didn't give him the translation to this Mexican Proverb and that's all I said the short ride to the MGM. This is just one of those days I told myself as I now was headed to the Boulevard Mall to pay my Sears card. I also stopped and bought a new hat since I was there which always lifted my spirits, but it would be a short lived feeling. There's a man waiting by the cab when I exited the store, nope it wasn't a man but a girl with a butch haircut. She was standing with a boy who looked five and holding an infant. She asked me if I could take her to Nellis and Lake Mead roundtrip. I figured the fare at fifty dollars and as she got in the cab, I thought I saw her pull the little boy by his hair from the corner of my eye. We drove down Desert Inn Road when the little guy asked me my name, but before I could answer him; his mom slapped him in the mouth. "Don't speak now this is grown up time," she told him. I felt uneasy and uncomfortable I must say. She told me that the little boy always spoke out of turn and is a loser just like his dead father. Her words were surreal and she explained the methamphetamine induced suicide of the boyfriend. The boy started to cry as she spoke and again she slapped him. Through his tears he cried, "Daddy." I can't believe this shit. How much could I take? I am to do nothing? I didn't want to deal man, I instead thought of my son and I would never hit him or do that. I could hear his whimper through his mother's voice, although I wasn't really listening to her anymore. We got to the pay day loan place and she left both kids in the cab with me. The boy jumped out of his seat and maneuvered forward between the seats. "What are doing?" I said, "You better sit down before your mom gets back," I instructed him. He pleaded, "Can you please give some of your Gatorade to drink I'm thirsty?" I opened the plastic bottle and watched him gulp it down until he couldn't drink no more. "Can you hug me?" he asked and reached out for me with both arms. I wasn't ready for that and my heart felt really bad for him. I gave this little stranger a hug and that boy held on so tight until I told him to sit back down in his seat and promised if he would I'd sing him a funny song. I didn't want his mother to hit again not in front me, so I figured if I put him to sleep she couldn't. I sang him a Mexican lullaby I sang to my kids but in English so he's understood the words. "Go to sleep my child here comes trouble, please don't worry my darling I'll take care of you." I repeated this verse a few times and watched as his eyes closed. That woman took a half an hour in the payday loan place and when I looked at the infant he also was sound asleep. When the ride ended at Sierra Vista and Swenson she gave me $75.00 for the $71.00 meter. I helped carry the little guy up to the gate and set him down on the concrete stairs as she instructed. I felt bad for him and hoped to God he'd be alright. But like every story continues after the cab ride I'd never know what happened to him. So like I said at the very beginning of this article, he who doesn't look forward will stay behind. Sometimes it takes me awhile. (These events are true) |
 |
| This was published in Trip Sheet Magazine 2007 |