driving

We got in the cab on EDSA outside Shangri-la Mall past midnight that Friday. Surprisingly traffic was heavy and soon after we passed Robinson’s Galleria, the driver grunted that we should go to Sikatuna via White Plains. I thought about the possible wide empty stretches of road on White Plains, about how the EDSA route was much nearer, and commented that, maybe taking White Plains would be too far. The driver relented but soon as we got much nearer the turn that would take him to White Plains, he asked again, and I said forcefully willfully that we should just continue on.

In response, he revved up the engine, and accelerated the cab, losing his temper in the middle of traffic, in fact in the middle of two big trucks on either side. Ajo and I noted his anger without comment continuing to sit in silence as he drove in starts and spurts taking chances by changing lanes too quickly.

How was he to know I find comfort in being snug in the middle of traffic, intimidated by freeways where cars whiz past and testosterone is given free rein (I don’t believe in giving testosterone free rein). I get overwhelmed by empty highways and the thought of speed-high maniacs going blind getting high or losing one’s brakes at 100 kph.

Or even that my curiosity had been piqued by the uncharacteristically heavy traffic and I wanted us to inch forward just to find out what the buildup was all about? I was in no big hurry and would have been happy to know.

He continued on in a tantrum and I guessed that he would take the next best turn, taking a right just before Cubao, popping up at Aurora and going up Anonas. He did as I thought he would and we let him as he wanted.

He lost his temper and took our lives into his hands but it didn’t matter because he had his radio on the station playing jazz oldies in the middle of the night. His saving grace Diana Krall crooning, “I’ve got you under my skin.”

When the gate had closed behind us, I said to Ajo, the driver lost his temper. She complained, it’s ok to get mad but he shouldn’t get us killed because of it.

“But each time I do, just the thought of you, Makes me stop before I begin, Coz, I’ve got you under my skin.”