Taxi Driver Story #3

You know the smell of a person who hasn’t showered in ages - that indescribable stench that overwhelms your nostrils and makes you want to jump out of your skin and go to another universe.

That’s what confronted me when I entered his taxi.

Thankfully I’m a very tolerant person and I don’t judge people even though this taxi drivers’ white shirt is discolouring around the armpits turning yellow. I’m sure if he knew how discomforting he is to his passengers then he’d jump in a tub full of chlorine then shower in sulfuric acid. Maybe that will get rid some of the germs.

Still, I needed to get somewhere and he was the man for the job. I noticed his name Karl on taxi driver ID stuck on the passenger visor.

Will: So….. you've been busy today..?
Karl: Ohhh yes yes. Very busy. bwhehehehehehe
My eyes widened hearing his laugh. It sounded like a machine gun of "hehs". Very creepy.

Karl: Where you from?
Will: I live up north towards the new development..
Karl: I mean which country you from?
Will: oohh… um.. Philippines.. born in Manila
Karl: Uuuuuu. Manila.. Oh yes.. yes Manila. I know Manila.. bwhehehehehe.
I seemed to have jiggled a happy memory out of him.

Karl: You know Ferdinand Marcos?
Will: Um yeah. He was a president a long time ago.
Karl: Yeah. Yeah. We’ll, during the Marcos Era, I wrote a personal add for a girlfriend when I was still in Germany. I couldn’t believe it! Bwhehehehehe. How many people do u think replied?
I pouted and shook my head. I didn’t know. I have no experience with personal ads. yet

Karl: I could not believe it – I got over 300 mails!! HA! That was good bwhehehehehe
Will: Wow! That’s a lot
Karl: it’s good yeah? bwhehehehehehe
It actually didn’t really surprise me. Lots of Filipinos want to move out of the country. They’ll even put up with stink bombs like Karl.

Karl: Manila is good place to holiday yeah? I like Thailand.. been there many times. Beautiful woeeemen everywhere! Bbwehehehehehe
It occurred to me that this guy was no saint

Will: Yeah.. I heard Vietnam and Korea are good as well.
Karl: *eyes widen* oww yeah – Korea and yess… Vietnam too.. Bwhehehehehe

I think he wiped his mouth coz he was drooling. I felt dirty just sitting there.

Then I think I asked the wrong question.
Will: married with kids?

He returned to a more normal demeanour

Karl: yes.. I was once married. No kids.
He lost his creepy smile and he turned serious.
I think I hit a sensitive spot

Karl: Yes, she was nice. My ex wife.. Chinese lady.
Small but very very pretty. We both moved here to Australia.
But you have to watch out you know.. they can be quite good.. but after wedding, she changed quickly. Different person she was.
Just a week after the wedding...
He shook his head
Karl: ...we were fighting and she wanted divorce straight away.

I guess there’s more to this guy than just his stinky, creepy exterior.
He’s been burnt too.

Karl: We got divorced and she got the house and $100k.
Will: My god.. that’s a lot of money
Karl: yeah.. well... money is money..

It seemed to me that losing his house and money wasn’t what bothered him.
Karl: People change . She changed a lot.

He faked a smile and talked on about stock exchange.

Even with Karl's crusty exterior I kinda sympathised for him. Its sad that there are people out there who use others for personal gains - Karl included.

But dirty old men, no matter how disgustingly seedy and stinky they are, are people too.

Its sad to hear someone being used liked that.