"Hot and sunny, thats all it is every day, hot and sunny" Bill Hicks' quote about the weather played on Ivan's mind. Sat in his five year old Mercedes, he listened to the pitter patter and wished he could enjoy the L.A sunshine like all the other lizards. Instead he waited patiently for his fare to emerge, grateful for technology that bombards the customer with a thousand texts stating the cab's outside and saves the cab driver from engaging in some much needed exercise. Half his life was just waiting, or so it felt. "How could life be so passive?" he asked aloud. he pondered this and came up with the same conclusion his been told a million times before; life is what you make it.
"Sorry I kept you waiting" Said the fare as she shut the back door behind her.
"No problem, town centre yeah?" Ivan replied upbeat, despite the sound of rain slowly crushiong his soul.
"What a miserable day" Said the fare, so unimaginative to talk about the weather so soon, "and it's supposed to be spring"
"drip drip drop little april showers" Ivan came out with almost in song, swerving to avoid a cyclist he saw at the last minute. "There's hope in rain" he said, quoting an episode of fringe he watched the night before.
"I would much prefer hot and sunny every day" offered the fare. Ivan glanced at her in the rear view mirror. In her mid twenties, she wasn't the conventional picture of prettynes but sexy all the same. Looking out of the window at the children on their way to school, the fare thought how life might of been different if her parents didn't force her to have an abortion at 15. Looking at the parent's walking with their children in the rain, she reflected it might not of been a bad thing.
"your not a lizard are you" Ivan asked whilst staring intently int he rear view mirror.
The fare laughed, "Yes, but don't tell anyone, we have to keep the reptillian conspiracy secret."
Ivan laughed, if the girl was a reptilian shapeshifter, she would surely be better looking and not on her way to work in a call centre.
"Did you know, it never rained on russia's parade day, if there were clouds in the sky they would spray a chemical on the water vapours so they fall to the ground before having a chance to form rainclouds." Ivan announced like an educational video.
"I was hearing on the news how rainfall in glasgow had nuclear radiation from the fukishima blast, thats quite scary." said the fare.
"As if Glaswegians didn't have it bad enough already" Ivan scoffed, never a fan of the Scottish, poor tippers in his experience. "Did you want picking up same time tomorrow?" asked Ivan, looking forward to being in the same enclosed space for five minutes again the next day.
"Today's my last day, Im going travelling for six months" replied the fare, beaming with joy.
"Travelling? bit too old for that aren't you?" inquired Ivan, suprised.
"pah, im 19, having to work in a call centre for the last 6 months has aged me it seems" said the amused fare.
"Bet you'll be glad to be leaving" Said Ivan, jealous of the lifestyle his fare was about to embark in. Despite spending his worlking life in transit, it was never anywhere he wanted to go. He had been picking up this fare for the last months and sad as it was, it was a highlight of his day. He felt in love with her since he saw her, but afraid to lose a much needed regular fare, never made a move. The girl smiled at the rhetorical question and Ivan decided he needed to do something drastic in this moment before the opportunity passed.
"Can i come with you" asked Ivan "Thats if your not travelling with other people already, its just i've always wanted to travel, but ive been too content watching life go past to actually do anything that i've wanted. i know im just your taxi driver, but im a nice guy, and travelling is cheaper with other people to help share the costs."
"I wasn't expecting that, as i say im leaving tomorow, I bought my tickets month ago im not going with anyone, i was looking forward to travelling by myself" The fare burst out with what sounded like objections, but stopping to think for a moment decided not to upset the cabbie, she saw something in him she couldn't pin down, "Sure, bring your credit card and get a ticket at the airport, my flight leaves at 10am"
"Really, im sorry to randomly ask to leech on like that, but, if you don't ask you don't get." beamed Ivan, suprised his cheeky question got accepted, "anyway, here we are, enjoy your last day at work. this is my mobile number, im going to go home and pack now, six month's you say were travelling for?"
"That's how much i've budgeted for, what about your home, your job, everything like that?" Asked the fare, not sure if the cabbie knew her name as she didn't know his.
"I'll get it sorted, ring me later and let me know the schedule" Replied Ivan.
"this is mad, but ok. ill call you later." The fare took the business card and tried to gove ivan his money. He just shook his head and smiled
"speak to you later" said Ivan, "are you going to hot or cold countries, just so i know what to pack"
"Hot, good luck getting everything sorted" said the fare. Ivan continued his smile, gave a little wave and began to pull away. Looking at the fare in the rear view mirror as she enetered her work building Ivan drove off in the rain, hearing it as a soundtrack to his overwhelming joy.
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