I was standing in the bank queue, waiting to withdraw some money, when I heard loud laughter coming from a group of men.
I looked to see what was going on and that’s when I saw him. It was my schoolmate, who I had not seen in years. I was surprised to see him, but what shocked me more was the fact that he was driving a taxi.
I laughed at him because he was a taxi driver
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him. He had been one of the most popular students in our school and here he was, driving a taxi for a living.
I thought it was hilarious. I mean, he had been so ambitious and driven, always talking about how he was going to make it big one day. But here he was, driving a taxi.
My laughter soon turned to embarrassment when I realized that he had noticed me. We had a brief conversation and although he was polite, I could see the hurt in his eyes.
Obviously, he had seen me laughing at him. I immediately regretted it and wished I had kept my laughter to myself.
I got retrenched and ended up also driving a taxi
When I got to work the next day, I was surprised to find out that I was on the retrenchment list. My boss had had decided to let some of us go because the company was not doing well and I was one of them.
I tried to apply for jobs but could not get one and was at my wits end.
I had no choice but to start driving a taxi. I was embarrassed to tell anyone that I was now doing the same thing my schoolmate had been doing. I felt like I had let myself down.
But then something unexpected happened. I actually started to enjoy driving a taxi. I found out that it was a great way to meet people and hear their stories. I also realized that I was able to make a decent living out of it.
It’s been a few years now since I started driving a taxi and I’m still doing it.
I still think about that day at the bank and I often think about my schoolmate. I hope that he’s doing well and I hope that he’s able to make his dreams come true.
I guess I can thank him for showing me that there’s nothing wrong with driving a taxi and that it can be a rewarding and fulfilling job.