The Impossible Quest Of Hailing A Taxi On Christmas Eve Read Online Free PDF Page A

that,
anyway," he waved a hand.
    The
driver had began moving again, and Scrooge had the feeling they
were heading to the hospital in question.
    Timmy in
the video spoke, a faint voice, barely heard. "Am I sick
mommy?"
    "Yes.
You are, but we are going to take medicine and see some doctors and
you'll get better," she said, her voice sweet but firm. Then she
turned to her driver and said, "Thank you Sir, for everything. I
don't know how to repay you."
    The
driver's deep voice in the video said, "It's alright Miss. If
something like that had happened to my boy I want to believe
someone would stay and help. That's what Christmas is
for."
    "When
was this?" Scrooge asked.
    "Last
year," the driver said in a hushed tone, and not a word
more.
    Timmy in
the video raised his eyes to his mother and she wiped off her
tears. "Mommy, is that bad man Mr. Scrooge going to give us enough
money for the doctors?"
    Scrooge
felt a dagger plunge into his heart.
    Clara
held her boy's head to her chest and said, "I don't know honey.
I'll ask. We'll see."
    Then the
video ended. Scrooge's eyes focused through the black monitor,
blurring his vision.
    He
whispered, "I didn't."

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Stave
Three
     
    "This is
where you get off Mr. Scrooge," the driver said politely. They had
parked at the side of a main avenue, nowhere near Scrooge's
home.
    "But
why?"
    "Another
driver will take you from here. He'll be around any second
now."
    Scrooge
got off and stood in the sidewalk. Cars wheezed past in moderate
speed, not so slow like the central Athens roads but not faster
than the highway.
    The cold
was bearable now, even though it must have been a few degrees lower
since he got in the taxi. He had absorbed enough heat to make him
soldier on the short wait. The Mercedes went back into the road and
disappeared into the traffic.
     
     
    Another
taxi came and stopped beside him. It was a modern model, smaller,
nothing like the vintage Mercedes. This was short, easy to steer,
easy to park. Sleek lines, modern accents. Scrooge stepped in and
it was nice and warm. Unlike the old cars, that required heavy
modification into the cyborg vehicles that being a taxi required
these days, this one had built in tablet surfaces, sleek hidden
antennas, integrated electronics in the dashboard, GPS, everything.
You couldn't realise it when watching one of the old modified cars,
but they were actually a mess of cables and clunky slapped on
devices. In there, they were all part of the design. The seats
didn't squeak with the sound of leather, but they felt
nice.
    "Well,"
Scrooge said. "Are you going to take me home young man?"
    The
driver was indeed young. He was more casually dressed, no facial
hair, a modern haircut from some footballer that every man was
sporting these days. Scrooge studied him, until he was pretty sure
he was of Albanian origin. It wasn't easy to tell, but there were
some signs.
    Scrooge
grunted in disapproval.
    "You are
still in the middle of the reprimanding ride, Mr. Scrooge," the
young man said, a hint of scoff in his voice.
    "Why the
change of a ride? I don't get that."
    "The
previous driver was about your past, Mr. Scrooge. I'm all about the
present," he said and smiled.
    "Bah!
Nonsense. Let's be done with this charade." He opened his coat,
letting the warm air in his body. "Have we met before?" Scrooge
squinted.
    "Yes we
have. You had requested I never get sent to you again because of my
Albanian origin," the young man said, studying his features through
the mirror.
    Scrooge
lowered his head a bit. "Well, it is within my rights. I'm the
customer, after all."
    "Yes,
that you are," the man said and drove.
     
     
    Some
time later, they arrived to Goudi area, across the street from
Paidon Hospital. A children's hospital, dedicated to Saint Sophia.
It was a big place, busy with people, packed with cars and comings
and goings.
    The taxi
parked next to the row of other waiting taxis. Scrooge craned his
neck around and