He thought of the kind of person that would be out at 3AM on a Saturday night. Kids partying until the sunrise or office workers finished with the graveyard shift, those were the usual suspects. This passenger was wearing office wear so he assumed the latter.

Rolito opened the door for his latest passenger and waited until he got in. If he didn’t need the money to pay for his daughter’s new baby (Her husband was a good for nothing lout) he would have enjoyed his retirement.

The passenger’s voice was familiar, he had heard it a hundred times before from different people – broken hearts, failures, business deals gone bad – same old, same old.

The drunk grumbled, ”St. Michael’s church.”

At least this one had a destination. Rolito turned right and started going down the avenue.

His passenger was mumbling to himself, Rolito tried to ignore it but his car radio was broken so he had to sit through the soliloquy. He did notice that the drunk was counting his fingers.

1

I’m sorry mom and dad, I lost the scholarship on my own. I should have listened to you and not my friends.

2

I didn’t tell her I took the condom off. And there you were, still so beautiful. Carrying our child – our child.

3

You needed me and I wasn’t there – but she was. She was everything you were and everything I shouldn’t have wanted. Her lips were so soft. So soft.

4

My old friends found me and gave me a pill. I took it to show that I was a part of something, but they all left. They always left. Now I take from those that did nothing but give. And robbed the future of the only one who loved me unconditionally.

5

I had a second chance. Then a third. Then a fourth. I got a job that could sustain us but what did I do? I stole and cheated the one who would look over my indiscretions. He was such a kind man. But kindness never lasted with me.

6

It was dark. I swear to God it was dark. He was only a boy, not much older than our child. I could only drive away. I’m a coward.

7

My life was full of lies, I would do anything to get what I craved. Lie to my love, lie to my friends, lie to myself. Blasphemous things would escape my lips and I didn’t care.

8

You only tried to help me and I called you brother. But the gravity of my world collapsed over you. It was only one drink, but one was too much and never enough. I don’t even know where you are now, but I must live with the fact that I put you there.

9

And in the end, I committed the most terrible sin of all. Taking what only God could take. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.

The whispers continued going from 1 to 9, over and over again. At a certain point the man was shouting. Rolito looked behind him to calm the man down.

And he saw a skeleton in a tattered suit.

He remembered now where he heard the passenger’s voice. He remembered the last time he saw his grandchild’s father, it was the same coat, same tie.

They had reached their destination but the only remnant that Rolito even had a passenger were some tattered rags in the taxi’s back seat.

=——————————-=

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Based on the Siyam-Siyam myth from Iloilo

Illustration by Leandro Geniston

From @Thatguywithapen