A Cabby New Year

 CEBU, Philippines -  The five-peso coin made a soft sound as Manong Tony dropped it to the caroler's plastic cup. "Go home," he sternly told the little boy who tapped at the window of his vehicle while singing a rather incomprehensible version of Pasko Na Naman.

It was already a quarter before twelve midnight and he couldn't quite stand the sight of street kids  on the highway awaiting for the traffic light to flash red so they could sing their Christmas songs and hopefully get something out of it. They looked just as young as his grandchildren and they shouldn't be amidst the dangers of speeding cars just to earn a few penny. For Manong Tony however, staying on the road as late on the eve of New Year was necessary. Not all cab drivers do, but he opted to take advantage of the day's remaining hours where in passengers rush to their homes or anywhere to be with their loved ones just before the clock strikes twelve.

Manong Tony had been a driver for as long as he could remember. He started in the late 70s and got his big break in the 90s when he was hired as the official driver of the CEO at one of the country's famous hotel chains. It was an exciting ride for almost a decade-bumpy roads were never a problem with a shiny Ford-until a change of administration inevitably took place in the company. He went back to cab driving and adjusted to earning daily again.

Driving a cab was no easy job. Manong Tony had to be in close proximity to different kinds of people every day: kind-hearted women, overly generous foreigners, politically aware individuals, economic whiners, and too-young-to-visit-a-motel couples. He even had the daily risk of facing thugs. He was lucky enough to follow his instinct of refusing to give a ride to two men who wanted to be taken to northern Cebu one evening. Another cab driver didn't have the same instinct and ended up not only losing all of his day's earnings, but also his life.

Now at fifty-seven, Manong Tony didn't see himself retiring very soon. His daughter was still finishing college while his twenty-four-year-old son needed support in raising two children. His wife was in charge of taking care of their small sari-sari store, which wasn't always a reliable source of funds. However, it had been a generally good year for his family. Being able to survive with food and shelter each day, that was his measurement.

Manong Tony now glanced at his watch as soon as he dropped his passenger at a subdivision in uptown. 11:48 PM. He thought about the passenger who just got off. She was working in a hotel in Mactan and was lucky enough to have been given permission to leave earlier than the others. Manong Tony was glad to have taken her home just before midnight. The noise and the fireworks have been starting. He had accustomed himself to sudden bangs but the smog in front of him forced him to drive slower.

Cautiously he made his way through the road thinking what his wife could be preparing for Media Noche. Bam-i would be a delight now. The coldness of December suddenly faded with the warm festivity going on around. Faces were excited as if they knew the New Year would bring them great opportunities. He looked around at the road and hoped no one would hail his cab. It's after all his turn to go home now. (FREEMAN)