Confessions from a Sikh and Tired Las Vegas Cabby (Part 2)
“What brings you here to Las Vegas, Mr. Sikh?” I curiously began to question him.
“Computer job; fired yesterday.” He remarked sadly, while making a left turn in front of an oncoming truck.
“What for?”
“Dun know…” he remarked confusedly as he swung around the seat and faced me.
“I toll lady fixing computer, erase all file… you no understand file… erase it… I Sikh… Sikh Indian. Here eight days since last bathe… I go now. Erase file. Just ate bean. Gas deadly; incomparable damage.” He looks towards the road for a split second after sideswiping the grocery cart of a homeless woman crossing the street and turns back around to continue his story.
“Later; men visit me in restroom. Claim he fired me… yell at me. Another man hands me key; say drive cab… you drive cab. Eat bean? No computer for you; jus’ cab…”
Laloo then became very silent, grimaced hesitantly, and faced forward once again in his seat. Then from the underside of his seat expelled what can only be described as the sight and sound of a worn 69′ Volkswagen Beetle starting up on a cold winter’s morning. That is, a VW Beetle revved at full throttle until two cylinders pop, and echoes a high pitched whine that fades into a deafening explosion of green metallic clouds. Laloo screeches the breaks, stopped in mid traffic, and began to run from the cab.
“Gas deadly… I am Sikh.” Laloo was instantly knocked down upon the ground by an on-foot police officer as people began to pour from their cars and take to the streets running frantically. On the radio was blaring an emergency broadcast signal warning all citizens of a gas bomb deployed in downtown Las Vegas by a “sick” Muslim. I stepped out the cab and slowly proceeded through the empty sidewalk towards the airport. On my way, I couldn’t help but hear Laloo’s screams of defiance.
“Not Arab, not Muslim. Me Sikh… Sikh Indian… me eat bean nine days since last bathe!”
The world has become a scary place… but what should we be more afraid of? The ignorant passengers who goes through life without really seeing? The mysterious leaders who think they see everything but cannot smell the injustice of their own views, or the hidden enemy that camouflages itself within our mixed streets of color and race? Might not be as easy to answer as you would think…
*photo curtest of decar66 at stock.xchng