Taxi

9. Never too late

When it comes to the heart, time is the best cure. Time and sometimes the right company.

"Afternoon, Ma'am!" Samtou politely greeted the old lady who came into the car.

Almost a year had passed since Samtou's mother left. With the money his mother gave him, he could pay off his debt. He didn't have to worry about money as much as he did before.

But that was the only change in his life. He was still a taxi driver full time. The money he received would run off one day, he couldn't just sit and watch.

Cassie did not agree with him, though. She wanted him to resume school, and complete his master's. She said it would open more opportunities to him.

"Unless being a taxi driver is your dream job?" Cassie asked with annoyance. "You're still young, you should try to get yourself back on track."

"I'm not that young, I'm almost thirty," Samtou replied, angering her even more.

Samtou didn't want to restart school. After spending almost four years out of school, while all his classmates were done and well off, he didn't see the use of going back to school.

To tell the truth, Samtou was simply afraid. After all this time spent away, he didn't want to be mocked by his juniors, as himself once did with those seniors who failed their year and were obliged to retake it. Maybe one would call it karma.

And he has never been the brightest at school, would it be possible to catch up when he felt like the basic notions were all gone from his mind?

"Young man, would it be possible for you to check these exercises for me?" the grandma kindly asked when they reached their destination. "My granddaughter will check them tonight, and I would like her to be proud of me, you know!"

She handed him a notebook, in which she'd exercised writing alphabet letters, and basic sentences such as 'my name is Fumi'. He looked at her in confusion, and she giggled.

"I didn't go to school, you know! So my little girl wants to teach me to read and write. I told her it was no use anymore since I was already that old, but she insisted. She said it didn't matter how old I was, and that could someday be useful, I could never know."

"You did very well, the writing is neat, and the sentence is correct. I'm sure she'll be extremely proud!" Samtou handed her back her notebook with an encouraging smile, and she thanked him before getting off.

He observed her as she proudly showed the notebook to some people standing outside the house, and received encouragement. That made him wonder how stupid he must have sounded to Cassie.

When he arrived at Cassie's workplace to pick her up, Elton John's 'Never too late' was playing. She got into the car and coldly greeted him. She'd been like that for a few days now, since their last discussion on the school topic.

"How was your day?" Samtou asked.

"Fine, yours?"

"I have something for you," Samtou handed her a paper.

Cassie skeptically took it, but upon reading it, the smile he'd fallen for bloomed on her face. "You registered for the coming academic year?"

Samtou simply nodded, and she granted him a kiss that comforted him Into his decision. He was getting this damn master's.