Ode to the taxi driver

To you Kuya Pong. I praise you and your remaining kind. Isa kang huwarang taxi driver.

Instead of waiving me off when I told you I was going to UP (from Robinsons Manila), you smiled and told me to come in.

Instead of swerving and driving in erratic speeds, you maintained a comfortably smooth pace.

Instead of engaging in this dangerous race of beating the traffic light, you slowed down and stopped accordingly.

Instead of cursing, tsking, or complaining about the traffic, other drivers and the government, you remained calm and gave me the silence my jet-lagged senses needed.

Instead of asking for additional money because of the distance and traffic, you even attempted to give me the exact change.

When I thanked you profusely for your marvelous driving and for not charging me extra, you just said "pare-pareho po tayong nagtratrabaho at nagsusumikap."

I do not regret giving you double the meter bill. I especially appreciated how you took the money without counting it in front of me. I sincerely hope that you continue to be the way you are in this city wrought with  greed and disobedience.