Our life is full of small unanswered injustices.
One day, your young son came home from school and complained that his classmate scolded him with vulgarities. It’s not right, you know, but you also know it’s not worth the trouble of going back to the school to get even with his classmate through his discipline teacher. So you forget about it.
Or you are looking over your monthly "overtime" pay slip and realized you have not being paid the correct amount of overtime. But the difference is merely an hour, which is about $15. “Shit”, you mutter to yourself and momentarily consider charging into the HR office. But then you think of the hassle that would be and you forget about it.
Or as a cabby, you saw your passenger, who had earlier booked your cab, dishonored their "call-booking" commitment and hopped into another empty cab ahead of you and left. You had probably driven with extra effort to meet your promised arrival time and ignored "flagging" passengers on the way. Then on arrival, you saw your half portion of roasted Peking Duck flying off with the wind. I can imagine the injustice you felt in that repugnant situation. You must have thought of calling the passengers and lash them with all the "vulgarities" you had mastered since young. But then, you thought of LTA's "warning letter" and realized it was not worth it. So you forgot about it.
Or you are walking on a crowded side walk, when someone bumps into you and knocks you off balance for a moment. But instead of apologizing to you, he looks contemptuously into your eyes like about to say..."Get the fuck out of my way, asshole."
Or this? You are waiting in line at the Singapore Pool's booth and someone much bigger than you blatantly cuts right in front of you. You think of saying something to the guy but he looks like a gangster with tattoos on his arms, so you just bite your tongue and remains silent and forgets about it.
In both cases. you suppressed your urge to react. You're not a coward but is worried that you might get injured, killed or arrested in a fight. All for what? .....Nothing!!. So, you soothe your anger and tell yourself....... "Someday that guy will meet "someone - the right guy" -who will teach him a lesson or two" The someone is not you, so you forgets about it.
And so the list of small unanswered injustices goes on and on. It gets to the point that we just accept it as a fact of life and take it easy. But deep down in our heart, we patiently and secretly hope those "bad guys" will get their comeuppance --from "the right guy"--someday.
Now, I would like to share with you an anecdote I wrote about 25 months ago, about how a "bad guy" met the "right guy".
I happened to pick this "right guy" one night at a bar along Geylang Road. The first thing I noticed about him was his physical attributes. He was about 40 plus, 6 feet tall, heavy built with muscular arms. He looks like an ex-military man with crew cut hair and had an Eurasian look.
After rushing into my cab, he suddenly shouted through the window, "F@#$% BASTARD! DAMN F@#$% BASTARD!"
"What's the matter?" I asked.
His answer shocked me. "I hope I didn't kill him."
"What happened?" I asked again.
"THAT STUPID F@#$% BASTARD!" he screamed. "I DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HIS SHIT!"
"What happened??" I asked in desperation for more details.
"I think I killed him," he blurted out as he covered his face in his hands. "Oh, God, I hope I didn't kill him."
His emotions were like the waves of an ocean - a minute up in anger- the next minute down in grief. It took me quite a while to figure out what had happened in the bar.
He'd been sitting alone at a bar counter, having a couple of drinks and enjoying the sentimental music. Then three rowdy Chinese guys entered the bar and sat in a row beside him. One of these guys decided to have some fun at my passenger's expense. He began dissing at him while his buddies laughed. My passenger was understandably infuriated and it led to a brawl in no time.
Powerful blows and kicks were exchanged aggressively. It ended with the rude guy collapsing on the floor from a chop to his neck, which may have crushed his windpipe. He gasped desperately for air before slumping over in a moribund condition..
My passenger ran out of the bar to the street looking for a taxi. My cab became his getaway car. Those "bad guys" had finally met "the right guy" who happens to be an ex-military man who knew martial arts and was in no mood to take crap from some punk. They had met the "right guy" who taught them a lesson they will never forget for a long time.
When we arrived at his destination, I advised him not to talk to anyone else about this incident other than a priest. Not to let his feelings of guilt put him into a jail. Till today, I heard nothing more about the incident.
Interestingly, I felt no fear in being alone with him in my cab although he was a "fugitive killer". He wasn't my wrong guy. I usually don't meet wrong guy because I don't go around intentionally provoking or insulting strangers.
I know justice will prevail. It may not be swift but it will surely come. After all, sow an action, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character and reap destiny. Have faith.
One day, your young son came home from school and complained that his classmate scolded him with vulgarities. It’s not right, you know, but you also know it’s not worth the trouble of going back to the school to get even with his classmate through his discipline teacher. So you forget about it.
Or you are looking over your monthly "overtime" pay slip and realized you have not being paid the correct amount of overtime. But the difference is merely an hour, which is about $15. “Shit”, you mutter to yourself and momentarily consider charging into the HR office. But then you think of the hassle that would be and you forget about it.
Or as a cabby, you saw your passenger, who had earlier booked your cab, dishonored their "call-booking" commitment and hopped into another empty cab ahead of you and left. You had probably driven with extra effort to meet your promised arrival time and ignored "flagging" passengers on the way. Then on arrival, you saw your half portion of roasted Peking Duck flying off with the wind. I can imagine the injustice you felt in that repugnant situation. You must have thought of calling the passengers and lash them with all the "vulgarities" you had mastered since young. But then, you thought of LTA's "warning letter" and realized it was not worth it. So you forgot about it.
Or you are walking on a crowded side walk, when someone bumps into you and knocks you off balance for a moment. But instead of apologizing to you, he looks contemptuously into your eyes like about to say..."Get the fuck out of my way, asshole."
Or this? You are waiting in line at the Singapore Pool's booth and someone much bigger than you blatantly cuts right in front of you. You think of saying something to the guy but he looks like a gangster with tattoos on his arms, so you just bite your tongue and remains silent and forgets about it.
In both cases. you suppressed your urge to react. You're not a coward but is worried that you might get injured, killed or arrested in a fight. All for what? .....Nothing!!. So, you soothe your anger and tell yourself....... "Someday that guy will meet "someone - the right guy" -who will teach him a lesson or two" The someone is not you, so you forgets about it.
And so the list of small unanswered injustices goes on and on. It gets to the point that we just accept it as a fact of life and take it easy. But deep down in our heart, we patiently and secretly hope those "bad guys" will get their comeuppance --from "the right guy"--someday.
Now, I would like to share with you an anecdote I wrote about 25 months ago, about how a "bad guy" met the "right guy".
I happened to pick this "right guy" one night at a bar along Geylang Road. The first thing I noticed about him was his physical attributes. He was about 40 plus, 6 feet tall, heavy built with muscular arms. He looks like an ex-military man with crew cut hair and had an Eurasian look.
After rushing into my cab, he suddenly shouted through the window, "F@#$% BASTARD! DAMN F@#$% BASTARD!"
"What's the matter?" I asked.
His answer shocked me. "I hope I didn't kill him."
"What happened?" I asked again.
"THAT STUPID F@#$% BASTARD!" he screamed. "I DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HIS SHIT!"
"What happened??" I asked in desperation for more details.
"I think I killed him," he blurted out as he covered his face in his hands. "Oh, God, I hope I didn't kill him."
His emotions were like the waves of an ocean - a minute up in anger- the next minute down in grief. It took me quite a while to figure out what had happened in the bar.
He'd been sitting alone at a bar counter, having a couple of drinks and enjoying the sentimental music. Then three rowdy Chinese guys entered the bar and sat in a row beside him. One of these guys decided to have some fun at my passenger's expense. He began dissing at him while his buddies laughed. My passenger was understandably infuriated and it led to a brawl in no time.
Powerful blows and kicks were exchanged aggressively. It ended with the rude guy collapsing on the floor from a chop to his neck, which may have crushed his windpipe. He gasped desperately for air before slumping over in a moribund condition..
My passenger ran out of the bar to the street looking for a taxi. My cab became his getaway car. Those "bad guys" had finally met "the right guy" who happens to be an ex-military man who knew martial arts and was in no mood to take crap from some punk. They had met the "right guy" who taught them a lesson they will never forget for a long time.
When we arrived at his destination, I advised him not to talk to anyone else about this incident other than a priest. Not to let his feelings of guilt put him into a jail. Till today, I heard nothing more about the incident.
Interestingly, I felt no fear in being alone with him in my cab although he was a "fugitive killer". He wasn't my wrong guy. I usually don't meet wrong guy because I don't go around intentionally provoking or insulting strangers.
I know justice will prevail. It may not be swift but it will surely come. After all, sow an action, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character and reap destiny. Have faith.
5 comments:
Your linguistic skill and wisdom, would be treasure by a worthy leader, instead of driving a taxi. Our leaders must be deluded if senior wise folks wisdom are not used to educate the younger generation. Hence the future of the country is bleak, if there are more like you driving taxi instead of teaching
James,
This is what we say "karma". Whatever goes round will come back. Only time will tell. Sooner or later it will come back in the form of reward or retribution. Nice write up.
Because I believe in living in the moment and not wanting to feel suppressed, I always let my thoughts and words fly. Reading your post today made me feel better- Why should I hold my silence like a criminal when I have done no wrong? Like they sing "let it go!"
-lyn
Hi, Anon (lyn)
Yes. Let It Go!
i once moved in a cab and i enjoyed alot.i have no feared of any accident..
Airport Limousine
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