I was at the beginning of my new job and as such, I hadn’t developed yet the ordinary reticence a taxi driver should surround himself with. At that time the need to satisfy my own curiosity was bigger than the need of money – I was to discover the latter at the end of my first shift.

I didn’t have to wait long for him – he returned with a happy face, handed me the money and assured me that he had gotten home. Whatever home meant for that wondering soul of his…

Parts of his story were still haunting me when the operator called through the station.

“There is this old lady requiring a cab near the Liberty Metro Stop. She says she pays double if you get there in 5 minutes”.
I took the order since I was already in the neighborhood.

I didn’t even get to stop the car when this old lady jumped in and started yelling in my ear: “Go! Go! Drive! Faster, faster, let’s leave this place!! Oh my… Did we leave? Are we far?”

I tried to answer or to ease her down, but there was no way to interrupt her babbling.

“We left, we’re far, yes we did… Take me to the Railway Station! I’m gonna leave tonight for good. You ain’t gonna see the looks of me anymore, you evil animal! That’s the last of the scratches you’ll ever gonna make on my old skin!… Oh you darn alienated cat! (was this lady for real???) How you look savagely into my eyes and think I’m gonna melt to all your demands! You don’t know how evil he can be, mister! Oh, he’s evil that one! Ever since he stepped into my home, completely uninvited and walking around like a master! He does evil things to me…. He torns my clothes and bites my neck, I don’t have a moment of silence with him! He makes me cook and keep the house all clean and tidy… Well that’s the last of it! I’m done with you, you wretched animal!!…”

As I was speeding to the Railway Station, I didn’t know whether to burst into laughter or try and calm the old lady down. She made no sense in what she was saying, I mean how can you run away from a cat?? But she was truly tormented and never had I seen a more frightened trembling in many years of my life. She was physically involved in all she was saying, like she was reliving every detail she could remember…

“Look! Look how evil he is!” – she said and threw her arm under my nose, with her sleeves torn and carrying traces of blood. “He is not a creature of God, I tell you, he is not natural! He isn’t, he isn’t!! Even if he comes to me and cuddles from time to time… Yes, he does that… He does look at me with kind forgiving eyes when I forget to bid him good night. Oh, and he so gently caresses my face to wake me up in the morning… He is loving though and always lets me know when we have visitors… Oh my, what have I done? How could I leave him?? Quick, turn around, drive back. Quickly, before he notices I’m gone!…”

I hit the brakes and turned the car around, as she was still babbling and humming in the back. I returned to the exact spot where she had sprinted to my car, she almost threw the money at me – double fare and tip included – and hurried back to the “wretched animal”. I could see her hugging a strangely looking cat through the window, I nodded my head in disagreement and drove away.

That was the second lunatic I was driving tonight. It must be “beginner’s luck”… (to be continued)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNcYT7jpH9E
sa nu-mi zici ca n-ai auzit de El..
tc, j.

trist dar foarte real, parca ar fi tiganii lui Rebreanu…

… dar cu cateva amendamente: – I’m not a stranger , because you’re always welcome; nu am vrut sa aduc in discutie pariul lui Pascal, deoarece este in esenta un sofism. Credinta nu poate fi o alegere rationala, declarativa. Tocmai de aceea nu mi-am pus problema motivatiei de a crede, ci a motivatiei de a pacatui.

O discutie este interesanta daca ea persista chiar si dupa ce focul vesnic a schimbat (sau a confirmat) perspectivele interlocutorilor originali. De aceea citim de exemplu inca dialogurile platonice.

Presupun ca daca afirm ca prefer oricand un credincios autentic unui pacatos ipocrit sau ignorant, asta reprezinta o tautologie, nu ? Oricum, asta inseamna ca preferi varianta lui Kierkegaard – opusul pacatului este credinta. Insa, in termeni de preferinte, s-ar putea sa fie mai interesant prin cate ispite ai trecut si cu cata credinta ai ramas.

Who’s blogless? Aw, the darn crisis… Maybe we can put a roof above his or her keyboard?

Si chiar si asa, din punct de vedere uman nici nu incape discutie. Un om caruia i se ofera posibilitatea de a salva umanitatea cu pretul propriului sacrificiu si refuza, da dovada de o ignobilitate si o lasitate ingrozitoare, dupa standardele noastre morale (cu toate ca, totusi, consideram ca este nobil si moral din partea noastra sa-i lasam intru totul alegerea). Acest impearativ moral nu decurge din doctrina crestina, pentru ca o precede.

Autoritatea religioasa si in particular sacrificiul Mantuitorului nu aduce nimic in plus in discutia acestui postulat, anume: “pretul salvarii unui om anume este egal cu cel mai mic pret ce trebuie platit pentru a salva oricare dintre oamenii ce au nevoie sa fie salvati”. Si asta din doua motive. Unu – pentru ca postulatul se refera la oameni, este o maxima etica pe care oamenii trebuie sa o respecte. Dumnezeu nu poate fi conditionat de o etica similara. Si doi – pentru ca, in relatia cu Dumnezeu, “pretul” e o notiune complet irelevanta, in ce priveste salvarea. Puterea Lui de a ne salva este nemarginita.

In ce priveste exercitiul tau – singura problema care m-ar face sa nu fiu impacat e ca intr-un anumit curs de evenimente pe care eu l-as fi putut influenta si nimeni altul, ar fi fost posibil sa-i fi salvat pe ambii oameni. Daca reusesc sa idealizez situatia in asa fel incat sa mi se puna o simpla alegere, legat la ochi, te asigur ca voi fi perfect impacat cu mine insumi.

ps … pentru exemplele “hollyudeniene” am glumit! Remarca mea era menita doar sa te faca sa-ti aduci aminte de prietenii tai :p (cu drag)!