Taxi

Taxi



                                        by Brina & Laurel

The following narrative reflects reality.

Late March 23, 2007. Utrecht, by the rabbit statue. 2 girls enter a taxi. Taxi driver continues staring out window, as though they aren’t there.

-To campus, please.

-So, you are students?

-Well, yes.

-Stay in school as long as possible.

-I try. (She giggles. The other girl is silent in the back of the car. Some people pass singing drunkenly.) Not like that.

-No, not like that. (Starts car.)   Ignore them.

-Oh, of course. I forgot it was Friday.

-Well, maybe you should write it down.

-No, no, I forgot because we just came from Maastricht this afternoon.

-That’s far.

-And before that, from Prague.

-Poland…

-No, the Czech Republic.

-(Pulls away from curb.) Oh, we say Poland.

-Oh, so every time you don’t know where the place is, you say it’s Poland? (Girl in the back cringes, bracing for an argument.)

- So what are you studying?

-Hmm . . . (Tries to make up an answer, and finally settles.) Philosophy.

-Oh, Philosophy, yeah? So you’re going to be a professional philosopher?

-Something like that. (She turns to look out the window.)

-Yeah, I know what that is. I watch the Discovery channel a lot, so I know all about philosophy.

-Animals? Yes, that’s very related, true. So what do you watch on the Discovery channel?

-Oh, everything . . . mostly dinosaurs and the universe. The universe is my interest.

-Astrology…

-Astronomy.

-Astronomy, yes--sorry.

-What do you think about Pluto? Now that it’s not a planet. (They pass the video-store and yet another Albert Heijn.)

-No, the big universe, the whole thing--that’s my interest.

-Oh yeah? What about it?

-Well, my theory—don’t smile. (Pause. Girl does not smile.) Well, I’ve read only a couple of books in my life. And then I forgot them. But one book I remember. Do you know Stephen Hawking?

-Yeah, yeah. In a wheelchair. With a tube in his mouth.

-From Cambridge.

-Yeah, I know him. He’s quirky. Eats with a straw…

-Can’t speak, has a computer.

-Yeah, I know.

-He’s very interesting. He writes all these books about …

-Yes, I know him!

-So I read his book. And he is one smart guy. Well, my theory is that the universe keeps expanding, bigger and bigger, and–what about this? (Takes both hands off wheel while driving and studies the girl’s face.)

If it stops for one minute—if the universe stops expanding for one minute—what then? (They approach a roundabout; still, he does not touch the wheel.) Then, what’s on the other side? If you jump one meter, what then?

(Continues to study her face, waiting for an answer. The girl in the back wonders as well. The philosophy student wonders about his driving. Suddenly, he grasps the wheel with both hands, and his words rush to fill up the silence.) I think the universe is like a video-store.

-Like what?

-You take out a tape, and there’s less of them on the shelves. But soon they fill it up again with new tapes. It happens with the universe as well. First, it was expanding.

The Big Bang. Yes. (The traffic increases.) . . . And then it will stop. Just like that.

And then it will start imploding.

Or the old one will stop completely.

Then you will hear another Big Bang. In a manner of speaking. (A cycling woman is startled by the taxi’s flashing lights and breaks.) And the new one will start expanding. The universe expands many times, many.

So, you’re studying, what do you think of that?

-Well, I think it’s comforting to imagine it.

-And then it starts over and over again. (Speeds into a narrow alley)

-Like reincarnation. Like a loop.

-Yeah, like a …(takes a curve)--you’re smart. I could talk to you all night.

-But one needs to sleep sometimes. (They go under an overpass.)

-Well, it’s not every client—. (Resigns himself, turning back to windshield.)

Do you want me to take you into campus?

-This is just fine, actually. (They reach the university gates.)

-Ok. (Taxi stops abruptly.) Nine euro. Student discount.

-Oh, right.

-See how good it gets? (Girls get out of the car.)

-Yeah, I guess so. Goedenacht.

-Slaap lekker. (Taxi speeds off.)

***

On their way home, the girls notice they’ve been walking on rusty satellite dust.
The taxi continues its regular service until the first video stores open.