Very good,Madam.Sure,will take you there in plenty good time for your
meeting,Madam.This way better,less traffic,less car jams.Half hour should make it,Madam,so
not to worry.
up,and very bold in her behaviour,and this is not like my daughter at all.Then they go inside
the coffee-house,and my heart is very,veryhow you describe it,Madam,My heart is very
susah hatiand I say to myself,I will watch that Lay Choo and see her monkey tricks.The very
next day she is there again I stop my taxi,Madam,and I am so angry.I rush up to this wicked
daughter and I catch her by the shoulders and neck,and slap her and she scream,but I
dontcare.Then I drag her to my taxi and drive all the way home,and at home I thrash the
stupid food and I beat her and slap her till like hell.My wife and some neighbours they pull
me away,and I think if they not pull me away,I sure to kill that girl.I lock her up in her room
for three days,and I ashamed to tell her teacher,so I just tell the teacher that Lay Choo is
sick,so please to excuse her.Oh,Madam,how you feel in my place?Make herself so
cheap,when her father drive taxi all day to save money for her University.What is it,Madam?
Yes,yes,everything okay now,thank you.Shecannot leave the house except to go to
school,and I tell her mother always check,check in everything she do,and her friendswhat
sort of people they areWhat,Madam?Oh,so sorry,Madam,cannot wait for you to finish
your meeting.Mustgo off,please to excuse me.In a hurry,Madam.Must go off to Hotel Elroy
there plenty people to pick up.So very sorry,Madam,and thank you very much.
REFLECTION
It is a story playing with satiric humor. It is very entertaining and yet disheartening. It makes the reader, like me;
realize the grave reality of life and how ironic it gets sometimes.
Indeed life is like a joker. It gives you what you least wanted. The taxi man verbally expressed his hate on the
developing bad habits of the youth. He repeatedly criticized them or even mocked them. And then despite that, he was
awarded with one daughter doing the same bad behaviors.
Being a parent is the hardest role a person can have. Its a 24/7 duty. No time outs or holiday breaks. The
responsibility is lifetime, from the point of conception till the end. Like all fathers, the Taxi man is a good father. He
works nonstop to provide for his family needs, especially for their education. He grabs every opportunity to earn, he
even cater to those children that he detest.
Aside from that, Mr. Taxi man is a very good observer man. He sees everything. He notices the deterioration of
Singapore, the trouble with the youth and their behaviours. He knows what drives the people, what is in for the public
and what is not. He does not keep those observations but voice them out to those he thinks could act on it. His
passenger at the moment was a teacher.
Remember that teachers and parents are those who have primary responsibility for the discipline of the students.
They should work hand and hand to form a better person.
Use iron hand if needed, but gentle cradle is always invited. Children go astray without the proper attention of
guardians, especially on the adolescent stage of their life. Youth tend to love adventure and experiment most of the
time. They like thrills and excitement.
It is not bad to be adventurous. People just need to be careful with whatever they enter into. Because, most of the
time, they get lost in the so called thrill of the moment. This becomes addiction.
As a student, I think it is a must for us to heed our parents/guardians advice. They may not be perfect, but they have
been there in our situation already, thus they have that wisdom that may help us in every decision we make. Besides
as parents they will usually want the best for us.
Friends make life better or a living hell, depending on the influence they give us. We must choose those we associate
ourselves. Remember the saying, Tell me who your friends are, and I tell you who you are.
Experiences are the best teacher. Lai Choo had been mistaken. His father might have been harsh. But still, that anger
was out of love for his daughter, teaching her that it is never right to lie to your parents, and that her behavior is not
right. For those students like Lai Choo, it is never too late to change and be better.
When youre wrong, accept your mistakes, learn from it and move on. Thats how simple it is. Dont let it weigh you
down. You have to always get back up. In life you have to laugh and go with the flow with Mr. Joker. Because thats
life.
- Where there is life, there is hope
- Where there is God, there is Life.
Yours Truly,
BinibiningMagsasaka