The Driver

Sometimes, I wonder what it is to be a cab driver or a chauffer. I once said to a boss that I might probably be a cab driver when I migrate to the US. He laughed. He too declared he wants to be a driver when he retires.

Friday I took a leave from work to assist our youngest sister in her wedding preparations. It was the day before her wedding day and she still have to go to some place to check on the outfit of the entourage and the flower baskets, have their picture taken for the guest book, buy other items, attend rehearsals, etc…. I volunteered to be their driver for the day.

We set out early morning to the downtown of Cebu. Traffic was just moderate. Since parking is problem, I dropped off my sister and her husband-to-be at the busy Colon Street (the oldest street in the Philippines). I also dropped off my wife in Manalili Street. She assisted my sister in the preparations. If you’re familiar with Cebu City, these two streets are really the busiest during the day. Good thing there was a vacant parking space towards the end of Manalili Street. It saved me from circling around the busy area.

We were out on the streets whole day, traversing between downtown Cebu, Mandaue City, and back to uptown Cebu. There were times when I felt a stinging pain in my left ankle, the one that got injured a couple of years ago in a badminton tournament. But I just tolerated the pain.

My wife and I planned to have a haircut and probably have our hair dyed, but we never had the chance. Between 9-11pm, we were still looking for a dress my wife would wear for the wedding. We’re glad to have bought a P250 (at 30% discount) purple dress at a night bazaar. We went home very very tired, but quite satisfied we did our job for the day.

Saturday was the big day. The wedding was in the afternoon and my wife still had to purchase flowers and design the headdresses of the bride and the entourage in the morning. As the obedient driver, I drove her to the Carbon Market. Then in the afternoon, my car was used as the bridal car and I was again the driver. I wore an apple green colored polo shirt, brown tie and a purple jacket, which did not in anyway complement their wedding color motif.

I had a little chat with my sister while she was inside the car, waiting for her march. She was really really grateful for her big brother’s help. I just smiled and said, “This is your big day, Sis. Just relax and enjoy it.”

Sunday was a free day for me so I just dozed off in the afternoon. But I felt pain in my lower calf and left ankle. This must now be the after effect of my two days work as a driver. This job ain’t really easy. Now, I want a massage.