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| Last bus to Chiang Mai |
I hate airports. I was nearly in tears and felt sorry for myself. I pressed the phone harder against my ear as I wandered aimlessly. I tried again. It rang once... Twice... And then the phone clicks, a deep voice picks up: "Halloooo?" And just like that, everything felt right again...
I don't really recall what I told my friend and vice versa. I must have ranted and whined, not really knowing how to change my luck. It didn't matter that those few minutes will put a huge dent on my phone bill when I get back home. It didn't really matter that neither of us had any rational solutions at that time. I guess, I just really needed to know that I was not alone in this strange country. That I have someone to run to if things get worse. It felt so damned good to hear his voice. By then, I found myself at the taxi queue determined not to get stuck in Bangkok that night. Trying to conserve what's left of my battery, I told my friend that I will try my luck at the bus station. We didn't know if it was a practical thing to do. It was already late and neither of us knew the bus schedules...
"Mochit bus station, please?" The taxi driver just looked back at me through the mirror. He barely said a word as we whizzed past through the city traffic. "Where you go?", he asked. So I repeated what I said earlier, "Mochit bus station, please." He scratched his head, as he turned to face me. He had this are-you-dumb-or-what-expression on his face. "Where you go with the bus station?!?" Ahhh, it suddenly hit me that he was probably asking about my ultimate destination. "Chiang Mai, I am going to Chiang Mai." He eyed me warily and asked me where I was from. "Manila, Philippines." He breaks into a smile, "Ahhhh, Phiwippines... Manny Pacquiao!" I could not help but smile, if only Manny Pacquiao can save my ass today. He nods, as if I said the right words to say, turned his head back and concentrated on his driving. I started to relax, only to hear him say: "Too late, no more bus in Mochit. I will take you to bus company."
At that very moment, my eyes fluttered to the taxi meter : 243 baht. I eyed him suspiciously as we skirted through dimly lit streets. He did not want to take me to the bus station and I was just too tired to insist. We stopped at a bus terminal and without so much of a word, he yanks my door open and told me to step out. "340 baht", he says. So I handed him the money. He went to the trunk and took out my luggage. "Oki, lady. Let's go buy your ticket to Chiang mai." He hurried past me, all the while dragging my luggage to the ticket counter. My mouth must have been hanging open as I watched him converse with the lady... All I could make out between their conversation were: VIP Bus, Chiang Mai, VIP Bus, Chiang Mai. At that moment, I realized that I was at the mercy of this cab driver. The lady behind the ticket counter looked at me, as if I have something to be ashamed of. "No more bus, you wait tomorrow." My heart began to sink. I glanced at my phone. My battery only had 3% left in it. I could not help but feel as if the whole world was conspiring against me.
The cab driver pushed past me, with my sorry luggage crunching against the stone pavement. "Hurry, we go to another bus company. VIP Bus to Chiang Mai." I wanted to yell at him and shake him violently. I didn't care whether I had to sit on a truck full of elephants. I just wanted to get my arse out of Bangkok. By the time we got to the other bus station, the taxi meter says I owe him yet another 250 baht. I looked at my wallet and mentally hit my head realizing that I only had almost 1500 worth Thailand baht. I had no idea how much the bus ticket would cost, if I even get to one. Helplessly, I took my place at the back seat and prayed to God that there'll be enough baht to cover everything.
"Mochit bus station, please?" The taxi driver just looked back at me through the mirror. He barely said a word as we whizzed past through the city traffic. "Where you go?", he asked. So I repeated what I said earlier, "Mochit bus station, please." He scratched his head, as he turned to face me. He had this are-you-dumb-or-what-expression on his face. "Where you go with the bus station?!?" Ahhh, it suddenly hit me that he was probably asking about my ultimate destination. "Chiang Mai, I am going to Chiang Mai." He eyed me warily and asked me where I was from. "Manila, Philippines." He breaks into a smile, "Ahhhh, Phiwippines... Manny Pacquiao!" I could not help but smile, if only Manny Pacquiao can save my ass today. He nods, as if I said the right words to say, turned his head back and concentrated on his driving. I started to relax, only to hear him say: "Too late, no more bus in Mochit. I will take you to bus company."
At that very moment, my eyes fluttered to the taxi meter : 243 baht. I eyed him suspiciously as we skirted through dimly lit streets. He did not want to take me to the bus station and I was just too tired to insist. We stopped at a bus terminal and without so much of a word, he yanks my door open and told me to step out. "340 baht", he says. So I handed him the money. He went to the trunk and took out my luggage. "Oki, lady. Let's go buy your ticket to Chiang mai." He hurried past me, all the while dragging my luggage to the ticket counter. My mouth must have been hanging open as I watched him converse with the lady... All I could make out between their conversation were: VIP Bus, Chiang Mai, VIP Bus, Chiang Mai. At that moment, I realized that I was at the mercy of this cab driver. The lady behind the ticket counter looked at me, as if I have something to be ashamed of. "No more bus, you wait tomorrow." My heart began to sink. I glanced at my phone. My battery only had 3% left in it. I could not help but feel as if the whole world was conspiring against me.
The cab driver pushed past me, with my sorry luggage crunching against the stone pavement. "Hurry, we go to another bus company. VIP Bus to Chiang Mai." I wanted to yell at him and shake him violently. I didn't care whether I had to sit on a truck full of elephants. I just wanted to get my arse out of Bangkok. By the time we got to the other bus station, the taxi meter says I owe him yet another 250 baht. I looked at my wallet and mentally hit my head realizing that I only had almost 1500 worth Thailand baht. I had no idea how much the bus ticket would cost, if I even get to one. Helplessly, I took my place at the back seat and prayed to God that there'll be enough baht to cover everything.
By the time the cab driver decided to finally drop me off at the bus station, we've already gone to three different bus companies who all told me the same thing: "No more bus to Chiang Mai." Everything was full. At this time around, the cab meter showed that I owed him 300+ additional baht.
I was drained, mentally and physically. I resigned to the possibility that I might have to sleep at the bus station. I dragged my feet out of the cab while the driver rushed to the ticket counter taking with him my luggage. I was mentally throwing imaginary daggers at his back. I was so sure that he scammed me by dropping me off at the bus companies rather than directly at the bus station. I was hungry. It was already nearly 10 pm and I remember that sorry piece of hotdog sandwich I last ate at 11 am that day... "Hurry!!!! There's one more seat at the next bus!!!" I looked up and momentarily stopped throwing imaginary daggers at him. Did I hear him right? I saw him waving happily, motioning for me to go towards the ticket counter.
I was in a daze. I paid for my ticket while the cab driver patiently waited... I turned to him, just grateful that finally I will be able to go to Chiang Mai after all. I fished 400 baht out of my pocket and handed it to him. "No. No. No. You already paid me 340 earlier." "Yes, but I owe you an additional 400 right?"
He smiled and shook his head furiously. "No. No. No. Don't pay. It's my fault because I take you last to the bus station." I wanted to hug him but I didn't want to look weird. Haha. "I say bye bye now. Chiang Mai very far, but beautiful."
I was drained, mentally and physically. I resigned to the possibility that I might have to sleep at the bus station. I dragged my feet out of the cab while the driver rushed to the ticket counter taking with him my luggage. I was mentally throwing imaginary daggers at his back. I was so sure that he scammed me by dropping me off at the bus companies rather than directly at the bus station. I was hungry. It was already nearly 10 pm and I remember that sorry piece of hotdog sandwich I last ate at 11 am that day... "Hurry!!!! There's one more seat at the next bus!!!" I looked up and momentarily stopped throwing imaginary daggers at him. Did I hear him right? I saw him waving happily, motioning for me to go towards the ticket counter.
I was in a daze. I paid for my ticket while the cab driver patiently waited... I turned to him, just grateful that finally I will be able to go to Chiang Mai after all. I fished 400 baht out of my pocket and handed it to him. "No. No. No. You already paid me 340 earlier." "Yes, but I owe you an additional 400 right?"
He smiled and shook his head furiously. "No. No. No. Don't pay. It's my fault because I take you last to the bus station." I wanted to hug him but I didn't want to look weird. Haha. "I say bye bye now. Chiang Mai very far, but beautiful."
My heart was swelling with gratitude. I realized that these random acts of kindness give me hope. I smiled despite my grumbling tummy. Because right there, at that moment, in that busy bus station, I had everything I could ever ask for. To know that right here, somewhere in the busy section of Bangkok, I have a good friend who nonetheless picked up my frantic phone calls and an honest cab driver who went out of his way to help his random passenger...
Maybe, just maybe, the world isn't conspiring against me after all...
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