Of Kings, Taxi Drivers and (Surely) Well-Meaning Thieves

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs.

It was long after
the British were forced out of their toehold in Arabia and about a decade
before the Saudi bombs began to rain down indiscriminately among both sides of Mohammed’s followers. It was around Christmas time and
I remember it was hot. Mind you, in Aden, it’s always hot. We flagged down a
taxi and braced ourselves for the accumulated filth that years of poverty and
unending working hours contribute to the beat up interiors of taxis across
Yemen and indeed across much of the developing world. 

But as soon as we climbed
in, I noticed a difference. 

Not only were the holes in the seat darned and mended with care, but I
could actually distinguish the color of the floor. A bigger surprise however
came when the rather old driver with a kind, wisened face turned to me and asked where we would like to
go in an English that would have made his ex-colonial ruler proud. 

As we spoke,
I found out that the spry old fellow had worked for the English before they were
expelled in the late 1960’s and hadn’t forgotten a word since. As he fondly
reminisced about how much better life had been under British colonial rule, I
couldn’t help but ask if he didn’t prefer living in the current, albeit flawed
democracy. “Democracy!” he spat as we passed what looked to be a nine year old
boy driving an SUV full of women. “Give me a king like they have in Oman or the
Emirates or even our old ruler the Queen of England any day.” 

The
anti-monarchist in me needed to find out why, even if it meant that his driving
got even more erratic as he got more and more excited. “But doesn’t the fact that your
children or perhaps even great-grandchildren could never become head of state
bother you? Don’t you prefer to choose?” I asked, as he swerved around a man
selling a chandelier in the middle of the road. “Kings rob at the beginning of
their rule but as they get comfortable, they let some crumbs fall to the ground
for the common people. These ‘democrats’ however, only get elected for four
years and in their timed greed, steal everything but the kitchen sink and leave nothing behind for
us!” 

I look around at all of the recently elected governments that surround me here in Spain and hope that old man isn’t as wise as he looked.