In this crazy world, we are sometimes forced to make turns off of the path we should follow, it is those that get back upon their proper path who find their destination in life faster. This is a story about Jackson Collins, a man who has made many turns from his planned path, and has found himself lost for most of his stressed life. Follow him now as a strange twist of fate, and one missed turn, sends him into...the Twilight Zone
A Nightmare Fare
He was twenty dollars short of making the quota his strict owner demanded for the shift, however, Jackson knows he has to reach a different quota. Running low on necessities at home, the desperate cabbie is hoping for one good fare to end his night. A troubled life has led him here, but now as a husband and proud father of a three month old daughter, Jackson looks forward to a new future, happily moonlighting as a taxi driver to support them.
Suddenly the smell of rain becomes strong, and the thirty-something man quickly rolls up his window, just as the first drops splash upon his windshield.
"Shit!" He says to himself, as the rain beats a steady rhythm on the car's roof. Jackson was tired to start with, but now he can feel his pulse slow with the calming sound of rain drops hitting the metal roof of his car.
"I gotta stay awake!" He says aloud, slapping himself across the face. However, after working an eight hour shift at his other job, the sleep-deprived driver begins to nod off behind the wheel of his parked car.
Visions of his little girl and wife, the women that changed his life, fill the drifting mind of an exhausted husband and father, and soon there after, Jackson is snoring. The voices of chatter on the cab radio now blend into his dream, fading to echoes in the background.
"109...109..." a crackling voice echoes, but Jackson's tired brain cannot process why this number is being called out.
"ONE ZERO NINE...CAN YOU HEAR ME!"
Still the tired man does not wake up.
TAP...TAP...TAP
Jackson jumps at the sound of a diamond ring being struck against his passenger window, and his eyes quickly open, focusing on the young man waiting for a ride.
"Are you free?" The man questions through the closed window, tapping again to get the driver to let him in out of the rain.
"Yes...I'm sorry..." Jackson replies, hastily pressing the unlock button on his door, then yawning something fierce before continuing. "...it's been a long day...Where are you going?"
"I need to get to the city!" The young man replies, and Jackson's eyes light up with the big fare he was hoping to make his quota.
A shot of adrenaline gets his motor running, and with a quick turn of the key, Jackson's car comes to life as well. So excited is the new father, that he never calls in his pick-up to the city. Only the thought of collecting enough for his bills and getting home to his family, is all he can think of.
Jackson puts his car in gear, rolling out into traffic, and quickly heads for the highway. However, knowing he is still a few hours from getting home, Jackson begins to chat up his passenger, making sure he stays awake for the trip.
"Crazy weather, huh!" The cabbie remarks, as the rain now pours from the night sky above, and the young man in the backseat returns in the simple conversation.
"Yeah...but it's good for you..." He replies, shaking some of the moisture from his pants and jacket. "...I didn't want to wait for a train in this shit!"
Jackson laughs from the gentleman's bluntness, and both quickly continue a simple conversation, asking purposeful questions to understand one another better.
It takes about two miles before Jackson realizes the man in the backseat is a SAFE fare, and his tension relaxes further. He has been doing this job for a few months, and has already come to the conclusion that understanding the people in the back, and making good conversation, is how to stay alive...and make money.
Sports is the first topic Jackson starts with, knowing the amount of local teams in this area, and quickly his passenger spits out the name of his favorite team's cross town rival. The two immediately start bickering, in good humor, about many different styles the managers have taken this year, and both snicker as they one up each other with stats and awards.
The conversation remains a good one, and the cabbie smiles to his passenger, knowing he is enjoying himself by way of body language.
"Name's Jackson!" The driver calls out, realizing he had yet to mention that, and his passenger reaches his hand forward over the seat.
"I'm Mike!" He replies, and Jackson removes his hand from the wheel to properly greet the kind man.
"Nice to meet you, sir...and let me just say thanks, right now!" Jackson remarks, making his fare balk slightly as he sits back in his seat.
"Thanks for what?" He questions with a puzzled look "I should be thanking you for getting me home safe...and DRY!"
Jackson laughs again, but shows the man in his back seat a genuine set of eyes, via the rear-view mirror, then gives his reasoning.
"I can go home and see my baby now..." Jackson replies with a slight smile, holding back some emotion in his voice. His eyes refocus back to the road, and the happy cab driver adds on a quick stipulation.
"...of course...after I drop you off that is!"
The man in the backseat laughs, and returns a sincere gaze into the mirror for his driver to see.
"How old is your..."
The man pauses, realizing he has no clue of the baby's gender, but Jackson is fast to answer the question anyway.
"My beautiful daughter will be three months old tomorrow..." he says proudly, then answers the man's next question before it's asked. "...her name is Isabella, and I can't remember what my shitty life was like before her...thankfully!"
"I know the feeling..." Mike replies, showing the same contagious smile that being a father brings. "...I have a boy and a new baby girl...Mike Jr who's four, and...Isabella...she just turned one!"
Jackson's eyes light up hearing the same name as his baby girl, and he shows a wide smile to his fare in the mirror once more.
"That's a beautiful name..." Jackson says with deep emotion, showing a proud look to his passenger, however a tear begins to develop in Mike's eye.
"...are you OK?"
Mike looks up at his driver, and smiles, rubbing the moisture from his face.
"It was my mother's name!" He somberly states, and Jackson sighs hearing him use a past tense.
"I'm sorry!" He says, looking back to the road to see nothing in his way, before returning his eyes to the mirror and focusing his attention for a few moments on Mike.
"I know that pain all too well." Jackson says with the same broken emotion of losing that special bond. Mike grins, hearing the pain in Jackson's voice that matches his own, understanding he has felt the same misery.
"It sucks, doesn't it?" His fare replies, and Jackson just nods returning his eyes to the road.
Several miles goes by without another word, as a moment of reflection is made by both occupants of the car. Mike stares out the window watching the world zip by at seventy miles an hour, and suddenly chuckles recalling a singular moment of joy.
"She at least got a chance to see her granddaughter!"
A smile fills Jackson's face, but a tear rolls down his cheek, and Mike notices from the back seat that he may have said the wrong thing.
"Oh my...I'm sorry!" The young businessman states, not knowing about his driver's past, and truly believing he poured salt in an open wound
"When did your Mom pass?" He asks with a heavy heart, and quickly watches his driver slump a little further in his seat. Jackson stares into his rear-view, locking eyes with his fare, and trying hard to hold back his emotions.
"Five years ago..."
"Damn Jackson..." Mike says, his eyes opening with embarrassment...and pain.
"...I didn't mean to say that!"
The cab driver nods his head, and shows a very difficult smile.
"Think nothing of it my friend..." He says, trying to hold back emotions, but Jackson can see Mike react to the cracking of his voice. His fare sits in silence for a moment, feeling a bit of butterflies in his stomach.
"...seriously Mike..." Jackson continues, getting his attention, and showing Mike a solid pair of eyes through the rear-view mirror.
"...I know my mom can see her now..." The driver continues, looking back at the road before returning his face to the mirror, and showing Mike a very wide smile. "...and that is more then she would have been able to do, when she was alive!"
The businessman gives Jackson a puzzled stare, and the clever driver looks back to the road.
"My mom was blind from birth..." Jackson remarks sarcastically, then shows his smile again in the mirror. "...she wouldn't have seen my baby girl anyway!"
Mike pauses for a second, then takes his cue from the driver as he begins to laugh.
Jackson takes a breath, as his passenger settles back into his seat, smiling into the rear-view to show his approval in ending a rather painful subject with dry humor.
"So...how long have you been doing this job?" Mike asks, breaking from the other conversation, and starting over. Jackson quickly smiles, hearing he has not lost his fare's attention, responding with a simple.
"Three months."
Mike nods his head, and stares down at his gold watch.
"Do you work every night?"
"NO...which is good and bad..." Jackson says, looking back to show his disdain for a second job that doesn't help enough.
"...I got three days a week, which stinks, but it's only cause there are no cars open on the other four days, or I would work more..." Jackson says, showing a look of hopelessness in his eyes, before returning them to the road. "...however, I got four nights to spend with my family, and I cherish every second."
His eyes stay focused on the highway, but the smile that fills his face is all Mike needs to appreciate Jackson's new outlook on life.
"Well...that's bad for me then too!" Mike remarks, and Jackson returns his eyes to the mirror showing a puzzled expression himself.
"I actually need a new driver to take me to the city every night, and was hoping you could do it!" Mike says with a smile, then looks down at his gold watch again. "You're making great time...and you're not a complete moron, so the ride would never be boring!"
Jackson's eyes pop open, and he turns to look his fare in the eye.
"Are you serious?" He asks with deep shock in his voice. "You want me to drive you to the city every night...in hunk of junk taxi cab!"
Mike laughs, then looks around at the ripped interior of a very stressed car.
"NO...of course not..." He replies, leaning forward to tear off the small piece of vinyl hanging from the head-rest, and handing it to Jackson. "...you would dive MY car!"
Again, the driver's eyes open wide, and his heart skips a beat.
"You're not joking are you?" Jackson asks, not believing something so good could happen in his shitty life, until a vision of his wife and daughter suddenly fills his mind.
"You have a wife and a little girl to support..." Mike says calmly, and Jackson stares into the rear-view, hearing his own thoughts repeated to him by a complete stranger.
"...I just need a reliable driver to get me home to my family..." Mike's demeanor changes in a breath as he continues, looking to his right and seeing his penthouse from across the Hudson River. "...and make sure they get around the city safely!"
Jackson pauses for a second, staring towards the city on his right, and admiring the Skyline he would see everyday if he said yes.
"I can't just leave my other job Mike..." The driver says with a depressed voice, then looks into the mirror with a concerned stare, as Mike is still showing an angered face. "...I don't know how much you could pay me, and I can't risk leaving behind the little I make!"
Mike suddenly leans forward in his seat, never taking his eyes from Jackson's.
"I paid my last driver fifteen hundred a week..." He says nonchalantly, then sits back in his seat with an even more angered demeanor. "...and he fucked it up by getting behind the wheel of MY car...drunk!"
"Holy shit!" Jackson remarks, slightly swerving the cab from its lane, then returning his attention to the road.
"Are you drunk?" Mike remarks sarcastically, placing his arm against the door to brace himself from the sudden correction Jackson makes, then giving a quick laugh as his steady driver places the car back in its lane
"I'm sorry Mike!" The cabbie remarks, startled at his own lack of concentration. However, seeing the smile on his passenger's face, Jackson returns his thoughts to what he heard last.
"He drove your car while he was drunk?" The professional driver barks, showing his passenger disdain for such actions of disrespect. "What an asshole...Did he hit anything?"
"NO...Thank god!" Mike replies, staring out towards Manhattan again, and recalling the memory still three days fresh in his mind.
"However, my wife didn't appreciate him driving our children and herself recklessly down Park Ave. Tuesday..." Mike's voice fills with anger again, and his eyes show rage as they return to the reflection of his driver in the rear-view.
"...and I showed him my disapproval with seven stitches over his left eye!"
Jackson smiles as Mike flexes his right fist, and rubs his slightly swollen knuckles.
"Only seven stitches..." The driver replies, returning his eye to the road, and filling his voice with the same rage. "...He's lucky...I would have killed him!"
Mike snickers from the back seat, then looks out towards the city once more.
"I'm a lawyer Jackson, and a damn good one at that..." He says smugly, then takes a deep cleansing breath. "...but if I learned one thing after seven years of law school...it's still illegal to kill someone...even if you have a really good reason to do it!"
Mike suddenly chuckles, then looks at his driver in the mirror again.
"However...I would have needed a lawyer if my wife didn't stop me!"
"I heard that! Thank God for the wives..." Jackson replies, showing an understanding grin, recalling instances where his wife stopped him from doing something stupid. "...I'd be long dead without my Jessica!"
Mike nods his head, then sits back in his seat, still awaiting an answer to his question.
"So...what do you say?" He asks, and Jackson already knows what he is hinting toward, but Mike drops the question once again to make it official.
"Can you work for me Jackson? I really like your company, and I think my wife and children would be safe with a guy that has his own family to think about as well."
A boost of pride is felt inside the young father, and his wife's eyes suddenly appear before him, showing that look of support that took his heart two years ago.
"I would be a fool to turn down a job that paid more then the other two I have combined..." Jackson says, and Mike shows a smile, cutting in with words of 'encouragement'.
"Then don't be a FOOL!"
The cab driver chuckles, then stares hard out the windshield while making a very easy decision.
"...my momma didn't raise one..." He says quickly, then returns a set of approving eyes to his new boss.
"...I accept!"
Mike shows his approval, and a deep relaxing breath is given by the young businessman, knowing he has successfully accomplished a very important task.
Another conversation soon begins, as logistics are discussed in the sudden hiring of a new employee. The snappy dressed lawyer, already knowing the schedule needed, gives Jackson a break down of his simple tasks, and the young cab driver nods with every request.
"Is that all I need to do for you to pay me fifteen hundred dollars a week?" Jackson remarks, after ten minutes of stipulations, none of which conflict with what he would be willing to do for that amount of money. "...and you want me to take YOUR car home at night too!"
Mike again laughs, seeing his drivers reaction, but knows this rate is actually low for someone living within the city's higher costs. A simple nod of his head keeps the shocked look upon Jackson's face, so Mike explains himself.
"Believe it or not...I find it cheaper to have someone take the car, then pay for parking it in the city!" Mike says rolling his eyes, and pointing at a sign that shows parking rates for the day near his home.
"I live in lower Manhattan, Jackson...it's like five hundred bucks a week just to have the car sit in a dirty garage that I don't trust..." He says, looking back to his driver in the rear-view, and showing a dead seriousness in his eyes. "...I justify the other thousand I'd pay you as peace of mind, knowing my car will be safer in New Jersey!"
Jackson chuckles, hearing the simple logic, and knowing a car would be safer in his suburban driveway.
"So when do I start?" Jackson asks, wrapping up the conversation with one final question, and Mike looks down at the floor of the cab.
"Monday if possible..." He says, but Jackson suddenly shows a look of concern.
"...however...that doesn't appear possible for you!"
Jackson shows his worried eyes, hoping he's not jeopardizing a new job, with loyalty to his old one.
"I have no problem handing over the keys to this cab, and walking out on my boss here..." Jackson says confidently, then takes a deep breath. "...but my best friend gave me my other job, and I would be letting him down if I just walked out without giving some notice."
"However..." Jackson quickly follows, feeling his pulse increase with worry. "...for the next week or two, I could still pick you up after 3:00 PM...when I get off!"
Mike can hear the fear in his driver's voice, and quickly he shows a smile, as loyalty is very important to him as well.
"I completely understand..." The young lawyer replies, placing a hand upon Jackson's shoulder, and giving him a solid grasp. "...and I can already tell I did not make a mistake in offering you this job!"
Mike can feel his driver's muscles relax, as the last nail is hammered into a new friendship, and he returns to a resting position in the back seat, looking at Jackson with a smile.
"However...Can you come back up to the city tomorrow?" He asks with an unsure voice, knowing it is Saturday, and hoping his driver is not at his other job, for one simple request.
"I would like you to meet my family, and possibly take them to do a bit of running around."
Jackson is startled for a moment, hearing this request, and he looks down for a second to think.
"NO...huh!" Mike says, seeing his driver slouch, however, Jackson's eyes are quick to the rear-view.
"I could be here around noon...if that's OK!" The driver replies, knowing he has to help his wife with their little girl, before trekking out on his only day off. However, Jackson is sure she will not be upset by his reasoning.
Mike's smile is enough to say yes, but he happily voices his approval. The young lawyer finally relaxes himself, as his last worry is removed.
"Thank God for that sudden rain storm..." Mike remarks with a deep cleansing breath. "...fate is funny sometimes!"
Jackson nods his head in complete agreement, as he has seen his life influenced by dumb luck over the years, and for once, is reaping the rewards.
After a few more minutes of silence, as both men have tired themselves from talking, Jackson pulls up to the large apartment building Mike calls his home.
"Well I'm here safely..." Mike says, handing over several folded bills, and placing his other hand upon Jackson's shoulder. "...now you get home safe, and I will see you tomorrow, my friend!"
Mike quickly gets out, and closes the door before Jackson can look in his hand, knowing he will not accept what was given, and a smile fills his face as the driver yells from his opening window.
"MIKE...I can't take this...!" He barks after counting the seventh hundred dollar bill, and showing his new boss a set of humbled eyes. "...I would feel horrible to take this for one ride to the city!"
Mike stops, and turns around, walking back to the car with a wide grin on his face.
"I paying for tomorrow too..." He says matter of factually, than taps the top of the car. "...now get home, and give your wife and kid a hug...with THAT smile on your face!"
Jackson places the large amount of cash in his pocket and shows Mike the very same grin he will be showing his wife in an hour.
"That shouldn't be a problem!" Jackson replies, with a wealth of emotions in his words, and the young lawyer smiles.
"Good night, Jackson!" Mike remarks, turning back to walk into his home, and the happy cabbie returns the gesture.
"Good Night, Mike...and THANK YOU!"
A simple wave is made by the young lawyer, as the door to the apartment building closes behind him, and Jackson slowly drives off.
"Oh my god!" He says to himself, floating towards the Holland Tunnel on a cloud, placing his hand into his right pocket, and feeling the folded clip of new hundred-dollar bills again.
"Did that really just happen?"
Jackson, with his hand on the money, and his heart racing at a mile a minute, loses his focus for a moment, and passes the turn he needed for a quick exit of the city.
"Shit!" He barks, seeing the tunnel entrance in the corner of his eye, and realizing his mistake two seconds to late.
"Good job stupid..." He says to himself, looking at the clock on his dashboard. "...you just added another five minutes to this long drive home!"
Jackson maneuvers his taxi to make the three right turns needed to back track in the city, and as he does, the traffic light in front of him turns red. The now angered driver slams his hands upon the steering wheel.
"MAKE THAT TEN MINUTES!"
The young cabbie, knowing he has a moment to sit, turns to his right, fumbling around in the bag he brought along, and pulling out a CD to put in the radio. His eyes are focused on the label, but he can still see the glaring red color of an annoying traffic light reflecting off the disk.
However, A smile fills his face for a second, as this light illuminates the CD for him to read, and suddenly his new boss' voice echoes in his head.
"Fate is funny sometimes..." He says to himself, placing the disk into its proper slot, and noticing the other traffic is now getting a yellow light.
"...and perfect timing too!"
Suddenly a loud bang startles Jackson, and his nerves are broken as the driver's window of his car shatters.
"What the..." He yelps with surprise, then suddenly feels the shooting agony of a heart attack.
Jackson places his hand upon his chest in reaction to the pain, and is shocked even further as he can feel moisture. The young driver looks down, as the traffic light turns green, highlighting the red liquid pouring from his chest.
"OH MY GOD!" He barks, knowing it is blood, and feeling the excruciating pain coming from this unexplained injury. Jackson turns his head towards the broken window, and shock fills his eyes, as the barrel of gun is now only inches from him.
Suddenly, an incredible noise rings in Jackson's ears again...then nothing. A flash of white light makes him jump, but his actions quickly halt, feeling another bullet slamming into his chest.
"NO!" He tries to scream, but not a sound comes from his damaged lungs, as the mugger reaches into his car through the broken window.
The large fold of bills is found quickly, and ripped from his pocket, as Jackson continues to gasp for air...which does not come. Suddenly his vision begins to blur, as more tears pour from his eyes, watching the new future he had, being taken from him in a flash.
"Jessica!" He barks out, startling the youngster rummaging through his cab, and he quickly backs out of the window. The hooded individual can hear the driver take a painful inhale, possibly getting ready to yell again, and fires once more, taking Jackson's breath for the last time.
The driver slumps back into his seat, staring at the youngster that took everything from him, as he runs away in a panic.
"Jackson..."
The cabbie can hear his wife calling his name, and a vision fills his fading mind, seeing a special moment in the past...the day he met her. Their courtship play out in seconds, fast forwarding from highlight to highlight, until finally professing his vows before God.
"JACKSON..."
Her voice is louder, as the moment she woke him with labor pains replays, and the frantic rush that followed getting her to the hospital. Time suddenly stops in his head, as this fast forwarding holds with the first sight of his daughter, and recalls how his world stopped at that moment as well.
His voice is soft and broken, as his pain-filled lungs no longer function, and he uses his last breath to call out his daughter's name, with an unforgivable apology.
"Isabella...I'm sorry for leaving you..."
"JACKSON!"
The young cabbie jumps at the sound of a man's voice, and his senses are startled, as he grabs the steering wheel of his parked car.
"DAMN DUDE...WAKE UP!"
Jackson cannot believe his eyes, seeing the taxi dispatcher standing in the rain outside his car at the train station, and realizing the whole thing was just a dream...or a nightmare.
He wipes the sweat poring from his forehead, and removes the keys from the ignition, before opening his car door. The dispatcher gives him a very concerned look, seeing the amount of stress written on his face.
"Are you OK, Jackson?"
"I quit!" He replies, standing up, and handing over the keys to his taxi "I'm not leaving my wife and daughter like that...NEVER!"
The dispatcher is familiar with the look in this new driver's face, for he has seen it in his own reflection many times before.
"Your mind can play some serious games when you just sit around..." The older gentleman remarks, taking his cue to try and help a younger father from making a mistake. "...trust me Jackson...I know!"
"I just..." The driver stammers, then looks down at the ground, watching the rain pool at his feet, before returning his eyes to his only friend in the company.
"...I just can't John..." He says, still feeling the tingling sensation in his chest, and the disappointment of his fear. "...I'm terrified!"
"OK Jackson...I understand..." He replies, taking the keys, and placing a gentle hand on the frazzled driver's shoulder. "...I know...I have had some odd dreams myself...sitting in this train station, but it was only a dream, and you have a wife and daughter to support."
Jackson gives the dispatcher a humbled stare, knowing he has a lot of bills, and also that the great offer he received, was also just a dream.
"Maybe I'll take that moment...I can't just leave" Jackson replies, allowing himself to settle down, before making an irrational decision.
"Take your time, my friend..." The dispatcher replies, tossing the keys back to the young father, and returning to his little booth by the station platform. "...it's a slow night, and I have nothing going on anyway!"
"Well that's good for me..." A voice barks out from the foreground, and both men turn their attention towards the tall figure walking towards them.
Jackson's eyes suddenly open wide, seeing a well-dressed man looking down at his gold watch, then showing the smile he saw several times in his rear-view mirror.
"...I need to get to the city...and I don't want to wait for a train in this shit!" He continues with a familiar voice that startles the cab driver's memories, hearing the exact words said to him before.
"There you go Jackson...the trip you were dreaming about..." John barks out, then shows his driver a very creepy set of eyes. The cabbie drops his keys, hearing the tone of his dispatcher's voice, almost like he was watching his Nightmare play out in a movie. However, his next line sends a cold chill down Jackson's spine
"...but this time, don't miss your turn into the tunnel!"
The turns in life we make will always determine the path we take...corny but true.
As Jackson found out, sometimes not making that turn is how you end up at the wrong destination...inside the Twilight Zone!
Thank you for reading, and Please Review.