“Uber for Matthew?”
“Yessir, thanks. I hope you're wrapping up. This blizzard is supposed to start soon and it looks like it's already screwing with flights.”
“Some good Chicago weather for you, Mr. Matthew! Last trip of the night. I’m not too far from your drop-off.”
“That works out then! I was worried I’d need a new flight tomorrow with this snowstorm… Whereabouts you from?
“Well, if my keffiyeh didn’t give it away, not here, at least originally. But I’m living with my brother over by the stadium on Harlem if you're familiar.”
“Nice, very familiar. I worked there for five years.”
“Like for the team? My son loves it. Wants to be a pro when he gets older.”
“Yessir. It was my first job. Real test: Messi or Ronaldo?”
“Big Ronaldo guy.”
“Awkward–I’m a Messi man.”
“I’m following Yemen qualifying closely too right now. My brother and I got to watch this morning. They’re making me proud.”
“I saw they won! Usually instead of scrolling socials, I scroll an app that compiles all the day's results.”
“Yeah, for me it's always about the bombs. It’s nice to see some news that isn’t bombs. Some good, you know? It's crazy; my family is so far from all that, but it's all anyone ever knows.”
“Your family still there?”
“Wife, son, parents…I call them every night and send them my tips. Pretty much if I don't need it to live it goes to them. Just my brother and me stateside. You from here?”
“Yeah. I've spent my whole life in this area. This DC trip was for a quick work trip.”
“Man, I hope you saw our Rep. I’ve been hounding him for six years about my wife's and son's visas. It’s always the same – do this form, do that form, do that one again, over and over. After this fall… who knows… who knows...
“I can’t imagine. Sadly I wasn't near the Capitol, but I can shoot him a note. I'm pretty sure we have the same one then. Can't hurt right? What’s your son’s name?”
“Ahmad. It's the same as my dad’s.”
“What a beautiful name. He’s got a good dad. If you need to call him or anything please go ahead!”
"He's already in bed. I got to say good night before I started driving tonight."
"Ahh duhh. Glad you got to chat with him though!"
“Ahmed is also my name, but Faris gets me fewer ‘cancels’ than Ahmad. Anyway, we’re here. I enjoyed our talk.”
“I did as well. Get home safe, Ahmed – the snow’s picking up... And it really is a beautiful name."
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A/N:
Based on a real Uber ride back in 2016. I often wonder what became of Faris in the past few months.
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About the Creator
Matthew J. Fromm
Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.
Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).
I can be reached at [email protected]
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Comments (12)
Excellent entry to the challenge… enjoyable dialogue.
Love this humanizing dialogue. Fabulous vignette.
This was fun, Matthew! I also love talking with my cab and ride drivers. They know life!
“Immigrants get the job done” Here’s hoping he’s doing well and thriving with his family a lot closer. I’m really liking this challenge man, it’s giving me a new appreciation for dialogue writing. I felt tethered to my tags but I’m trying to branch out a bit more.
Sometimes people just need a listening ear, it helps with the stress, i'm sure the driver felt a bit lighter after your chat. People are scared, life is messed up. kudos.
Very crisp
Faris gets me fewer cancels. Says a huge amount in one line, doesn't it.
Oh I loved the tone and how real it felt
Great story Matthew. I liked how it shed light on some very real social issues affecting us today. Well done
Nice! I got a good sense of who Faris/Ahmad is. I wanted the conversation to keep going. Damn word limit! So thanks for the author’s note.
Well done, Matthew. I've been considering one based on a true personal story, too. The word certainly makes it challenging.
This is based on a true story! It was difficult to abridge it down so there may be an unabridged version in the future.