This is a story; a TRUE story about my father and me in Calgary.
We don't get out much anymore, even though we are from a big city.
We live in a little city now. Very white. Very quiet. Not much ethnicity goin on around here.
We arrived at Calgary Airport mid-morning and immediatly hailed a cab.
The driver was a nice-looking man in his 40's or so with an accent that I could not quite place. He was quite chatty; telling us that Canada was in for big trouble in the future and we would see war in our lifetimes over water. My dad raised his eyebrows and then the driver said: "Don't you read your bible? You know what is coming. It is the end of the world, my friend. And we are living in it."
Now this of course is Dad's forte, being the son of a Preacher-man, he can talk apocolyse with the best of 'em. I on the other hand was not real interested in such a heavy topic in a cab so I asked the driver:
"What country are you originally from? I am trying to place your accent but I can't."
He laughed.
"LOOK AT ME. Where do you think I am from?"
I hate those kind of games. I am really bad at guessing.
"Come on", he said, "Guess."
I looked at him. He was darker than caucasian but not much.
He could be Mediterrean, he could be Jewish, he could by Egyptian....
I dont know....
"Come on," he insisted, "Guess!"
Dad asked him if he was from Africa.
"YES! Smart man!"
We guessed Nambia, South Africa, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Sudan....
finally he said: "Here is a hint. It is near the horn."
Dad, the old salt immediatly said: "Aha Ethiopia!"
They congratulated each other and then, it happened.
Dad looked him in the eye and said:
"SO what church do you attend?"
The driver smiled.
"I am Moslem. Have you heard of us?"
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Now this would be a good story even if it stopped there.
But it did not.
My dad then said:
"Are you going to chop our heads off now?"
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Yup.
That's my dad!
Bless him for his honesty and saying what everyone else is thinking.
I am thankful we had such a good-hearted driver.
His name was Massan.
Bless you Massan.
