Abdul Gafar, servant of forgiving,
born in Kabul 70 years ago,
he picked me up in his yellow cab
and said that he had wanted
to be an economist but when things
got bad in Kabul early eighties
he came to New York
couldn’t be an economist any more
had to support 16
family members who’d fled to Pakistan.
He drove a cab, married an Italian
his English language teacher at Queens College,
had a daughter ( University of Pennsylvania now)
got a divorce for cultural differences
then went to Kabul and brought back a wife.
They live in Fresh Meadows with their
8 year old daughter. He didn’t drive a cab
for 18 months because of the pandemic.
Very tough Abdul said. Most of my passengers
want to talk about politics and how much
they dislike Donald Trump. Once though, a few
years ago, I had a passenger who actually liked him.
You can never predict what people will say.
Ain’t that the truth!
Esther, you simplify and make what is so complicated, so accessible . his story, his life. you challenge the reader's imagination. so many of your words,lines & poems inspire the reader to visit what naps below the obvious in our own lives.-xxx