Chapter 48 Taxi Driver

The flight landed at JFK Kennedy Airport, and Ronald was a little confused. This is the first time I've flown, and now I don't know how to get home from the airport. I can't find the Airport Express to Manhattan anywhere.

I asked at the airport information desk and found out that if I want to go to Manhattan, there are only two options: taxi and rental car. New Yorkers have been asking for a fast line to the airport like the one in Los Angeles for a long time, but the city government hasn't started building it yet due to financial constraints.

In fact, most passengers are picked up by someone.

After taking the first flight of my life, it seems like I will also take the first taxi of my life. Change to Manhattan and take the ferry home.

I found a payphone and called Aunt Karen to tell her I was flying back. Aunt Karen was surprised, smiled, and said she would prepare a delicious meal for me in the evening.

At the taxi stand outside the airport, no one maintained order. As soon as an empty taxi arrived, all the people waiting for a taxi rushed in. Others waved 10-yuan bills in their hands.

This was the first time Ronald had seen this situation, and he didn't know how to fight someone for a taxi. He looked left and right and found a taxi parked in front of him, unbothered.

He rushed forward: "Are you going to Manhattan Island, sir?"

The driver was a middle-aged man with a big forehead and hair carefully combed back. He was reading a newspaper, a daily variety show that few people watched in New York.

Perhaps because his train of thought was interrupted, he pointed upwards impatiently.

Ronald followed his gesture, and on the yellow taxi, two words lit up on either side of the roof lights: "OFF" and "DUTY."

Off Duty means out of service, right? Ronald felt a bit embarrassed and didn't know what to say. No wonder this taxi was parked here, and no one bothered it.

"I'm sorry, sir."

The big-headed driver put down the daily variety show and looked at Ronald: he was actually a young man, looking like he had just graduated from high school.

"Where are your parents? Why didn't they come to the airport to pick you up?"

"Sir, are you talking to me? My parents... couldn't come to pick me up. Unfortunately, they passed away a few years ago," Ronald replied.

"Oh, poor girl." The driver of Bianmenmen was very understanding. "Under normal circumstances, I would take you back, girl, but not today. Today I'm here to pick up my daughter. She just returned from London."

"It's nothing. Thank you for your kindness," Ronald said, "This is the first time I'm taking a taxi. I don't know how to get one. Do I have to call the taxi company to make a reservation?"

"Actually, it's not necessary. We just arrived on three flights, and now there are more people asking for cars. If you're not in a hurry, wait 10 minutes, and there will be an empty car. Otherwise, you can pay 10 dollars and signal the driver to increase the fare. They will also park next to you."

"Then I'd better wait." Although he wanted to go home early, after all, 10 dollars is 10 dollars, Ronald shook his head.

"Kid, what are you doing in New York?" The big-brained driver flipped through the newspaper several times and couldn't find any updated news, so he talked to Ronald and tried to chat.

"In short, I got into New York University and came to school."

"There are still several months left for the fall semester, right? Why are you here so early?"

"Actually, my aunt's house is in Staten Island. I went to Los Angeles to earn the tuition. I came back when I earned enough."

The driver was interested and continued asking, "You earn the tuition in Los Angeles? Where do you work? How can you earn a year's tuition at a private university in a few months?"

"I'm a portrait photographer who works on a small production team in Hollywood and takes photos of auditions for new actors."

"Wow, it's rare to see such a young photographer. Which team did you work for?"

"It's a small production, 'Rock and Roll High School' by Roger Corman."

"Aha, I know, I know. Roger Corman, 'Invaders' that he made more than 10 years ago was very good. Everyone in the New York film circle loved that movie," said the Brain Gate driver.

"So you're a movie fan? You should know if you read the New York Star or the Daily Variety Show," Ronald thought to himself.

"Hey, don't look at me just because I drive a taxi. I'm also a connoisseur." Seeing that Ronald didn't believe him, the driver simply turned around and pulled out a bag containing his business card and some photos.

"Actually, I'm an acting coach. Back then, I taught an acting training class with John Cassavetes, specializing in the method of teaching acting."

"This is a photo of me and my students in the training class. Look, you know some of them. They all became famous actors later."

"Well, I really don't know anyone…" Ronald felt a bit embarrassed.

**Fortunately, the big-brained driver didn't stop at this point: "If you want to be famous in this industry, you must study acting skills. To study acting skills, you need to watch more classic movies. Have you seen any movies recently?"**

"Yesterday, I watched 'Love on Sunset Bridge.'"

"Oh, what did you see? How are the acting skills of the heroine?" The driver said, "I want to test you."

"So good that Sir Laurence Olivier called her the new Grace Kelly."

The driver smiled happily, "No, I'm asking what you think. Of course, I know Laurence's evaluation."

"I think her acting is very natural. This is how a teenager should look." Ronald was thinking of his cousin Donna. The heroine of the movie played the character of his cousin.

"Forget it, I don't think you have a talent for acting." Bao Menmen saw that Ronald couldn't analyze her acting skills. He felt a little disappointed and stopped communicating with him about film art.

Ronald thanked him and then walked to the taxi waiting point with his bag. The crowd gradually thinned out, and he was able to take a taxi.

"If you can take photos of the audition, you can try the casting studio on East 31st Street. They have a large number of actor files that need to be updated every year. They might be able to give you a business opportunity."

The Brain Gate driver shouted to him from behind.

"East 31st Street, Casting Studio." Ronald turned around, took out his notebook, and wrote down, "What is the name of this casting studio?"

"Are there other casting studios in New York that you can recommend?" Big Brain waved his hand, a bit disdainful of Ronald for knowing so little about the industry that he wasn't as good as him.

"Thank you, sir."

Ronald thanked him anyway and signaled for a yellow taxi.

Maybe you should try this casting studio. If you can have a long-term partner, you can have a regular income.

"Go to the Whitehall ferry terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan," Ronald told the driver.

He pressed the taximeter, and the yellow taxi moved forward.

As they passed by, he saw a little girl with long hair shouting, "Daddy, daddy..." and throwing herself into his arms.

Ronald smiled. He was going home soon and would see his family.

At the Whitehall dock at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, Ronald dropped a quarter into the fare box and boarded the big yellow ferry.

There were many secretaries working on Wall Street on the boat, most of whom smoked heavily and began to smoke on the boat. They couldn't afford to rent a house in Manhattan, so they settled in Staten Island and took the ferry to leave work every day.

When we arrived in Staten Island, we transferred to the railway at St. George's Pier and took the train to Tottenville, the southernmost terminal. It was already nighttime.

Ronald carried his luggage and walked back to the community where his house was located. From a distance, he only saw a dim light on, which was the entryway of his home.

Ronald stood on the steps and sniffed the familiar smell of the wooden railings and the acrylic carpets. He raised his hand and knocked on the door three times.

The door opened immediately, and a 13-year-old girl ran toward him with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck: "Ronnie, Ronnie, you're back! I knew it was you when I heard the knock at the door."

It was cousin Donna. Ronald happily hugged Donna and spun her around twice. After setting her down, he looked at the woman behind her, dressed in a hand-knit sweater and jeans, with short hair and a happy smile; it was Aunt Karen.

"Come here, kid, give your aunt a hug." Aunt Karen hugged him warmly. After not seeing him for more than half a year, Aunt Karen looked a little tired, but fortunately, she was in a good mood.

Aunt Karen prepared black pepper macaroni and cheese, fried pork chops, and scrambled eggs. After Ronald had a feast, his aunt asked Donna to bring him black tea, and she and Ronald talked about their experiences over the past six months.

After a long absence, they reunited and talked about their experiences in Los Angeles. Aunt Karen and Donna were amazed. When they learned that Ronald had joined the film crew, Donna even said she wanted to see the movie he made.

An hour later, Donna went to bed in the back bedroom, and Ronald continued chatting with his aunt in the front living room.

"I earned it by taking audition photos in Los Angeles." Ronald took out a cashier's check for two thousand dollars and handed it to Aunt Karen. "Nowadays, loan interest rates are high, so I just need to settle more mortgage loans."

Aunt Karen stared at the two thousand dollars in a daze for a while and looked at Ronald with a somewhat incredible look.

"Along with what I sent you last time, I've only given you a fifth. Because I need to rent an apartment for school and there are some expenses. I plan to continue with the portrait photography business in New York. If the business goes well, I can pay off the house in about two years. Mortgage loans."

Aunt Karen bought this house with a pension from her Uncle Steve. The VA has a set of programs to help widows of veterans buy their own homes and pay for their children's education.

However, since the previous president abandoned the gold standard in 1971, inflation has begun to erode the assets of the middle and lower classes in the United States. The originally lenient payment plan has become increasingly strict, and the tips Aunt Karen received in restaurants were always behind inflation.

Along with Ronald's arrival, Aunt Karen's financial situation immediately became complicated. She had requested mortgage payment deferrals twice.

The 2,000 dollars Ronald provided could greatly alleviate the difficulties.

Aunt Karen hugged Ronald again and let out a sigh of relief. She then asked about the sudden change of plans and the flight home. Aunt Karen listened for a while and then took Ronald to bathe and go to bed.

This house is an old construction called a shotgun house, named because the entire house is long and shotgun-shaped.

The front door opens into the living room and the bathroom. The living room connects the two bedrooms, one small and one large, and the kitchen is at the back. To enter the next room, you have to pass through the previous one.

Ronald occupied the smaller first bedroom, and the larger back bedroom belonged to Aunt Karen and Donna.

Some people also say that the reason it is called a shotgun house is that if a shot is fired at the door, the bullet can go through all the doors and exit through the kitchen door. Ronald thinks this claim is more interesting and more true.

After showering and changing clothes, Ronald entered the small bedroom. Ronald saw the large bedroom at the back, with a light shining under the door.

It was Aunt Karen, repairing holes in the canvas bag.

End of chapter