Uber

My name's Derek, and I needed to express this tale of mine.

Being a college student isn't all fun and games. My books and rent cost me so much that life was beginning to get shit. I'd stopped with the drinking and partying two weeks before and I'd started driving people to and from their destinations for a bit of extra cash.

The uber app was great and I hadn't had any real problems with anybody yet.

It was about my 7th fare that made a real memory with me. I was called to collect a girl by the name of Emily from a bar called Saints. It wasn't far for me to go, and it wasn't far to get to where she wanted to go. There was no reason for me not to collect her.

When I got to the destination, it was obvious the girl was drunk. I was ready to continue on and act as though I hadn't seen her, but something held me back and I waited for her to climb in while mentally thinking about handing over more money for a cleaning bill.

She slipped into the car with a smile on her face, and asked if we could drive around for ten minutes with the windows open. Her voice was angelic and soft. Her words polite.

I did as she asked and prepared myself for an onslaught of sickness. It didn't happen. She gently slid her hand out of the window and did that airplane thing, allowing the cool air to brush against her skin.

"Have you ever thought about dying?" She asked. I answered her truthfully. Drunk people talk about alsorts of stuff. Some things depressing, some things strange.

"Sure I have." I said.

"I have cancer." She said. Again with a smile. "Chemo isn't going to work anymore. It's too late. So I'm dying. But it's OK."

My heart thumped in my chest and I didn't have a response that could help her. How would I help her?

"I went out with the girls from work tonight. They threw me a going away party." Her hand continued to fly through the night air as she raised it then lowered it. "I told them I was going to be taking a position with a place abroad.

Just never told them that place was heaven."

My heart broke.

I took her home and tried to refuse her money. She wouldn't have it. She still smiled.

I cried all the way home.