"Chucky"

by Ronald Jabal


Everytime I travel - even if I am merely travelling locally - I make it a point to dress up - to the hilt!

I would always tag along my suit or jacket just in case some unannounced occasion calls for it. If there is none, I normally wears it everytime I ride a plane.

One day not too long ago, I was down south, I wore a perfectly ironed, crisp navy blue suit, mighty-fine shoes and the usual dark eye glasses. Move over Tom Ford!

The hotel staffs have gotten used to seeing me like this, hence I am treated differently - one reserved only for a celebrity (with all the perks and freebies).

So it was not a surprise to them that when I checked out, I was dressed to kill so to speak. That day, I decided not to wait for my service vehicle provided for by my company and asked for a taxi cab instead. I was headed for the airport for an afternoon flight.

When the cab arrived, I was even escorted by hotel staffs and carried my luggage. Little did I know, something "unusual" and "unexpected" will happen to me that afternoon which until today makes me chuckle.

The airport is a good one hour drive from the hotel.

The moment I went into the cab, the driver (around 50ish, slightly white haired, dark skin but with a welcoming face) was extra courteous. He would always glance at the dashboard mirror and looked at me and then he would smile. I caught him doing this several times so I decided to ignore him and simply look outside.

"Should I be scared?" I was asking myself. I adjusted my eyeglass so it would completely cover my eyes. And then he mumbled something which at first I could not understand as I was a bit scared already. And then the question became clearer:

"Artista ba kayo?"

I simply ignored the question because I thought that was both weird and funny. Yes Viginia, I appeared in two movies when I was a child (one with Erap and another with FPJ). But I am sure this driver could not have possibly remember me from these flicks in the 70s.

So I continued to ignore him. But, boy, he was persistent.

He said he was honored and proud to have driven an actor. He promised to tell his wife and his grandchildren. He asked who I am as he could not figure me out but he was pretty damn sure I am an "artista". Then he asked me again and again and again.

"Artista kayo di ba? Cge na sir aminin nyo na kasi namumukhaan ko kayo eh".

A bit embarassed and little bit annoyed (and a little bit ashamed), I blurted "Cge na nga. Opo", I said sheepishly. (at this time I was already smiling at the kakapalan ng mukha ko)

The driver howled like a horny gorilla, beat his chest and said "Ang swerte ko talaga!" (by this time, I was feeling guilty already and wanted to retract but I was a bit scared to do so.)

He took out a pen and piece of paper and asked me for an authograph (the guilt feeling was already killing me) and said,

"sir Pakilagay nalang... Mag aral ka mabuti Ana (referring to his granddaughter) love Chucky"

Chucky???? Was he referring to the famed movie monster Chucky the Doll?

When I got off the cab, he profusely thanked me for the time and for letting him drive him to the airport and quickly said,


"Salamat talaga sir. Swerte ko talaga ngayon dahil napag drive ko si Chucky Dreyfus!", then he sped away.

Caveat:

To the very few readers of this blog, am still wondering, todate, why that driver thought I was Chucky Dreyfus. I looked more like Chucky the Doll. Really (insert British accent here)

To those who dont know Chucky Dreyfus. He was a child star in the late 80s.

And to Chucky Dreyfus, pasensya na baka duling lang si Manong heheh