Chronicle Editor
Vincent Gono, Features Editor
IN one of her songs, If Walls Could Talk, off the album, All the way – A decade of Song, Celine Dion implores fans to get into their imaginations and think what walls would tell their friends if they could talk and if they had eyes to see.
Obviously, the stories will range from those of horror, the arguments, the cheating, flirting and the steamy intimate moments that people share, the cuddling and the sweet nothings that couples tell each other while in the confines of their dumb and blind walls.
She starts by asking a question; “can you keep a secret?” Some of the lines go like… “These walls keep a secret that only we know, but how long can they keep it, because we are two lovers who lose control, we are two shadows chasing rainbows… Walls, can you keep a secret…?”
The question may look very simple and if it was to be asked to anyone the answer would be an obvious yes. But can we keep secrets which are not ours, secrets of friends and relatives that we are told in total confidence especially in the age of social media?
Having realised that taxis are flourishing partly because of the economic environment that is forcing a lot of people out of formal employment, Chronicle went out to gather information about the work of taxi drivers.
The findings were however interesting as most of them seem to operate under an oath of secrecy that they swear themselves to.
And the oath seems to be crafted using the aphorism see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
Yes, protection of clients’ secrets is what defines professionalism in their own circles; it is the rule of the game and those who cannot keep it find themselves out of business in quick motion. Maybe they are just like journalists who protect their news sources at times to the point of sacrificing their freedom. Or just like doctors who also do so to their patients.
Their line of duty is quite risky and unpredictable. They suspiciously and or unsuspiciously carry both criminals, cheaters and others who will be intent on good business but the bottom line is that most of their customers will just be strangers. And yet they do everything to protect them to the point of sometimes getting themselves into trouble.
Most of them, however granted the interview using aliases while refusing to have their taxis’ pictures taken saying it would deeply affect the way their customers view them.
And just like any other business, the taxis follow where people are. And one would not fail to see them parked outside popular drinking spots and nightclubs at night although they seldom carry men alone.
In the afternoon they are parked close to supermarkets where they carry shoppers to their intended destinations in and around town.
At nightclubs and bars, an innocent stranger would be forgiven for thinking that they would be there to carry home men after having one too many of the wise waters. No. They carry couples to certain love nests strewn all over town whose business is to provide accommodation to cheaters and ladies of the night.
And like taxi drivers, men and women who also work at these places can keep secrets too. An interesting admission by both taxi drivers and staff at lodges was that married women are into cheating more than society suspects.
“I have clients who are married women. They phone me to pick them to certain places in town when their husbands are out at work. I am one person who now believes women cheat more than men just that men are sometimes clumsy and get caught easily,” said a taxi driver who preferred to be called Dube.
“We sometimes get hired by criminals to carry stuff and that is very risky,” he added.
Such is their line of business. It involves keeping secrets.
Most of them divulged, however that they often carry ladies of the night and their clients to different lodges and hotels in and around the city. That is not a problem. Some however, disclosed that when business is low, they rent their taxis to couples but of course after having driven to secluded places just outside the central business district.
The taxi driver would leave the lovebirds sharing steamy moments in his car while he assumes the duties of a watchman but that also comes with a good payment.
“We enjoy our job and we can do everything in our power to make sure we get the money. By the way that is where our bread is buttered. And we can’t be asking our clients if they are not criminals.
One thing for sure is that we now have certain clients both married and unmarried who we render our services, driving them to different lodges and taking them back to the city after finishing their ‘transactions’,” said one taxi driver who refused to be named.
He added that the taxis came in handy as a lot of married men and women who would be cheating on their spouses were using them while trying to keep their affairs from the public.
“They keep my number and if they want to see each other they just call me and I go and collect each of them from their work places and take them to their preferred lodges. Some of them are executives who will be having affairs with married women and subordinates and will be trying to keep their steamy relationships under a veil of secrecy,” said another taxi driver who identified himself as Tawanda.
He said they know of prominent people who were cheating on their wives and husbands ranging from politicians, business people lecturers, and even doctors.
Tawanda said in some cases the cheaters would not prefer using their own cars that are known hence they use taxis.
“I will not tell you the names but there are prominent people whom we carry. They are politicians and business people and some of them are in love with married women who work in the city.
Even the type of stories that they will be talking while in the car will be selling them off. Interestingly most of them assume we are deaf as they go about talking sex and their sex lives, how boring their husbands or wives are and we just remain quiet,” he said between chuckles.
He added that it has become their business to carry cheaters to different lodges and hotels adding that some of them have been given gifts for being like walls in Celine Dion’s song -keeping secrets.
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