Acapella

It was a weekend evening, not too late but just late enough that people were mostly already out wherever they were going to have fun that weekend and a few of the more early-retiring party-goers were already calling it a night and heading home. I was working late to try to make a bit more income, especially since I was mostly sticking around safer cities and areas, although that didn't stop the flood of pot-smelling, foul-mouthed, drunkards who continually forgot where their own homes were from getting into my car and falling asleep during the seven minute ride back to their place.

During this redundant loop of events, I found myself picking up a slightly different set of customers. I pulled up to a housing complex, my car over to the curb with the four-ways on to alert any other traffic rolling down the street late that night to go ahead and pass me by, and noticed three young men, perhaps early to mid 20s, heading towards my car.

My first thought when I saw these three young men was a positive impression. When they got into my car, they were polite, attentive, and not drunk at all. They didn't smell of pot or cigarettes or body odor as many weekend night customers did. They didn't complain any about all three of them getting into the back of my car (even though I would have allowed one to sit up front had they desired it). They were nicely dressed, hair combed, clean-shaven, and just looked and acted like lovely young gentlemen (this is what we women of a certain age call them...lovely young gentlemen). I did not mind one bit that I had to drive them about twenty minutes away.

As I pulled the car back out onto the road, the radio playing softly, the guys were just chatting in the back casually. I try to not particularly pay attention to what my customers are saying. Physically, I can more or less hear them but I tune them out and focus on the radio and the road, only barely getting a gist of the general conversation since I figure it's none of my business unless they start calling my name or waving their hand up towards the front seat to get my attention should they need to make a request or ask a question.

"Hey, hey!" one of the guys shouted a bit louder than their previous tone of conversation, causing me to glance in the rear view mirror as I wondered if that abruptly increased tone was meant for me, "Can you turn the music up?" "Sure," I replied as I turned up the radio, some song from the late 90s or early millennium playing, one of my preferred stations since it was appropriate for all ages and my usual customers were in the age range where they could go "I remember that song!"

As I continue to drive along, the three guys in the back start singing along except they were mocking the song by putting in different words, creating a parody. This loud noise may have been grating to me except they were actually good. I'm talking book them on a show, world tour, buy me tickets now type of good. Their voices were like angels, and the three of them were absolutely perfectly in tune. Not only did they know all of the lyrics to the song but they were changing a few of the words on purpose ON THE SPOT without any previous thought and still singing in perfect harmony with each other. They didn't miss a beat and were better than the people actually singing the produced song on the radio. I couldn't help but continually stare at them in the rear view, utterly amazed and floored by their singing ability.

When I did drop them off, I had to ask them if they were part of a band or singing group or at least in choir or something. I asked if they did their music online, Youtube or who knows where. They looked at me in confusion before they laughed, saying they weren't singers, didn't have a group, and were just "goofing off" and hadn't planned it. To this day, I'm still not sure if they were joking or not. Nobody is that good by accident...or are they?

Maybe I should have gotten their signature. One day they're going to realize it and become famous.