It was nighttime, that same night in which a lot of stories start. I had just seen a movie, and had discussed harshly about it with one of my friends. Even though the debate was far from over, it was twelve am, and it was time to go. I used my phone to call myself an Uber, and we said our goodbyes.
The driver was an old man, with a difficult to define age. He well could be just over fifty as way over sixty. He seemed to be experienced as a driver, as he knew the roads well, even to my house, that was very far away. His knowledge was also noticeable from the way he spoke: he was very friendly, but was also willing to stop if he didn't get an answer.
We talked about many things, about the many common topics of people who share a ride but don't really know each other, that always get forgotten very quickly. Things changed when we started talking about New Year's Eve, that was coming soon. He asked me what I did on that date, and I told him I normally just hung out with family. Something on his question was like a key, an entrance to an old, yet vital, memory.
"But..." I continued "I remember that, some time ago, I went to the beach with most of my extended family. We wanted to watch the fireworks from a close distance, so we got on a boat, so we could see them while we floated on the sea..."
His face lit up, and he hastily said: "Was that on Viña?"
His words resounded in my head. Yes. It had been there. With a sad smile, with happy melancholy, he said he had always wanted to celebrate there, but he had never been able to. He was married before, but he had many troubles, and had divorced. His kids where adults now, and he was alone. With shining eyes, he concluded:
"I'd like to, at least, to see those fireworks before I die. Tell me, is it worth it?" I had to stop for a second. I had fun on my trip, but I didn't know if it would match his hopes. I had to answer, as my pause was getting too long. I made my decision, and nodded.
"Yes, of course it is!"
With a smile, we continued the rest of the trip in silence. Today, the first day of a new year, I hope that driver had his perfect moment.