The Incomprehensibles

I catch a taxi to the train station.  I am picked up at the right time, sit in the front passenger seat and buckle my belt as the driver pulls out.  We reach the first junction in my street and my driver breaks suddenly as he is cut off by a fast-driving maniac in an electric-blue car.

I shake my head and sigh. My driver looks at me and says “Tlsfph F Tsoo”

I look at him and am about to ask him to repeat when he does.

“Tlsph F Tsoo”. He nods to emphasize his point.

I realise what the problem is.  He seems to have some kind of condition where his tongue is swollen up to the size of a small grapefruit.  Trying to pronounce something is not easy. If you’ve ever tried to have a conversation with someone who was holding a grapefruit in his mouth, you’ll know that the understanding part of the conversation is not easy either.

I apologise and, in broken French, explain that he needs to repeat as I’m unfamiliar with the language.  I have improved in recent months but there wasn’t anything in my exercise book that prepared me for this.

He repeats himself, pronouncing the syllables slowly, “Tssee Fooo”

Surely he knows that he can’t pronounce words?

Suddenly, I realise what he’s trying to say – “C’est fou!” (He is crazy)

I laugh and agree with him.

I spend the rest of journey trying not to think about his grapefruit.

Related Unexpected Traveller Posts:

• The Viking Taxi Driver

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~ by unexpectedtraveller on July 6, 2009.