About Today

"Hey, mate! Fancy some cookies? I got extra," said the man in a loose, tan-coloured shirt and faded, equally loose pair of jeans to his workmate, as he extended his arm holding the lunchbox towards him.

The other man stared at him for a beat, and started to walk away. Okay, the man thought, and withdrew his arm. He actually preferred to have his cookies only to himself. His wife bakes good.

Two years in this work didn't make him good friends. Aside from the fact that they spend all day alone, driving, and only get to be together at meetings and get-togethers, (which actually happens often) everyone minded their own businesses. A bunch of snobs, his workmates are. By the looks on their faces, he always thought that they didn't enjoy their job very much—unlike him. This has always been one of his dream jobs.

After finishing off the last of his cookies, he walked to his assigned car, connected his iPod to its speakers, played a funk jazz music, and started his day. 

He drove moderately through the city with the ease of familiarity. Though he was guided by an on-screen map that shows the highlighted roads that made up his route, he sometimes veer off the road and take a shortcut, or include some landmarks which he believes are worth displaying in the web. It was alright to give or take a couple streets or places in the map. It wasn't such a big deal.

That day's route included somewhere he wasn't familiar with. He tried to look at the place. It was suspicious. Lying at the edge of the city, it was a little too quiet. It looked like a place someone would dump a body at after a murder.

The place was a dead-end rocky road that leads to a swamp. It was dark and too creepy, with thick trees surrounding the water, and tall grass around the trees. It was a rather long road, but the road connecting it to a part of the highway was just as wide as an alleyway, and was made of turns, which was probably the reason why he's never seen it before.

Should I? He thought to himself. Google will probably need it, and people would probably want to see it. A little fight between himself sparked on, and he did what he thought was best:

He backed the car, and got the hell out of that place.

He found the highway, and did a couple more streets. He turned left on a corner and found himself in a congested traffic. Of course, a city's expected to have traffic; it's totally normal. But for a Google Street View driver—it sometimes means trouble.

And there came trouble. Three troubles.

A trio of boys noticed the car and approached it. The two boys raised their middle fingers to the camera, while the other boy tapped the shotgun seat's window. The man prepared his company-provided phone to contact the police in case everything went out of hand.

The boy by the window continued to rap against it. Fortunately, the lights turn green, and the man sped off. He checked through the rearview mirror if the boys were on his tail, and it was such a relief to him that they weren't.

Okay, I'll just go back later for the shots, he thought.

He still got more streets to cover in his map before he called it a day. At a quiet street, he came upon a riot between two groups of people in an alleyway. 

Alright, going back here later.

No one seemed to notice it, since there were only a few people out on that street at the moment, much less cars.

No matter how it's not his job to interfere, he just couldn't keep himself from putting his nose into every possible situation.

He dialed the nearest police station's number, gave them his location, and what the emergency is. A few moments later, sirens blared through from a couple of blocks and the police arrived, arresting everyone in both the groups.

The man took a break about an hour later. He went in a diner serving the best hotdogs and fries in the area and ordered both. Beside him, a man in a white long-sleeved shirt and khaki pants spoke.

"You're a Google driver, man?"

"Yeah, you noticed." 

"'Course. Who wouldn't, with that car, eh?" He laughed, and sipped from his cup of coffee. "That's such an enjoying job you got there, bud. Been there, too."

"Oh yeah? You were a Street View driver as well?"

"For a couple o' months. Just to pay off rent while looking for a proper job."

The two men talked about their experiences being a Street View driver. It was no easy job. But it was somehow fulfilling for the both of them.

The man finished earlier than usual. He ticked off all the places he needed to go, except, of course, that unfamiliar place he ran away from.

Before heading straight home, he passed by a luxury donut shop first, and bought two donuts. He bought a pack of Oreos and a single yellow tulip as well, and journeyed home.

He opened the door to their apartment, and was met by her daughter, dragging the trolley of a small oxygen tank behind her.

"Daddy!" The girl squealed. 

"Hi, baby," the man scooped up his little daughter, and dragged the trolley with him towards the sofa, "I've got Oreos and donuts for you. One for Mom, and one for you, okay?"

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy," she got hold of the bag, and opened it immediately.

"And, of course," said the man, as his wife entered the living room from the kitchen, "a beautiful flower, for my beautiful queen." He handed her the flower, and kissed her.

"Daddy, Daddy, what pictures did you take today? Is it already online? Can I see it, can I see it?" Excitement lighted up her face.

"Oh, honey, won't you let Daddy rest for a minute first? I'm sure he's tired." Said the man's wife.

"I'm not tired! Who says I'm tired?" Both the girls giggled.

"Whatcha see, Daddy?" His daughter pursued the interrogation.

"Lots of new places. It's not yet online, baby. Maybe a couple of weeks later, you'll see," the man smiled at her daughter reassuringly, "Now, let me tell you a story about today."