The day someone scolded me 'No brain'

I had been attending Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachings for the past few nights, and he had been finishing between 12-1am and one night he ended at 3am. So mostly I had to take a cab home.

Just last night, I boarded a cab. The plump driver uncle was not the chatty type and just drove quietly. Thank goodness for that as I was too tired/stoned from the teachings that I did not wished to engage in any small talk with anyone. Morever I did not want to chit chat with cab drivers at that time of the night. I just wanted to get home fast. Fortunately my house was nearby, and it took just 5-10 minutes from ABC to my house by cab.

It was at the traffic junction before reaching my house when I instructed the cab driver to keep to the left lane as he would need to turn left shortly after. The uncle paused, grunted, and commented that I should not have told him so fast as he would have thought I wanted to turn left AT the traffic light junction. And he added, "No brain."

I was thinking to myself, "You calling me no brain?! Obviously, at the traffic light junction, it was either go straight or turn right. There's NO left turn!".

Nonetheless, I tried not to get angry and jokingly said "I meant further down then turn left lah... as I see you're keeping to the right lane ma...." *pause*... Trying to keep my cool, trying to be light hearted, I asked, "Uncle, you mean some passengers did that to you before?", giving him no chance to grumble.

He said "Yes, people always don't tell you directions properly... follow their instruction I can't find...I blur. But follow my own thinking, I can find." Then he immediately changed his grouchy tone. During the last few seconds before I got down the cab, he was happily asking me about my house, how much I bought it for and how much it cost now, and that I would sure make a huge profit etc etc.... He even wished me a "happy new year" and kept saying "thank you, thank you, thank you" as I paid the fare.

I was a little surprised at his sudden change of tone, just as I was equally surprised I was not offended by his "no brain" comment, as I had expected I would. I was just relieved I managed to curb my anger by not flaring out. Maybe the teachings earlier had helped. Or I was just too tired to argue.

It was a beautiful night.