Iona, the protagonist of the story, was an old cab driver. He was like a phantom in the society because he was lonely and longed for a companion to share his emotions. He had recently lost his only son and family member and felt intense grief and sorrow at his terrible loss. He found no companion to share his sad story because his passengers were too busy with their own troubles to heed his desperate attempts at sharing. His grief and melancholy surrounded him and he was always lost in thoughts of his son whom he missed terribly. When his desperate attempts failed, he turned to his horse to share his sad story.