It Pays to Read

It Pays to Read

By

Imari Jade

I took the day off because I had a rheumatology appointment. The doctor told me to take Vitamin D, and put ice on my swollen knees, and if the Flexural doesn’t do anything for my Fibromyalgia he could put me something stronger.

But this blog today isn’t about my aches and pains it’s about being aware of your surroundings. I stopped in Walgreens to pick up a few things before the bus arrived. When I got to the bus stop there was a young lady with her baby waiting for the bus. I said, good morning and she spoke back. She asked me about the bus schedule and I told her one was supposed to be coming soon. Of course that doesn’t mean it would come on schedule…it didn’t.

While we were sitting at the stop two ambulances and a couple of police cars flew by us. This is a norm for this corner because the hospital where I had my appointment is just down the street. 

A black car pulled up to the bus stop and the guy driving told us he would give us a ride anywhere we wanted to go and all we had to do was put gas in his car.

“No thanks,” I told him. “The bus is coming up the street.”

Of course it wasn’t and he did look in his rear view mirror. I don’t know what he saw, but I was glad it was daytime.

“Don’t I know you?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” I answered. It’s very possible he did know me. I’m very bad with faces, but if he was a friend of one of my sons, or a neighbor I would have remembered him. But I didn’t think so. He finally drove away.

“I thought you knew him,” the young woman with the baby said.

“No. I don’t. But let me tell you this, yesterday I read on the Internet that a man in a car pulled a gun on a woman and forced her into his car. Fortunately, she got away by jumping out the moving vehicle. That MF would have to shoot me in the back because I would be running in the opposite direction. There is a very strong chance that he would miss me if he shot at me. If I would have gotten into his car the chances are 100% that he would have killed me.”

I hope she was paying attention to what I was telling her. Normally I’m at that bus stop by myself. Had I not been there I hoped she would have been smart enough not to risk her and her baby’s life by accepting a ride from a stranger.

1st, why would I put gas in his raggedy-ass car when bus fare is just one dollar and fifty cents in the local area, and we have a bus stop every other corner?

2^nd, he took a big chance by pulling up to that bus stop not knowing if either one of us were packing a gun or not.

3^rd, as I mentioned earlier it’s a busy street with police, ambulances and fire trucks passing every couple of minutes.

So while you’re on the internet playing on the social networks, you need to read the local and major newspapers everyday to see what’s going on in the world. It not only pays to read, but it can also save your life.

Okay, I’ve done my good deed for the day, so I can continue with my blog.

My son is finally getting over the flu, but both of us are hacking because we have asthma and the cold temperatures are not doing either of us any good. But though I had a bad experience at the bus stop I also got a premise for a new book. No, it has nothing to do with the creep in the black car, but he might show up in another book. I was listening to the Bee Gees on my MP3 player when the image popped into my head. 

“No, not now,” I shouted to my muse. I’m halfway through book seven of my Asian Pretty Boy series that I’m trying complete before the end of the year and I have about three other books I’m trying to finish. Not only did I get the image, but the title and the cute meet. Oh well, I’m going to write it down before I forget it. Shoot I just wrote the blurb. Book is going to get written soon. I can even see the lead characters in my head right now. 

I guess I better get back to work.

Imari Jade