I've had a number of folks suggest that while working in the Transit industry surely there will be all kinds of unique people and experiences. Nothing could be more true in the few weeks I've been driving. I could probably write a book just about the folks I work with and will include some of them from time to time but today's story comes from a rider.
Actually there were two today but I'll only share one and be assured "the names have been changed to protect the innocent, the strange, and the downright crazy!"
I was dispatched to pickup "K" which I assumed to be a male adult passenger. Upon arriving at the Drs office a mid twenties young lady met me in the parking lot carrying 15 month old "K." After loading both passengers on my vehicle and taking car of some paperwork we headed to their destination.
SOP for me is to be friendly and ask them a bit about themselves or in this case Mr. K. That's where her story got interesting. "I'm on the run from my husband and hiding out with a friend. Just 6 months ago I was happily married with a young baby boy, a good husband, with a very successful business, and living in a $500,000 home.
In a matter of weeks the business went under and the marriage went south fast. We moved to south Texas and almost overnight, my husband began drinking heavily and turned violent. When I called the police late one night, they advised me to load K up in the car and go to a shelter, so that's what I did. It was one of the scariest nights of my life. I stayed at that shelter only a little more than an hour.
I'm a college graduate that prior to Mr. Ks arrival had been working as a personal assistant to an NBA team owner. Life was perfect, now it's my worst nightmare. Not too many nights later and several different shelters, my husband found me at a convenience store and called the police to tell them I was suicidal and going to kill the baby. At least seven different police vehicles arrived to respond to the call. After much discussion they advised me to call a cab and go back to the shelter, which I did.
A little while later I called back to the convenience store to inquire about my BMW. They informed me that my husband had taken the car. At this point I'm homeless, carless, and pretty much hopeless. The last few weeks have found me going from shelter to shelter to try to keep my husband from finding baby K and taking him off to South Africa where his former wife and daughter are living.
Just a few days ago out of desperation I called an old friend from Waco about the possibility of staying with her, and here we are, now on medicaid, food stamps, living in hiding, and trying to figure out where we go from here."
About that time we arrived at her friends house where I let them off and carried Mr K into the house for her. He was a chunk, by the way. I told her I hoped the best for her and would pray for her safety. Talk about living in transit. None of really knows what each day holds and sometimes life takes weird, bizarre, difficult, and interesting twists and turns. And thought living in a 650 sq ft apartment without a yard for our dogs making 30% of my former salary was some sort of difficulty.....NOT! It's really all about perspective. Be grateful for a good life, a loving wife, 3&1/2 grandchildren, a comfortable albeit small apartment and every blessing the Lord provides, I know I'm more thankful than I was this morning.
That's today's story and if I'm lying, I'm dying.
See you down the road.....
De
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