Enjoying The Walk
Over the past year, she had been walking every single morning and night. She couldn't help but wish there was a better way to go about this, but she knew it was the best she could do.
Walking ten miles every day was initially very difficult for her, but after six months of walking, she immensely enjoyed the walk. However, she would soon regret ever walking when she spotted the police officer following her.
She Wanted The Best
Forty-year-old Mandy Jean Beasley was a single mother of two from Chicago, Illinois. She had two incredible sons and wanted nothing more than to give them the world.
She was waitressing at the time, content with what she had. All of this, however, was altered in the blink of an eye.
Horrible News
When 2o21 started, the company Mandy worked for retrenched numerous employees, including her. Everyone was stunned by the news. Mandy and her coworkers were under the impression that the company was doing well, but they were mistaken.
Mandy felt disorientated by the news, and she had no other choice but to use her savings to take care of her family. She realized she had to find a job before her savings ran out.
Job Search
It was challenging to secure a new job. Mandy did not quite anticipate the challenge and it was discouraging to see potential employers rather hiring other candidates over her. She didn't give up hope, though, and spent months browsing career newsgroups and blogs in search of the right job.
However, even though it matched everything she knew and could offer, she was discouraged from applying for the job because of several significant issues.
The Odds Were Against Her
Mandy's last job was similar to the one she applied for, so she was a good match for the position. Unfortunately, the job was lower-paying than her previous one. She lived 10 miles away from the company offices.
Having been unemployed for almost a year, she was deeply in debt and had no money to spare for the commute. It was a tough decision for Mandy because the odds were stacked against her. However, she took the job.
A Way To Save Money
Mandy felt nervous about the interview, but she got the job once she attended the meeting. As she took the bus home, she realized she could save a lot of money if she walked home from work. She could spend that money on settling her debts.
She invested in an affordable pair of walking shoes and started walking to and from work. It was a tough walk in the beginning, but she quickly learned to enjoy the walk. It was an added bonus that she was saving money. All of that changed one day.
The Beginning
An overcast Tuesday started with Mandy taking her usual route to work. The streets were filled with flowing rainwater after rain fell the previous day and throughout the night.
Approximately three miles from work, Mandy spotted a car following her. It didn't catch her attention at first, but then she noticed something that had her hair standing on the back of her neck.
He Had To Talk
The Nash County Sheriff's Office's Sgt. Scott Bass observed a familiar face ahead in his cruiser as he drove down the road.
When he drove past Stone Gate Mobile Home Community, hoping to see her there, he was hoping to find her. He had to speak with her today, and he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Her First Run-In
As she approached the curb, Mandy realized just how close the car was to the curb. Additionally, it drove slowly so as to tell her it was following her.
She noticed the vehicle was a police cruiser and said, "Oh Lord, not today," as she examined it more carefully. Her first run-in with the police was sure to happen although she'd never experienced such a thing before.
Storming
It began to pour more heavily all of a sudden. Mandy attempted to open her umbrella, but the chilling wind snatched it from her grip.
It was still a long walk ahead of her, but she plodded steadily through the torrents of water, avoiding the swirling, unstable pools. It was the last thing she wanted on this day to be stopped by the police.
Tired And Cold
Mandy was tiring from trying to walk faster than the cop car that was so obviously tailing her. Her feet were wet and aching, and even though she had been careful to wear her most comfortable pair of sneakers, she could feel her blisters starting to rub raw.
A surge of annoyance went through her. She was just minding her own business, why couldn’t the cop just leave her alone?
What To Think
Mandy hissed out a breath as she continued walking, trying her best not to blatantly sprint off, although she knew she had done nothing wrong.
She peeped over her shoulder and saw that the car had turned its red and blue lights on. As it neared her, she slowed down, hoping for the best. The cruiser eased closer to the curb and stopped.
Coming Closer
Throughout her life, Mandy had been stopped by the police only a handfull of times. The situation had never been tense in all these cases since the officers had only stopped to ask her a few questions before leaving.
But something deep within her told her that wouldn’t be the case here. He slowly pulled up alongside her and rolled down his window.
Trapped
The cruiser’s window rolled down, and a male officer stuck his head out of the window. “Come over,” he barked. There was nowhere to run. She couldn’t ignore him any longer.
Mandy had never trusted cops. She immediately feared the worst, and her head started to spin. Was she really in trouble just for walking to work? But there was no getting out of it this time.
What To Do
Mandy sucked in a deep breath. She let it out in a slow exhale and stepped toward the car, noting its licence plate and the words “Sherriff, Nash County” emblazoned on its side.
She heard the words entering her brain, but she couldn’t quite grasp what Sgt. Scott Bass was saying. Then the words slowly assembled themselves into meaning, and her eyes widened with disbelief.
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
Sgt. Scott Bass asked her to get into the vehicle, and told her that she shouldn’t be on the street. In a flood of stuttering and panic, she tried to explain to him that their livelihood depended on her getting to her office, but he didn’t seem to be listening.
Well, she was in the vehicle now, she thought, and she wasn’t about to argue with the law. Her fate now rested entirely in his hands.
Where Was He Taking Her?
Mandy sat in silence in the officer’s car, wondering where he was taking her. She entwined her fingers and placed them over her chest protectively, and then let them fall into her lap with a sigh.
Appearing nervous wasn’t going to help anything. Was he taking her in for questioning? She glanced at him shiftily, but he continued to drive through the rain, his eyes on the road ahead.
Distrust
Mandy had not been at all comfortable with the situation. After all, This man had just ordered her into his car and she had stupidly complied. She should have run, she thought.
Even if he was a cop, could she trust him? and where was he taking her? Her mind raced with possibilities. Then, in the headlights, she saw the sign looming through the downpour. He had taken her to her workplace.
Noticing Her
While he was commuting to the Sheriff's Office of Nash County, Sgt. Scott Bass had noticed Mandy on more than one occassion - and he recognized her uniform.
He had realized that she had been making the 10-mile journey on foot to work every day. The truth of the matter was that nobody should be walking on these roads at this time of year.
An Offer
When they arrived, the officer said, “Here we are. This rain is nothing to scoff at.” But he didn’t unlock the door.
Mandy’s brows drew close, and she realized the officer wasn’t joking when a look of worry spread over his face. She was still mulling over his words when he revealed why he’d stopped her.
It Changes Today
“I’ve been seeing you walk this route for more than three months now,” the officer said. “Do you live close by?” Mandy shook her head, saying, “I live about seven miles down the road.”
“And you walk that distance every day?” the officer asked. “I do. Seems long, but you get used to it,” said Mandy with a smile. “Well, that changes today,” the officer said. Mandy had no idea what he had in mind.
A Tense Situation
Mandy took the officer’s offer. He said he’d be delighted to drop her at work every day. She was apprehensive about the situation, but then she realized the officer truly wanted to help.
He was humble and attentive, listening to Mandy’s misfortunes and why she was walking to work every day. Little did she know that he was planning something big behind her back.
Keeping His Promise
Sgt. Scott Bass continued to give Mandy lifts to work whenever the weather turned bitter and whenever she would allow it. It normally took her two hours to walk to her work, and two hours to walk back home each day, so she welcomed the gesture.
Sgt Bass was impressed with her perseverance and determined to do more. He hastily contacted the local Walmart to see if they could help. Then he did something that would change her life forever.
A Gift
Mandy waited at her usual spot on the road in anticipation. Sgt. Bass had called her and said that he wanted to meet with her urgently, and she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Her old feelings of distrust for the cops crept back. She thought that she was about to be reprimanded by the Sgt, although she hadn’t the faintest idea what she had done.
Calling Her Over
As Mandy wondered what could possibly be going on, she saw the officer pull up in his cruiser. He called her over, and she didn’t know what was about to happen.
Then, he pulled something large from his car and presented it to her proudly. It was a brand-new Schwinn Fairhaven Women’s Cruiser bicycle.
A Helping Hand
It wasn’t long before word of the officer’s kind deed spread around the town. Local reporters clamored to interview Sgt. Bass.
“I wanted to help Mandy because she walks five miles to work every day regardless of the temperature, rain or shine, stands on her feet during her entire shift and walks five miles under the same conditions back to her home — and that is truly admirable,” Sgt Scott Bass told the local media.
Viral Video
“I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Mandy and wanted somehow to lessen her burden of that ten-mile walk,” Sgt Bass added in his interview.
The video if the interview, which was posted by CBS 17 on Youtube, has since gained over 6000 views and hundreds of comments in just a few weeks. People couldn’t get enough of the story.
Proud
The seperate post that the Nash County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook in commemoration of Sgt. Scott Bass’ kindness has also been extremely well-received by the community.
From the comments, it’s obvious that the people are proud to have such a generous member of the community who is always ready to step up for people in need.
Helping The Community
“I was shocked,” Mandy said of the kind officer’s incredible gift, “I didn’t think it was real.” Mandy is so incredibly grateful that she doesn’t have to make the arduous ten-mile journey to her workplace on foot anymore.
For the first time in months after a string of unfortunate luck, things seemed to finally be looking up for her and her family.
The Kindness Of Strangers
Thanks to the kindness of one cop who was determined to help the people in his community, Mandy can continue to go to work, earn a livelihood, and support her children.
After distrusting the police for her whole life, Sgt. Bass had changed her perception of the intimidating men in uniform. Now, she knew that the policemen in her community truly cared about her wellbeing.