"Bad News"
She had seen his face many times before. But now, as he and more uniforms stood outside her work, she felt her heart race.
Shoulder to shoulder they made a long, blue wall of authority. “Excuse me, ma’am” an officer said. “But I’m afraid we have some bad news for you.”
Rain Or Shine
Jaylesya Corbett walked along the same sidewalk she had taken for years. The end destination was Bojangles’ Chicken ‘n Biscuits in Nash County, North Carolina.
Once in a while, it would be a pleasant walk, but if the sun came down hard or storms flew in, it was anything but nice. One day, the rain was merciless.
Horrible Storm
She held her jacket collar close to keep out as much as she could, but cold drops still chilled her skin.
She felt the squish and squirt of water through her worn black shoes. It was going to be eight hours standing in front of a register while sopping wet. In her peripherals, she spotted a car.
Following Car
It followed close and slowly. When Jaylesya picked up the pace, the car caught up.
She finally looked back, wondering if she should take down a plate number. However, she saw the distinct paint job and lights … it was a cop car. The man inside was staring at her.
Sirens
One part wanted to pull her away from the very uncomfortable situation.
The other part wondered if she had done something wrong, and running would only escalate whatever was happening. She started to turn, but then heard the bleep of the siren. He motioned for her to come over.
Officer Bass
Every step oozed water as she slowly went to the passenger side window.
The officer rolled it down revealing exactly what you would expect – short crew cut, stern face, and intimidating build. “Ma’am,” Sgt. Scott Bass said, leaning over. “You shouldn’t be walking here.”
Offered A Ride
“I’m just going to work,” she said with a nervous stutter. “I know,” he replied.
“I’ve seen you out here before. Get inside. It’s miserable out. I can give you a lift to work.” The fear melted away and she gratefully accepted. The kindness, however, didn’t end there – especially when she told him the truth.
No Choice
It was a two-hour walk each way, and come rain or shine, she would trek to the job.
She didn’t have the money for a car and there weren’t other transportation options available (at least ones she could afford). She said that God gave her legs, so she used them. What Bass did next was unbelievable.
Helping For Months
Anytime he saw her walking in bad weather, he would give her a lift.
After many months, and after talking about Jaylesya’s situation with his wife, they came up with a great idea. He immediately reached out for support and the community answered back.
Suprise!
Out of nowhere, Bass and other officers showed up to her job. “
I’m afraid we have some bad news for you,” he said. “You won’t be able to walk to work anymore.” Behind the line of police they revealed a brand-new Schwinn Fairhaven Women’s Cruiser bicycle. Jaylesya broke down crying. Word spread and more help poured in.
“I wanted to help Jaylesya because she walks six miles to work every day regardless of the temperature, rain or shine, stands on her feet during her entire shift, and walks six miles under the same conditions back to her home — and that is truly admirable.”
One day, the both received a special invitation.
Steve Harvey Show
The heart-warming story brought them both on the Steve Harvey show.
They talked about the year and a half they spend riding back and forth and the friendship that developed. Harvey smiled and said, “On behalf of the show, we’re gonna be giving you $5,000. But that’s not all.”
A New Car
“I reached out to some friends at Capitol Ford in Rocky Mount, North Carolina … They want to make sure that you never have to walk in the rain again. So they’re giving you a brand-new 2018 Ford Fiesta SE!”
Emotions swelled and tears streamed down Jaylesya’s cheeks. As the group walked to the new car, the microphone picked up Bass’ words.
Thank Yous
“Thank you for doing this for her,” he said. “No, thank you!” Harvey said, shaking his hand.
“If it wasn’t for you, we would wouldn’t know nothing about this.” The audience stood up and cheered as Jaylesya got into her new car. Now she has something more…
Amazing Memories
More time to spend with her family and friends, including officer Bass. There’s more energy to spend at work and on customer service.
But more than anything, there are countless amazing memories and unbelievable acts of kindness to carry with her no matter what life brings in the future.