Jaylesya Corbett got to work by foot, commuting six miles each way, every day. Her morning routine started early as she left home to make her shift at the restaurant on time. One morning, a police car trailed behind her and when the officer driving the car asked her to get into the patrol car, she didn’t realize this moment will change her life.
A law-abiding citizen and positive person in general, Jaylesya was worried about where the officer was taking her. She did not expect what happened following this first meeting.
A Morning Routine Disturbed
Every morning Jaylesya Corbett walked alone from her home to work and today was no different. Or so she thought. As she was walking down, Jaylesya noticed a car slowly following her.
For a woman walking on her own, this was cause for concern and when Jaylesya saw the car was a police car it did not appease her worries. Knowing she had done nothing wrong this was an alarming discovery, particularly as the car was flashing its emergency red and blue lights.
A confident stride
Thinking about her work schedule, Jaylesya’s concerns grew. Will this police officer make her late for work? This would be a terrible way for this day to develop: being pulled over by the police, or worse – getting arrested.
Jaylesya kept walking, praying that the confidence that did not commit any crimes will stop the driver from taking an interest in her and making her late for work. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind she heard the car honking its horn.
A Positive Member of Society
This peaked Jaylesya’s stress. Obviously, the officer driving the car was calling for her attention and asking her to stop. It made her question her own confidence and she tried to find out whether she can remember any incidents at work, at home, or in her neighborhood that could make the police interested in stopping her.
She could not think of a single case, she was always a positive, low key neighbor and colleague. What could be the reason for this?
Approaching a Familiar Stranger
Every day Sgt. Scott Bass drove passed the Stone Gate Mobile Home Community as part of his regular morning route going to the Nash County Sheriff’s Office. This morning, Sgt. Bass looked out of his patrol car window and saw a woman walking on the side of the road right near the area.
He has seen her walking down this road before but, unlike other mornings, this time he decided to approach this familiar stranger.
The Perfect Opportunity
Since he last saw this woman walking on the side of the road along the route he took to work, Deputy Sheriff Scott was on a mission to find her. This was a perfect opportunity for him to catch up with her so that he can settle some issue with her.
It has been days since he last saw her and he was determined not to pass on this chance. It could be a while before he got this opportunity again.
A Manageable Six Miles Walk
The road stretching from Jaylesya Corbett’s home to where she worked was six miles long. She worked at Bojangles, and walked along this route to the restaurant every day for her shifts.
The walk was not a short one, particularly having to walk it both ways daily. Even though it seemed like a long way to go by foot, the walk was feasible, partly due to the fact that the weather around those parts made this daily trek quite workable.
A Dire Situation Made Worse
That morning, despite the weather being normally very mild, it started acting out outside while Jaylesya was getting ready to leave the house. It sounded like a serious rain storm. Even though she didn’t forget to bring her umbrella long, the storm took control of it, grabbing the umbrella and carrying it away.
Jaylesya was now walking along, exposed to the lashing rain and howling wind. This was a dire enough situation as it was, and having a police patrol car stopping her in the street would have just made Jaylesya’s so much worse.
A Routine Made Difficult
While normally being manageable, Jaylesya’s commute was far from being effortless. This long-distance trip started workdays spent on her feet. Once work was over, it was another six miles walk to get home.
But today the relief of the fine weather making this routine workable didn’t happen and the storm made Jaylesya’s day all the more difficult. But even the storm didn’t break her and she was walking along as usual hoping to get to her shift on time. She believed she was going to make it, but the possibility of getting detained by the police changed all that.
Walking When The Rain Comes Bucketing Down
With her daily routine was consisted of commuting to and from work by foot, and spending her entire workday on her feet in between, it was not easy to make it bearable. Aware of the long trek from home to work and back, Jaylesya tried her best to improve her situation within her means, and purchased a pair of sneakers.
Even though these were the most comfortable sneakers she could buy, they were not suitable for walking when the rain was bucketing down. Jaylesya’s feet were feeling the shoes getting soaked and weighing her down, creating blisters as she walked on.
Find the Motivation to Keep Going
This daily routine was far from being an easy one to take on. But for Jaylesya it was all worth the effort as long as she could keep providing for her family. She walked twelve miles every day, spent entire shifts on her feet, and did so no matter the weather, no matter whether she was getting stopped or not.
All to continue supporting her children. She knew she will do whatever was necessary in order to keep this going.
Shaking Her Unwavering Dedication
As long as it was keeping her family supported, Jaylesya’s dedication was unwavering. She will continue walking these twelve miles. Doubt sneaked into this woman, confident in her ways, only when the police car signaled for her to stop at the side of the road. Was walking on the side of a busy road an issue for this officer?
Could it be too dangerous for her, or perhaps she was an obstruction of traffic? She wondered if one of the drivers who’ve seen her walking every day reported her and caused this police car to approach her and she grew concerned.
Choosing to Deal With Things
Jaylesya knew she could keep walking and ignoring the car following her for just so long. She had hoped it was a mistake and that the patrol car will carry on its way but when this did not happen, she knew she had to stop and discuss matters with the policeman behind the wheel.
She continued on for a while longer until she felt that walking on was more nerve wracking than actually dealing with the cop, so she stopped walking. She then turned and waited for the police officer to reach her.
Ready for the Worst-Case-Scenario
Stopping and waiting on the side of the road seemed like the most reasonable thing to do as Jaylesya realized she could not out-run a patrol car even if she wanted to. She was stressed and her thoughts were spinning out of control as she was waiting for the car to catch up.
Could there be a good reason for the police to pull her over? Who would support her family if she had to go to jail? She waited nervously, ready for the worst-case-scenario.
Preparing to Speak – Who Will Go First?
She was doing her best to keep it together as she walked closer to the cop sitting inside the patrol car marked “Sheriff – Nash County”. Jaylesya prepared her first few sentences thinking how she could present her case in defending her choice to walk near a busy road.
She was ready to start with a positive note and hoped she could dissuade him from taking her in. However, the officer started speaking before she could say the first word.
First Encounter and Introduction
Finally, Jaylesya reached the patrol car and approached its open window. The policeman sitting at the wheel told her his name, Sgt. Bass, before politely requesting that she enters the vehicle.
She tried to respond by saying she would be late for work at Bojangles, but this did not change the officer’s request that she gets into the police car. She had no choice and so she complied with his request. She knew she will have to figure out an explanation for all this at work once it is all over.
Hopeless but Keeping Quiet
This felt like a hopeless situation as Jaylesya was sitting in the back seat of a patrol car. The officer was not speaking and she did the same, keeping quiet rather than trying to figure out where or why he was driving her.
Once again, her mind was spinning out of control. She had so many questions, particularly about the consequences of this encounter for her family, her job, and her future. She didn’t know where Sgt. Bass was taking her but she felt it wasn’t a positive road trip.
A Silent Drive in the Rain
Not knowing the destination, Jaylesya stared out the window trying to get a grip of their location, but outside there was nothing but storm. As the rain was lashing fiercely and raindrops were banging on the car’s roof, Sgt. Bass kept driving quietly and so Jaylesya kept quiet as well.
She was concerned that asking questions – or speaking in general – could somehow become a legal problem later on. Not wanting to unknowingly incriminate herself she thought it best to continue keeping the quiet car ride and nervously waited to see what happens next.
Storm Raging and Anxiety Rising
Despite Sgt. Bass’ already slow and careful driving, the intensifying downpour of rain caused him to drive even slower, frustratingly prolonging their arrival at the unknown destination. The backdrop of the raging storm and the silence about the circumstance of this journey made Jaylesya’s anxiety almost unbearable.
She tried to focus her mind onto positive thinking, repeating to herself that she was a law-abiding citizen. She did not offer any incriminating comments, and was, in general, innocent. Practicing this and waiting to arrive at their destination was all she had left to do.
Protecting One’s Rights
After a nail-biting passage of time riding in the back of the car, Jaylesya’s confidence in her decision to comply with Sgt. Bass’ request started wavering. Was it not her right to be given the reason for being detained on the side of the road?
She was startled and felt flustered about her situation and was not sure stepping into a car, be it a Sheriff’s Department patrol car, was the smartest move. With these thoughts of her rights and hopes not to escalate her predicament, Jaylesya thought she should share her thoughts with the police office.
Growing Outrage
Jaylesya considered again that when being arrested one has the right to be informed of what stood behind their own arrest. Even worse if this was not an arrest, under what pretense was this officer ordering her to enter his car?
She was becoming more outraged by the minute. As she was ready to share this discontent with Sgt. Bass she suddenly became aware of their whereabouts: they were right outside Bojangles.
Concerns About Making the Wrong Impression
She immediately became concerned about the impression this would make on her colleagues and her boss. This made her look bad, as if Officer Bass had arrested her, which would be a big problem.
As a sole provider for her family, something like this – arriving to work in the back of a patrol car – could be disastrous. She could lose her job, which was her family’s only source of income. Going through all this while being completely innocent was not right.
Respecting A Stranger’s Bravery
Jaylesya’s routine walk to work along the busy road at the same time as Sgt. Bass’ patrol made her a familiar character to him. Since he noticed her schedule and her work apron, he put the two together and figured out she was commuting by foot to her job every day.
His conclusion that she was regularly walking back and forth along the 6 miles route brought to his utter respect of this woman. So much was he admiring her bravery that he could not help himself when he saw her taking up her walk in the lashing rain storm.
Cannot Stand Idly By
Sgt. Bass felt for this brave woman and her exhausting daily routine. He himself would sometimes find his full days of driving the patrol car along the regular route quite taxing. Jaylesya’s grit impressed the police officer and penetrated his otherwise thick skin.
He found her daily sacrifice for her family to be exceptionally touching. In light of this, Officer Bass knew he could not stand idly by without trying to offer some form of help to this brave woman.
Being Bothered By Another’s Situation
It has been weeks since Sgt. Bass first noticed Jaylesya walk the daily 12 miles, and witnessing her routine bothered him deeply. He tried to share his burden with his wife as he told her about the woman’s journey to her job every day, and worked to find possible solutions for her situation.
His intentions were to figure out any sort of help to offer Jaylesya. Finally, he decided to start by settling and offering her a lift to work, thinking that he can help with shortening the time and effort of her morning commute.
When Your Day Gets Better
Jaylesya saw Sgt. Bass stopping the police car at a distance from Bojangles and suddenly figured out the reason behind their journey – the officer was being helpful and drove her to her workplace.
It normally took Jaylesya at least four hours a day to commute to and from work, even when the weather was manageable. On this day, with the rain and wind making the walk all the more difficult, getting this lift to work was a meaningful improvement to her day.
A Generous Offer
This was not all Deputy Bass had to offer Jaylesya as assistance. The officer told her that they were both travelling the same way every day and suggested that he gives her a lift whenever the weather made it difficult to travel by foot.
He guaranteed that he was not going out of his way and that it was not at all a bother for him to offer her this lift. He did not, however, reveal his admiration of her character and bravery. Their story continues beyond this generous offer.
Serving The Public
Deputy Sheriff Bass cultivated a high esteem for Jaylesya. This was due to understanding her life was anything but easy, but she had met it head on. She was shouldering her responsibilities as a sole provider, walking a 12-miles road to work every day.
His appreciation of her determined routine caused him to exceed his job description as a police officer and propose that he helps her get to work, and with that done, he felt certain he could be even more helpful to Jaylesya, but was not sure in what way.
An Unexpected Invitation
Some time has passed and one day Jaylesya got a phone call from Deputy Bass who invited her to the Sheriff’s office. This should not have caused her any anxiety as she knew Sgt. Bass was well intended, but she found it nonetheless unnerving.
When Jaylesya arrived at the Sheriff’s office she was accompanied by Officer Bass to the parking lot, where he showed her a brand-new Schwinn Fairhaven Women’s Cruiser bicycle. Seeing her astonished face he proceeded to tell her that this bike was a gift for her.
Believing in the Kindness of Others
Despite their positive history, Jayleysa was still anxious as she went to the Sheriff’s Office at Sgt. Bass’ invitation. It is rare that one is called in to the police for an enjoyable visit. She had to keep in mind the officer’s generosity towards her to help with the nerves.
This made Jayleysa’s response to the gift of a new bicycle all the more emotional. She gripped the handlebars tightly as she felt deeply moved by the gesture. By making this simple offering to Jayleysa, Sgt. Bass helped improved her life and at the same time helped her find her faith in the kindness of others.
Respecting Each Others Actions
Sgt. Bass found Jayleysa to be a brave woman, one of the bravest he had the pleasure of meeting. He admired her withstanding the routine 12 miles of her commute and the weather conditions, all so that she can continue providing for her family, but even more, he found astonishing the way she kept her humility and positivity alive throughout this daunting reality.
Her actions and attitude made her a hero in his eyes. From Jayleysa’s perspective, Deputy Bass’ kind acts made him a most admirable person.
Appealing to Walmart to Donate a Bike
Jaylesya Corbett and her struggle to keep supporting her family come rain or come shine moved Sgt. Bass and he knew that when others hear this story, they will feel the same and will be eager to help find solutions.
In an interview, Offer Bass said “I contacted Walmart in Nashville and I spoke to some of the managers there. I showed them the bicycle, in particular, I had been looking at and they donated it to this young lady’s cause.”
A Well Earned Gift
One of the most astonishing aspects of Sgt. Bass’ approach was his ability to make Jayleysa feel like the gift was earned rather than given by charity. The Deputy Sheriff managed to help her receive this present from him, a total stranger, without feeling like a charity case by emphasizing how much he admired her bravery and hard work, as well as her ethical standing.
This was a well-deserved award, rather than a handout from someone who felt sorry for her.
Applauding Kindness and Generosity
Knowing the two people’s history, Sgt. Bass’ colleagues were ready with a video camera when Jayleysa arrived at the sheriff’s Office for the two’s second meeting. The other deputies in the Sheriff’s Office uploaded the record of the encounter between the two and the story became very popular.
The Deputy became a source of pride for The Nash County Sheriff’s Office and was even featured later on in a post on their social media page where they applauded his kindness and generosity.
Restoring Trust Despite the Rough Realities
It would be wrong to ignore the context within which the officer’s kindness happened. The anxiety and lack of trust we saw in Jayleysa’s initial responses to Sgt. Bass’ actions is not an uncommon sentiment towards the police.
Officer Bass’ ability to take note of Jayleysa’s everyday daunting journey despite the rough realities of his career as an officer of the law, gives hope toward a rebuilding of the common trust between the police force and the community they serve.
“God Gave Us Legs”
The online popularity of the Jayleysa’s and Sgt. Bass’ story spiked the interest of local TV networks and newspapers. They were invited to give media interviews and Jayleysa happily interviewed and told their story.
“If you want to work, you’ll find your way to work,” she said. “God gave us legs – that’s one way of transportation!”
Making Meaningful Contributions
In the reality of a police officer’s rough everyday routine, Sgt. Bass was likely to stick to his own routine and keep his commute and patrol with no interruption. However, once he saw Jayleysa’s daily struggle it became impossible for him to ignore it and had to find a way to act.
Working as a Deputy Sheriff his mission statement is to serve and protect. It seemed like Jayleysa’s situation was not one that fell under this jurisdiction, it is clear that the choice he made, using his resources as officer of the law to help a citizen, was meaningful.
Love Shines Through The Storm
It is not an easy task to be a sole provider for your family. When looking at single mothers and their struggle, it is easy to conclude that a mother’s love shines brighter than anything trying to cast a shadow on her family, even if this obstacle is a four-hour walk through a rainstorm.
Jayleysa Corbett was ready to brave the elements and the long exhausting walk to keep supporting her children, all throughout keeping a positive outlook on her life. This was one of the reason Sgt. Bass’ found her story so compelling.
Recognizing Her Dedication
For Jayleysa, the gift of the bicycle was more than an improvement in her daily commute. She was not seeking anyone’s attention or pity. She was completely dedicated to her task: getting to work every day and supporting her family as best she can.
The bicycle, Sgt. Bass’ gift to her, acted as a reminder and a promise that others took note of her actions and could surprise her with their own acts of kindness and recognition, offering support where necessary.
Making The Best Of An Opprtunity
A curious question remains about Jaylesya choice to work at such a distant location such as the Bojangles restaurant without having a means of transport for her commute.
When asked about this in an interview Jaylesya said that she originally intended to contact the Bojangles branch nearer to her home, but ended up getting in touch with the farther branch instead. However when they offered to hire her she decided to make use of the opportunity and took the job.