Salacious Solicitations

Aretha left home one morning going to the college campus nearby in order to run errands. After walking half a block on the sidewalk heading south, she had to cross a road to continue to the next block. As she crossed the road, cars coming from downtown heading east were waiting on her right-hand side.

There were three lanes of traffic among the cars facing east, and on the outermost lane, a white pick- up truck was the second vehicle behind a saloon. If there had been no southbound vehicles coming from Aretha’s direction, the cars on the outermost lane would have been able to safely turn right and head south, after she had crossed. However, there were cars heading south from the direction Aretha had come, so the cars on the outermost lane, on her right-hand side, had to wait.

The driver in the white pick-up truck, a middle-aged white man, had seen what he eagerly wanted or aspired to have, and was therefore getting impatient. He was rearing and ready to go by the sound of his engine, but actually going nowhere. His target was Aretha, who he did not know, just as she did not know him.

As he eventually turned right going south, he began to honk his horn softly to draw her attention, as she walked south. Because she did not look to her left, in his direction, he slowed down completely and called out to her, with total disregard for the cars behind him.

He said, “Hi! Come on for a lift to wherever you are headed.”

She shook her head to indicate a negative response while walking.

He then said, “Okay, next time,” and drove off slowly, disappointed.

The following day, Aretha left home again to go shopping. Going south again, she reached the intersection and began to cross the road with three lanes of cars on her right-hand side waiting to go east. The first car in the middle lane, a white saloon car, was driven by a black man. As Aretha crossed the road, he seemed ready to take off like a rocket, by the sound of his engine.

After Aretha had crossed, the lights turned green, and he nearly smashed into several cars on the outermost lane, because he had suddenly decided to change course and turn right heading south. She neither knew him nor he her.

Aretha was not heading south this time, but waiting at the intersection to cross the road again and go east, the direction his vehicle was originally heading. The driver, however, assumed she was heading south. He was so disappointed, cursed loudly, mumbled something at her and continued south, disregarding the other drivers he had nearly stuck or inconvenienced.

Aretha crossed the road and headed east. At the next intersection, after walking one block, she started to cross the road still heading east. However, she intended to get to the sidewalk, turn right and walk south.

As she was crossing and heading east, there came the same aggressive driver heading north on the outermost lane! He, therefore, came to a stop on her right-hand side, waiting for Aretha to finish crossing, and for traffic going east to dissipate, in order to turn right and go east.

When she turned right and began to walk south, he again mumbled something and showed disgust over his second missed opportunity with Aretha. She went her way and got her shopping done, but was a bit shaken. In other words, when he headed south, he did not go far but turned at the nearest junction, a block away in order to go north and meet Aretha as she headed east.

On the third day, Aretha left home heading to the library near her home. After crossing the well-known First South Road, she encountered a strange-looking man sitting on a bench. The bench was situated outside college apartments by a bus stop. The man’s clothing was excessively heavy, his hair unkempt and his beard, long and wild. She did not know him and he did not know her.

His eyes scanned her lasciviously and then he forced a peculiar cough to draw her attention, when he realized that she was deliberately averting her gaze. He then beckoned her to join him on the bench. She neither made a move towards him nor uttered a word and instead continued on her way. He then struggled to his feet as if to follow her, but she ignored him and kept her pace.

Aretha’s mind raced with questions. What was all this about? Had the world gone suddenly mad? Where is the world heading?

Beware, womenfolk, beware!