… from Charlotte, NC to Cleveland, Ohio.
A man seated close to the front of the bus stood up, and clearing his throat said:

“Hope y’all having a good day. I axed my broda upfront (the driver) and he says if none of yous have no objetion, I can do my bi-ness real quick.” He looked like a gang banger but without the jewelry, and he had a belt and his trouser was at the right place on his waist. He also sounded like one. If I had come across him on the street, one look at him and I would have classified him as one.
“Any objetion? No? God bless y’all. So I won’t waste your time, I do my bi-ness real quick like ah promised.”
“Someone praise the Lord in this here bus!”
A few people including yours truly said hesitant “alleluias”.
“Don’t be ashamed of the Lord now. Even people praise the Lord in China where they throw your sorry-a*s in jail if they see you got religion. I said someone praise the Lord!”. A few more people joined in and the volume went up a notch.”
Despite myself and being a Christian, I still couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t supposed to be allowed on the bus.
“Thank you brodas ‘n sistas”
“I here to tell y’all that God loves you. I ain’t no preacher but I try. I tell y’all it’s really hard but I try and read ma bible at lis twice a week. And here is what the Lord tells me to tell y’all”
“We all sorry-a*s sinners and we going to hell if we don’t stop sinning and believe on his son Jesus Christ.”
“I will tell y’all about myself. I used to be a sorry-a*s punk-a*s dope-dealer. I don do many things I ain’t proud of, things would break my ma’s heart all over again in heaven if she known about them. I used to be known as “King of the hill” in my hood back in the day. I was informed to stop telling that part of my story on account that the FBI can still whup my a*s into jail if they heard about it. But I look y’all over and y’all fine brodas and sistas – hmm! Not looking FBI at all.  You know, in suits with glasses and looking piss-a*s ‘n all. So as I said, I sell you anything you need back in the day, and I sell to you whether you in the crib or bent like my old granpa (God bless his raggedy soul, but I doubt he in heaven, he was cursing ‘n fornicating ‘n pinchin his granchidren bottom ‘n smoking weed till the day his heart give up on him). I know three of people in my hood who die of the shit me and my crew sold in them days. Regularly, we fighting other gangs in the hood, people on both sides die, and ordinary folks on the streets end up dead too. I didn’t shoot up or nothing – that shit be the end of you, no stopping once you hooked, but I smoked weed and drank shit. I party from Thursday night till Tueday morning. Bitches – sorry women – all over the place you can’t put your foot down without stepping on somethin’.
Then one day after drinking and smoking myself stupid, I got in ma car, put ma foot down and was going home in ma bad-a*s ’69 Cardillac on I-64. One hand on the wheel and the other holding a bottle. I come to a point where I see a sign says “Diversion, turn left” – I is so drunk I couldn’t rightly tell ma left from ma right, I turned ma wheel right instead of left. I crash so bad, when my head stop clear I was lying on the ground outside ma car. I was sitting with ma back ‘gainst what was left of my wheels when I supposed I don go wet myself. I was about to start laughin’ at myself when it was like someone stab me with knife on my side. I look down and seen my blood flowing like water down the road. I know right away if I don’t get help I goin’ die right there on the road. Then something happen, like someone slap me good and proper alongside my head and my eyes become clear. I was looking round for the nigga do it, when I heard a voice that said “Son, what you doing sitting on the ground” I look round but seen nobody, I thought I was losing ma mind when the voice came again, “Son. You don live your life anyhow, sold poison to people, done many bad things, now you dying and you going straight to hell. Your raggedy a*s goin’ burn forever”
I couldn’t seen nobody around, “who you looking for boy? The ghosts of those don die by your hand, your gun and the shit you sellin’ ?”
I scared shitless, but you don’t get to be the king if you scare easy. I said “show your face, and let me hear you say it to my face, you punk-a*s m—-f–k-r!”
Another had slap and I known who it was – my ma used to slap me same way when she was alive long time ago and she an angel so I rightly known it was her from heaven or God or Jesus slapping ma face.
“You dying and still cursin’ boy? I givin’ you your last chance – what you going do? You bleeding bad and if you ain’t got no help quick you goin’ die and go to hell real quick”
I ain’t known why, but it came to ma mind that the Lord wanted me to commit myself, so I think real quick and decided the easiest thing I could do was tell people about Him, I don’t know how I came about that, but I think it goin’ be easy – who goin’ lissen anyways – people in my broke-a*s neighborhood? I said a a quick prayer – please forgive me ma sins Lord, wash me clean, and save me. And whenever I get the chance, I tell people about you.”
So the Lord said “smart a*s m—f–k-r, you going tell people about me alright – if you think you going cruise around in your pimping ride all day, smoking weed, carrying women and selling shit, you don’t know nothin’ yet. You goin be travelling ‘n telling people about me” He didn’t say those exact words, but somethin’ similar.
Right away, I feel like I am starting to die, and a car pulls over. The man come over, seen me, try his phone but he ain’t got no signal. So he help me in his car and drove me to the hospital. On the way I axe how he came to be right there and right at the right time and he told me he a painter. He traveling to Virginia, but he stop take pictures of some flowers along the way and he wasted some time. He aims to paint them when he gets where’s goin. I thunk to ma self, the Lord don go set me up, he known the man was a coming anyways, and he trick me to commit maself just before he shown up. Right then, I got another slap – and I understand quick that He works mysteriously to brung the man to the spot right at that time. I made it to the hospital and so here I am.”
I got out of the hospital and as I had no qualifications, I got a job at a construction site carrying cement. I tell y’all it wasn’t easy having been livin’ like a king just a month before. I was hanging out with them tough m—f–ke-rs, trying not to smoke, and not go back to my old ways. They laughing at me whenever I be reading the bible or I try tell them about the Lord Jesus. Finally, I got one security job which was much easier with plenty time on my hands. I got one of them remote schools and started learning for my GSE. I don passed and now I am doing remote part time bible school. Currently, I heading to Ohio to start as male secretary to one man owns a construction company down there. He impressed by my background and how God don change my life around so he give me a job as his secretary.”
I don said all I aim to say, so I am asking you all to stop all your sinful ways and convert right quick.
The Lord’s coming soon and he sees y’all running up and down with your punk-a*s pretending to be busy doing nothin’
He seen you fornicatin’ and sleeping with them men and women. He seen your sorry-a*s cheating on your taxes. Don’t you know he said you shuld obey the government and pay your taxes? He seen your punk-a*s thrashing your neighbor and talkin’ bad about him behind his back. He seen your broke-a*s stealing from your customers and swearing on His name that you making no profit all day long. He seen all the sins you sinning. So am asking you to get your broke-a*s butt of your seat right now and get on your punk-a*s nees and ask Him for his forgiveness. If He change me, He can change you. Don’t wait till tomorrow. You never known if you still be eating kentucky Fries or lying in a mortuary somewhere. I tell y’all today is the day to accept Jesus Christ. Let him change you from your wicked ways. I don my bit and tesified to you’all. Thank you for havin’ patient with me and lissenin’ to my preaching at you. One America. One God. One heaven with straight and narrow road and tight-a*s gate at the end. God loves you. Peace.

Ah well, what can I say. He said it all.