Last night I got dinner downtown with one of my best friends from school (see Of My Favorite Things) which was quite great, but nothing out of the ordinary.
If I had decided to go to the bathroom instead of just leave and wait outside for my dad to pick us up, this daily-dose-of-interesting may not have happened.
Side note: My day was fairly ordinary and simple, and since I feel that every day should have some element of surprise or interesting, I really wasn't all that shocked that the following story happened to us. It was just bizarre.
So you know those scam emails that tell you a really sad story about someone whose family member is sick and needs some life saving treatment, ask you to help them in any way possible, speak of an off shore account with millions of dollars, mention connections to supposedly famous or important people, ask you to help anyway you can, and have some sort of riddle or puzzle in them too?
Well that happened to us last night. Only it wasn't via email, it was real life. Here's the story-
My friend and I had finished up dinner downtown on Michigan Ave, and went outside to wait for my dad. (He was in the city for a work dinner so he offered to take me home so I didn't have to take the train.) As we walked out the door I almost ran into someone. I said "excuse me" but heard him say something so I turned around to see what he said.
Guy: Oh, um how do I get to the train? I'm trying to get to 183rd street
Me: Well, which one are you looking for? Ogilvy is about 4 blocks that way, while Union is more like a 30 min walk.
Guy: 4 blocks?! Oh well I'll have to get a cab (my thoughts- lazy bum)
He was wearing a dark jacket, baseball cap, and had a pull suitcase with him. My friend noticed that the zippers on the bag were all opened, which makes sense later when we realized that he wasn't going anywhere, that was just a prop.
Guy to my friend: Are you in college??? How old are you?
Friend: No, I just graduated. I'm 22
Guy: What! You're not in college? You're just a youth. (To me) How old are you???
Me: We're the same age, both just graduated
Guy: From where? Where did you go to school?
Me: University of Michigan
Guy: Really, oh you're both just youths.
Then he held up 3 fingers and said that he had 3 degrees and went on to babble about schools and places that I'd never heard of. At about this point my dad pulled up to the curve and sat in his car watching us talking to this old, and confused looking guy. His breath reeked of alcohol.
At this point I was really done talking to him, but knew that if we turned to walk away he would have just followed us. I didn't want him to do anything to my dad's car if we took that exit either.
Guy: I need to get to O'hare airport, Um how do I do that
Me: Oh! Well then you need the El, not the Metra. Take the blue line, its about 5 minutes that way
Guy: Oh the Metra, where is that
Me: That won't take you to the airport. You need the EL.
Guy: So you know, I have money. I've got $3 Million Dollars safe in the Caymen Islands.
He then continued to ramble on about the money, his education, and some person he apparently thought we should know about.
Guy taking off hat and stepping really close: look at me. Look at my face (nothing particular like scars or damage, just sad blue/grey eyes and wrinkles) now I know (name of person we didn't know) . . . (I started zoning out here)
Guy: you don't know (name of person)?! And you went to college? You think you're educated???
Me: You know what, if you want a train, head that way. We have to go, our ride is here.
Guy: Don't worry about me, see that car over there, I've got people watching me. They're watching us, they can see you. They can take me where I need to go.
At this point I was ready for him to break the act, or the camera crews to pop out and tell us what was really happening.
Guy: In my day I could get 12 eggs for 4 cents. Now how much is that per egg?
He kept saying more stuff about eggs and costs, equations and riddles that I didn't care enough to listen to.
Guy to me: Now I'm askin' you cuz you're smiling. How much would it be?
Me: Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Now, trains are that way, we have to go
Guy: You don't know the answer! You think you're educated but you're just a youth, you're both just youths. Don't know nothin!
Me: Have a good night -Bye
My friend and I turned towards the car, he said something I didn't hear and stuck out his hand. Stupidly I shook it - my friend avoided the gesture as she had her hands in her pockets.
Thank god for hand sanitizer.
When we got in the car neither of us could believe what just happened.
Dad: Haha, you guys making friends out there??
Me and Friend: NO!!!! He wouldn't stop talking to us!
Me: You know those email scams that tell you a story, mention off shore money, and have some odd riddle
Friend: We just saw one come to life.
Dad: Weird - what did he say?
Me: A whole bunch of things.
Friend: It was so strange
Me: I almost ran into him too. If only I didn't hear him ask about the train . . .
And that was my Daily Dose of Interesting.
~Jenna
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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