Besides, I was really pumped about having this full court to myself and I didn't wanna give it up quite yet.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
But dude keeps staring. Soon, he walks from the sideline and stands beneath the basket. Now, I'm annoyed. But when I look at him, he looks…sad.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
But I'm not an idiot. So I start to gather my things to leave.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Then he stops me. "Hey, you're really good," he says. I mutter a thank you and walk toward my bike, which is on the ground a few feet away.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Then he calls toward me, "You should keep practicing." I'm almost at my bike and fo some reason I'd turned around. Not sure if I was curious, or irritated, or what.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
And then he's like, "here's a dollar."
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Now, 11-year-old me knows better than to take anything from a stranger.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Truth.
And this dude is super sketchy.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
But a dollar is also real American currency, enough to buy two Baby Ruths.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Should I ignore the dude and go on about my business?
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
I mean, every adult has always told me my whole life that taking things from a stranger is dangerous because that person could be a serial killer.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
But also sugar is a thing that I like, and a dollar would allow me to buy said sugar.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
So in a matter of moments, I'm doing the math in my head: Yes, I could die in this empty ass park.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
But there are two major streets on either side of the park, Fell on one side, Oak on the other. If he tries something, someone will hear me scream, right?
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Anyway, I run up and take the dollar from the dude, barely looking at him. And then I hop on my bike and speed away.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
I don't think much of it until months later, when I see that there's a manhunt for some guy who's going on this cross-country murder spree.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
And then on the news, there's his mugshot. It's the same guy who gave me a dollar. His name is Andrew Cunanan.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
So now I'm freaking out. And I do what all 11-year-old's do in cases of emergencies: I tell my friends.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
I remember being in the yard at Roosevelt Middle School, and telling the homies: "yooooo! i met that serial killer dude on the news. he gave me a dollar and told me i was good at basketball!"
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018
Of course, no one believed me.
— Jamilah King (@jamilahking) January 18, 2018