Navigating the spring craziness is not as easy as you might think.

Once again, the same scenario unfolds: grocery shopping interrupted by the usual suspects—ICE, spies, Jews, and a jeweler.

And there it is, the same bus, the same meeting style. This time, a JOYERO (jeweller)

What caught my eye? His handcrafted jewelry or the situation itself.?

The bus never waits at that station. Never! But this time, it did.

Was it waiting for me?

I question everything unusual, so I questioned this too.

My alert system was on instantly. What the hell is with this bus?

Then I started scanning around.

I scanned to my right and left, focusing on those in close proximity, the most urgent ones.

On the right, a British man, whom I’ll call “Right Sunshine.” His fingers, his face, and the damned smell of alcohol masked by cheap perfume.

He seemed more concerned with adjusting his hat than hiding his alcohol scent.

But okay, brother, your lifestyle is your own.

I became scared and more aware.

There are probably more of them. I scanned further.

Straight ahead, another British person with two silver flower brooches. (What do those pins symbolize in gang slang? I need to learn more about this.)

She had an immortal face, my British Pins lady—or was she even a lady? I think not.

But on the left, there he was. THE him!

The jeweler, or as he called himself, the Joyero.

To make sense of this charade, I decided to start with him.

“What beautiful rings you have!” I yelled across the bus. He smiled! I made him happy!
He wanted JOY, he had JOY! LOL

I had made a jeweler happy, though I didn’t know it at the time.

I noticed how shyly he moved to another chair to avoid eye contact. Wrong move, old boy! I can see everything! Catched you!

Then questions started swirling in my head: Who will get off at the station with me, and how will I approach them—the one with the pins, the one who smells of wine, or the jeweler?

And as if the craziness needed to escalate, at the last two bus stops, two young Latinos sat in front of me, one wearing a “Steven Madden” bag. LOL

I thought, “Fuck, this is real craziness.”

Keeping my eyes open, I got off at my usual station with the Joyero in front of me.

I caught up to him at the crosswalk; he let me catch him.

Then I understood. What the fuck! This man is a professional! But who is he, and why is he doing this?

I approached him, my backpack full of groceries and a heavy bag of potatoes in hand, and started complimenting his rings.

This time, he said he couldn’t speak English, so I began speaking in my broken Spanish.

Is someone listening to and recording my phone in real time? It seems so! Joyero was cautious!

I don’t know who he is—crazy or a spy—but he told me he is THE JEWELER -JOYERO! He told me he made his own jewelry.

And I have never seen silver rings more beautiful than his! Ever in my life! And I am passionate about silver jewelry. He said he is from El Salvador, but he looked more Chinese than Salvadorian with his large, rare grey beard.

Definitely a disguise!

Whether he was a spy, an ICE agent (playing on “ice” as jewelry), a Jew, a crazy jeweler, a member of organized crime, or part of some secret society—that man was afraid to speak English and had the most beautiful rings.

It was him, THE LORD OF THE RINGS?

Who knows!

Let your soul speak to people, and they will speak to you—as best they can, for their protection and yours.

You must know just what you need to know.

Today was about THE Jeweler! EL JOYERO!

Who were the others? I’ll think about that later.