Reflections: Life’s Paradox - A True Story!
Life! This world is an intriguing place. Lots
of things happen every day that give one cause to ponder on the intricacies of
this life! An adult male raped an 8 year old girl. She was a school pupil
returning from school when she was lured by the rapist into his home. Sadly, he
violated that little girl. But that is not end of the story. Later, through the
suspicion of the girl’s guardian, the man was apprehended and he confessed to
the crime. At this point, the worry was on the health
and well-being of this little girl. As a routine practice, she and
the accused were screened for STIs (sexually transmitted diseases). What would
you expect? You would not be surprised if the man turns out to have an STI.
That would suit his profile. But alas, that was not the case. Allow me explain:
When the tests results came out, it turned
out that the man was HIV negative but the 8-year old girl was HIV positive. The
results were correct. How come? It was found out that the girl was an orphan.
She lost both her parents to HIV/AIDS. She also has the disease from birth
(vertical transmission from mother to child). She lives with a guardian and she
receives anti-retroviral drugs (drugs used in the management of HIV/AIDS)
from a hospital where such drugs were provided. But her rapist did not know
that. How could he? All he saw was a vulnerable 8-year old pupil walking home
from school and he had his way with her. Little did he know that that little
girl had HIV! Little did he know that by taking advantage of that very little
girl, he was putting himself at great risk of acquiring a life-long disease!
How could he? He did not know that by violating the innocence of that child,
his own body became guilty and vulnerable to
an incurable disease. How would he?
The well-being of the little girl
ought to be the focus of care-givers. But at that point when the results came
out, he invariably became the focus of concern not because of the attention he
got by committing such an abominable act, but because, now, he has to be on the
look-out. While he may wait to get justice served in the court of law, as to
this fact of been exposed to HIV, he need not wait. In a paradoxical sense,
justice has been served. He would spend a many days wondering when his own test
would turn positive. (Due to seroconversion, it takes a while for an exposed
individual to turn out HIV positive.) No matter the eventual outcome, he would
have gotten a big chunk of what he deserved and far more than he bargained for:
no peace of mind and body.
It’s sobering to think about how things turn
out for people who always seek to take advantage of others in a very unfair
manner. Life! People get away with offenses like those of this man or so it
seems. But, now and then we see dramatic and overt consequences to the actions
of men. The little girl had the disease through no fault of hers. She was
innocent all the same. Also, she was vulnerable and thus suffered scars that
will burn deep in her childhood memories as a result of that attack. But her
story, as sad as it was for her, in a way helps to tell a story and to teach a
many lessons! The story of a shattered innocence and an unforgettable scar! The
lessons of life’s paradox: those who seek the harm of others inadvertently
expose themselves to harm and much more.
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