Neither extreme caution nor unwavering optimism will get you very far in the paradoxical realm of life. Mary was reared in a devout Catholic household, and as a result, she is mild-mannered and respectful. Her parents instilled in her the qualities of being strong and generous and an endearing and patient young lady. On the other hand, Mary had an insatiable appetite for adventure and the chance to forge her own path in life. The idea of pursuing pleasure and carving out one’s path appealed to her, but it was risky since she did not know that the world was a wolf ready to devour any soul with aspirational goals. She imagined a life like strolling along a beach and picking up cute little seashells. At 19, Mary set off for the metropolis full of enthusiasm and determination. Many people were drawn to her because of how young and lovely she appeared. So many people wanted to run their hands through her dark, silky hair.
Mary’s unfathomable beauty helped her secure a job as a bartender in a downtown watering hole. She became a local celebrity after word got out that she worked the bar at night, drawing in thirsty and hungry patrons who multiplied the tavern’s popularity by a factor of seven. Mary’s esteem and fame gave her more reason to be proud than a peacock. She developed a haughty attitude and sought out only high-status guys with whom to be seen. The Mayor of her town, a selfish soul and a vicious wolf in sheep’s clothing fell for this quality, and they began dating. The infamous Mayor Higginbotham has a history of sexually exploiting young women (Hughes, 2022). His penchant for mistreating young women and using money as bait was well-known in the community, and it was like the stench of rotten eggs.
Mary’s meeting and becoming close with Mayor Higginbotham was a lifelong ambition come true. To her, the Mayor represented a golden opportunity to advance in society. The Mayor continued to shower Mary with gifts; if she wanted anything, whether an exotic vacation or a new piece of jewelry, the Mayor would immediately provide it. She had abandoned the moral principles she had maintained since she was young and saw these ethics as a prison holding her spirit and body prisoners. She dismissed her friends’ concerns about her connection with Higginbotham, even going so far as to call them “vultures” for trying to ruin her joy in her newfound love.
Everything that starts must eventually come to an end, the saying goes. After feeling queasy and weak one frigid morning, her skin became gray, and her strength quickly dwindled. Because of these symptoms, she ended up in the emergency room. She underwent medical testing and learned that she was HIV positive and pregnant. She was completely taken aback by the information, and the prospect of breaking it to Higginbotham sent panic up and down her spine. When she finally mustered up the nerve to tell the Mayor in person, he did not take the news well. The Mayor kicked her out and said she was unfaithful. She tried to tell the Mayor that she was faithful and that he infected her, but he would not listen and instead raged at her, saying that she was not welcome in his city.
During this altercation, Mary learned her hard lesson: not everything that shines is gold. Her isolation and resentment brought on her sadness, and she seriously thought about ending her life. Weeping hysterically and gnashing her teeth, she thought about how she had been taken advantage of by a monster of a guy, and the tears poured down her plump cheeks. Her aspirations have been broken into a thousand shards of glass, and there is no hope for them to be put back together. However, she sits every day on the balcony of her parent’s house and wonders why the world is so cold and how she became a victim of fate.
Reference
Hughes, P. E. (2022). Limitations of Genre: Women in Country Music from the 1960s to the Present. The Ohio State University.