Clad in a skimpy black dress, with sparkling stone studded stilettos, clutching a sequins embedded purse, huge rings on her ears, and a long gold chain drawing attention to her low neckline; she turned the head of every john who passed by. The auburn highlights through her sleek black hair shone against the spotlights, and Donovan found pleasure in having her on the dance floor.
It was his acquaintance’s birthday, and the party had only just begun. With his magnetic flamboyance, he took pride in his quick move on the woman he considered most attractive, while he gulped down the sparkling, devil’s brew. There seemed to be an instant connection between the woman and him, and that confirmed she was his till the night was over.
The loud music and the colorful lights continued to cloud his senses while they both added on generously to their share of the fermented liquid. He could see in her eyes that she was lonely, and so he knew he was too. “Sandra, tonight is the night we forget all our worries, and be merry!” he cheered, refilling her glass.
Before long, they were both making their way out of the pub into the hotel room. Stumbling upon each other in steps rather poorly coordinated but not utterly without direction, under the sheets they headed. Being meticulous in business, his careful nature did prompt him to think for a moment, “Is she ‘clean’?” However, given murky rationality, intensified emotions and blurred morals, her passionate kiss silenced his thoughts to a simple, “Who cares?”
Hours went by in moments, as he romantically satisfied his cravings of lust with a woman he had hardly known. Protection was the last thing on his mind. A call on his cell phone awakened him abruptly to bring in the dawn of day. He looked around. He was alone covered in the blanket. The enticing woman was nowhere to be seen, and he felt a tinge of regret for not taking her number. “So much for a night, but it sure was great!” he smiled to himself, relishing the gratification of the wee hours before.
Months elapsed and he never saw her again. Neither did he particularly miss her. These were passing things to him, being one with an outgoing lifestyle, enhanced by frequent business travel. Everything was going fine, until one day, his acquaintance mentioned a so-called Sandra. Sandra – the name rang a bell. Yes, he remembered her.
“She was killed in an accident….” his friend solemnly announced. “It’s sad, such a pretty woman….” Donovan said, her images flashing across his mind. With a hushed voice, his friend added, “Even more, because she had Aids…”
Donovan put on a serious face, but guilt engulfed him from within. He knew he might have been the cause...
*Global statistics by UNICEF in 2007 show that 6800 new infections of HIV/AIDS are being reported every day. In the world, there are about 33 million people living with the disease. In Asia, 5 million. Malaysia has a population of around 24,000,000, and out of that, there are around 70,000 Malaysians estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (2005 report). The number is only increasing each year.
*Don’t become statistics. Help stop the epidemic.
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