Prejudice by Cockroach

I moved into my new house wanted to start a new life. I was accused for molesting and was in prison for two years. I wanted to let go of my past and wanted to get a job as soon as possible. My family had left me; my friends had been avoiding me. All I ask was that the society to give me a second chance. My life was grimed because of my past…

I had faced many problems while looking for jobs. People had rejected me when they knew I was an ex-convict. I started to get used to those discrimination. I believed that one day, someone will accept me. The neighbours also had shown their concern about me being joblessness. I did not dare to tell them the reason. I was afraid that they would avoid me if they knew my past. But things could not be avoided. Somehow, they knew about my past and started to avoid me when they saw me.

Few months passed, I managed to get an accountant job in the bank, but my neighbours were still avoiding me. I did not know what I should do to ask them to accept me. I wanted to start a new life, yet people were not giving me the chance. Until a new neighbour moved in, I thought she might not know anything and we could be friends.

But that was not the case. The new neighbour did not talk to me after a few days even though we met each other in the lift a couple of times. I sensed that she was avoiding me; most likely she knew my past from the other neighbours. I felt so sad, angry yet helpless. I needed friends, I needed people to accept me, I needed people to leave my past behind and to trust me that I had turned into a new leaf. But I guessed that would not happen.

One day, as I was walking home, I heard,

“Girl! Do not stand so close to that guy. You would not know will he want to molest you,” said one of my neighbours.

I felt so hurt and disappointed. I did not know what to say nor either did I know what I should do at that time. People began to crowd around me whispering among themselves. I felt so unwelcome and hurt. I held my tears. Then I heard someone shouted,

“Enough!”

Everyone looked at her, the new neighbour, wondering what happened. And she continues,

“Someone might make a mistake in the past. But we should not discriminate them,” she said.

I looked at her and she gave me a wink. She walked to me and whisper into my ears,

“People might discriminate you, but I never will.”

I looked at her with tears in my eyes. Finally I got to know someone who was willing to leave my past behind and accept me for being who I am.

“Thank you for unlocking my second prison,” I said to my new neighbour, Jolin, who is now my wife.

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