stigma part 6
304 Words
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STIGMA
by [Author’s Name]
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Chapter 5 – A Ray in the Dark
The harm of rumor is that it never dies quietly. Even after weeks of silence, David could feel the sting of invisible eyes whenever he passed through the narrow paths of Odogun Village. He had stopped greeting people; each “good morning” was returned with silence. But one morning, a stranger arrived — a man with a camera bag and a curious expression.
“Are you David Oladele?” the stranger asked.
David nodded warily. “Who’s asking?”
The man smiled faintly. “My name is Ajayi, a journalist from The Daily Star. I’ve heard… unusual things about you.”
David tensed. “If you came to write lies, please leave.”
“Actually,” Ajayi said, setting his bag down, “I came to hear the truth.”
It was the first time anyone had asked for his side of the story. They sat beneath a mango tree as David recounted everything — how the rumor began, how he was suspended, evicted, and left to rot in shame. Ajayi listened quietly, recording every word. When David finished, the journalist simply said, “People forget that lies travel faster than justice. But truth—truth never stops walking.”
Two days later, the article appeared:
> “INNOCENT HEALTH WORKER RUINED BY FALSE RUMOR.”
David didn’t see it until Amara brought the paper, her eyes glowing. “You’re on the front page!” she said, handing it to him.
He read the headline again and again. The story painted him as a man of courage and integrity — the victim of fear, not infection. His heart swelled with a strange mix of gratitude and disbelief.
By evening, villagers began murmuring. Some pretended they hadn’t believed the
- Writer
