Listen to the words and music of one London teenager telling a warning story.
Words
Hi my name is Kyle and I’m here to tell you a story about a boy called Jerome and why he hurt himself.
Jerome is on the bus dreading to go to school. He gets bullied at school coz he’s got HIV.
He is late to his lesson coz he is scared of what will happen today. Jerome takes a deep breath and walks in.
“Go away we don’t want to get infected”, some boy says.
As Jerome walks in he ignores all comments. He goes to the teacher and the teacher tells him to go sit at the back, but he doesn't want to sit and the back, he wants to sit at the front. He tells the teacher that he wants to sit at the front, but the teacher says, sit at the back!
Now it’s lunch time, the worst part of the day for Jerome.
The bell rings. He rushes his food and runs out to the library, where he cannot be hurt. The bell rings and he goes to his lessons and the verbal and physical bulling continues throughout the day.
Now home time – the best part of the day for Jerome. Do you know why?
Jerome gets home but his mum is not home.
He is happy to be home but at the same time angry coz of what happened today - was the worst of all days. Jerome is so angry that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
He walks on to the kitchen and picks up a knife, and cuts his thumb half way off.
Just as he does that his mum walks in and and stops him before he cuts the whole thumb off, and calls for an ambulance. Jerome goes to the hospital, and within three days is back at home.
Meanwhile, the whole school heard what happened to Jerome, and they felt so guilty that they start to learn more about HIV.
Jerome goes back to school and starts playing with his new friends and life is more happier for Jerome.
So, who do you blame for what happened to Jerome?
Me, yourself, or the society. You decide.
