The Virus Of Prejudice

In the short story titled Misjudged by Cassie Jammie, three youngsters named Scarlett, Cash and Greyson are considered children of bad reputation. Parents advised their children not to have anything to do with them. In fact the whole town looked at them with suspicion and kept away from them.

- Joe Eruppakkatt

Often, the three friends would buy canned soup from a grocery shop in the town and go to the deep forest. People assumed that they lived on this canned food.

One day they happened to meet Tommy, the ten-year-old guy, who felt dejected because his parents were fighting. The three friends took Tommy for a stroll. Greyson asked Tommy, “Aren’t you scared of us?” Tommy eyed them suspiciously and said, “Everyone says you’re bad.” “We’re well aware of our reputation,” scoffed Scarlett. “Some people just like to make assumptions about people before they get to know them.”

The three friends bought Tommy a cone of chocolate ice-cream which he enjoyed to the full. They then took him to the forest where their friend Sam, a homeless man, and a few others lived. They offered them the canned soup and told Tommy, “He’s a homeless dude that lives in the forest with a few others. We bring them a few soup cans once a week. We like to make sure they have something to eat.”

Finally, Tommy tells them, “Everyone thinks you’re bad, but you’re not!”

The world in our time is fighting against a dreadful virus called Covid-19. But even more dreadful and destructive is the virus of prejudice that wrongly judges, condemns, segregates, and discriminates against persons and groups. The story of the three friends throws light on this virus and its deadly consequences in today’s society.