Alone

I never understood for the longest time why women on the streets would bounce from one man to the next, but then you learn that it is a form of survival. Even though the women are some of the strongest  people I have met, they are still at risk when being alone on the streets . A man provides a form of protection, even though that may come at a cost to the woman. I have seen women do everything from standing on a street corner panhandling to selling them selves to make money for their man. When that man leaves for one reason or another, you see many of the women take up with another. In other cases they try to make it on their own. This is the case of one that I had a conversation with a few weeks ago. Her man will be spending about six months in jail and she says she will not get with anyone else. This has left her being a target. She stood crying, telling me how those who claimed to be her friends are now hounding her to sleep with them and if she refuses, they beat her. She said that no matter what, she won't do it, she won't give in and she will survive on her one. In the week to follow she was doing good. The next week she showed up with a couple of guys whom she said were taking care of her. The last few weeks I have not seen her and I worry about her. I pray that she is alright. Pray for these women. Pray for their safety.