Betrayal

Everyone, I suppose, has betrayed and been betrayed in one way or another during this brief stay on planet Earth. Betrayal is universal, unavoidable, expected.

This doesn't stop it from hurting the second, fifth, thousandth time around. Especially if the traitor is someone close to your heart.

I mean, an acquaintance can betray me, or stab me in the back (here's your knife back, thank you very much. Sorry I bloodied it) and it would hurt but at the end of the day, I still can go, 'Oh, who gives a rat's ass about you anyway?!'

It's when someone you love, someone you're loyal to, betrays you that the pain is indescribable.

And after all these years, I've finally learnt my lesson. Never trust anyone. Sounds bitter? In my language, it's called survival skills. After all, pig-farmers feed their pigs, don't they?

When the person who's closest to me, whom I've known for all my life, betrayed me, well. A part of me just died. (And I'm saying this sans melodrama)

It's that innocent part which still believes in humanity. 'The milk of human kindness has curdled.' Funny sad, not funny ha ha. True, nonetheless.

Maybe it hasn't died out completely, who knows? God has amazing resurrection and healing powers. But for the time being, it's pretty much comatose. Vegetative condition. Whatever.

The sad thing is, I don't think I even recognize that person anymore! And I'm not talking about physical change here. It's as if I'm seeing a stranger peeking out from under that familiar face (or mask?). I think married couples on the brink of divorce are familiar with this.

And I've known that person ALL MY LIFE.

The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being. - Proverbs 20:27

I guess the human heart is deceptive. Sometimes we don't even know ourselves, so how much more can we expect to know others?