Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Recap: Last time, Gabriellewas invited by a pastor to give a motivational speech at his church about living and coping with HIV/AIDS. The pastor promised to give her a token for travel but, instead, after the service he drove away without fulfilling his promise.

One would think that living with HIV and being pregnant with your second child at 19 years old were more than enough for one person to bear. This is Gabrielle's reality. To boot, she is faced with gun violence, because of the volatile community in which she lives.

Recently, while at home, Gabrielle was in the kitchen preparing her modest lunch. Her son was outside playing with his cousin. She heard a barrage of gunshots. Two young men were killed.

So scared

"I was and still am so scared. I am a country girl, I am not used to these kinds of things," said Gabrielle.

She notes that the incident got her thinking: "How can people be more fearful of persons who are HIV positive when guns can be so deadly? How can we be the biggest threat when you can walk outside of your house and be killed any day?"

She noted that she wants to relocate, but for now she has no other choice. She has no money and would not be able to afford rent, so now she has to make do with what she has.

She said the incident got her thinking about death and the many other things that can kill you besides AIDS. The men were killed in close proximity to the corner shop where she shops.

"How ironic it would be if I had gone to the shop that day at that time. I could have been killed and it would not have been by HIV."

Names changed to protect identity.

Send comments to keisha.shakespeare@gleanerjm.com

She said the incident got her thinking about death and the many other things that can kill you besides AIDS.