Fragments

360 Degrees

Sometimes a life is changed just by being a witness.
There are often barriers to our greatest potential.
These barriers can be cultural, circumstantial, or just imagined.
Barriers and reality can be changed by experience.
Someone else's experience.

Life in Argentina is 360 degrees from life in New Zealand.

Homework

Sunday morning 11.00am

"Mum, I'm going over to Pablo's (boyfriend) place, we have to finish an assignment for school on Monday, I'll be back around 7.00"

"OK love, here take this, (Magnum 357) there have been a lot of robberies lately, I don't want anything to happen to you"

Complying with her Mothers wish Maria puts the gun in her belt bag and sets off on her bike for Pablo's house. With Pablo she works all day on the homework assignment and in the early evening as the sun is beginning to go down she starts out for home.

A short while later Maria is intercepted by two armed delinquents.

She tries to resist and pulls out the Magnum her Mother gave her.

Her assailants react quickly.

Without hesitation they shoot and kill Maria.

They leave her dead in the street.

When Maria's body is found later she is still in possession of her watch, gold chain, and belt bag. Her bike lies nearby undisturbed.

The only thing missing from her possessions is the Magnum.

A beautiful life is wasted. Projects go unrealised and dreams unfulfilled.

Emptiness and the deepest devastation.

"OK love, here take this, there have been a lot of robberies lately"

This tragedy is a true story that happened in the Buenos Aires suburb of Jose C Paz in October this year.