Law of karma?

H. was my colleague in 1971-1974 when I was the export manager of a joint venture dealing in goat skins. After a time lapse of 20 years I met him again, however his social condition was none so good. He was continuously out of work, two of his children had died, one by an incurable disease and another was fatally injured when he fell from the roof of his house. Misfortune seemed to follow him everywhere; his job in a garment factory was lost when the factory was razed by fire, and last but not least, his emaciated wife was constantly ill. He periodically came to me for financial help, but being a salaried man there was not much I could do to alleviate his financial troubles. At present he allegedly lives from the income of his only son who works as a driver.

Putting two and two together, I can only surmise that this is nature's way of punishing a sinner. I told him: If you are continuously followed by misfortune, you must have done something which has made the Almighty angry. So you must earnestly repent and ask for His forgiveness.

H. told me in confidence, without remorse and with apparent glee into the bargain, the not unusual story of adultery. It all began when one day he looked out of the window and saw his neighbor's wife squatting on the floor busily cleaning the floor. His passion aroused, he felt the desire to do business with her. The all too-old husband of the woman made her cooperative. So their affair lasted for six months and his story was filled with amorous and intimate recollections which could make Casanova blush with envy. Although he confessed his sins, I detected that there was no sincere feeling of remorse and repentance, for he seemed to enjoy his experience.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta