Just now, I saw a civil servant—convicted of corruption—posing for the cameras. Journalists, TV crews, all crowding around her like she was some kind of celebrity. 

And she was smiling. 
Smiling.

She even flashed the victory sign with both hands, like she’d just won something.

I stared at the screen and thought, *Why is she so happy?*

Is someone going to bail her out? Will all the charges magically disappear? Next week, will she be on vacation in Singapore or Japan, sipping coffee in some boutique hotel, posting filtered photos with inspirational quotes?

Or maybe… maybe she’s not happy at all. Maybe it’s her ego that won’t allow her to show sadness. Maybe that smile is armor.

Still. 
She walked confidently. Head high. Big smile. That “V” sign was like a badge of honor as she stepped into the detention car. She was going to jail. 
And no, she didn’t have the look of a female bandit, not even a hint of Harley Quinn.

Didn’t she realize—right then—that her life was about to change? 
That her schedule would no longer be hers? 
That she couldn’t go wherever, whenever she pleased?

But maybe that’s it. 
Maybe freedom isn’t something you understand until it’s taken away.

I remember, when I was pregnant with my third child, I had unexplained bleeding. Stress, the doctor said. He ordered bed rest. Total confinement.

And that was the moment I understood: 
When you lose your freedom to move—even within your own home—something in you starts to unravel. 
You start to lose pieces of yourself. 
And there’s no audience for that kind of breakdown. No cameras. No victory signs.

So why do I care what a corrupt official looks like on TV?

I’m not sure. 
But as someone who wakes up every day juggling bills, worried about groceries, grateful just for the ability to walk to the market… 
I guess I expect consequences to mean something. 
I guess I expect shame to at least *look* like shame.

Because if her life was really that good, why steal? 
And if she stole because she needed the money, like the rest of us, 
Then why smile like it was all just a game?

No remorse. 
No apology. 
Just… a grin and a V sign. 

I don’t know. Maybe it’s not about her at all. 
Maybe I’m just tired of feeling like the rules only apply to people like me.

Karin Sabrina