I was busy washing my car one Sunday morning, when I saw Jameel, my close friend, pulling up in my driveway. I pretended I didn't see him.
"Hey!" he shouted, leaning his head to one side. "Is that car so important?"
I laughed. "Maybe."
Jameel was tall, handsomely built, with long, black hair, a real ladies' man. He was married and had two children.
He came to me and we shook hands. He looked much younger than his 49 years. He hardly had any grey hair.
"Hello, Uncle Myle," Someone shouted from the other side of the road, and I saw it was Fairuz, my neighbor's daughter.
"Hello." I muttered and watched as she came over to me. She was dressed in a short, tight-fitting skirt and her blouse barely concealed her breasts. She was scarcely thirteen!
I agitatedly resumed my chores, wondering how Joe, the owner of the property they lived on, could still tolerate them, seeing that they never paid him a cent.
"Can I get you anything from the shop, Uncle Myle?" She was speaking to me but was glancing at Jameel.
"No, thank you," I said tersely, hoping she would be on her way. If Fatima, my wife, found her here now, she would blow a fuse. Fatima always blew a fuse when she saw this girl near me. I simply wasn't in a mood for a fight today.
"Can I get you anything, Uncle? She turned to Jameel, undeterred. "Cigarettes, maybe?"
"Yes. Get me ten rand airtime. Please." Jameel took out some money and told her to keep the change. She ran off excitedly.
"How much did you give her?" I frowned at Jameel. "You should not give her money!
"Why?" Jameel frowned back at me. "She looks like a nice enough kid."
"Yes." I sighed. "Until they get you into their pockets." I was thinking of the numerous occasions she and her younger brother came to knock on my door, asking for bread, for milk, for anything, even money to make a phone call!
Jameel said something, but I wasn't listening. I kept thinking about them, about the many letters Fairuz brought me from her father, asking to borrow money – R50, R100, sometimes R200, which they never paid back! I later discovered what their devious motives were.
Article comments
1 - Jennifer Bogart
Sadly many, many children are forced into prostitution. They are victims who often have no other choice - beaten into submission, held against their wills. It's a terrible thing. Thankfully there are even now agencies working to rescue child prostitutes and teach them valuable life skills. We can do more than pray.
2 - Ruvy
Ismail,
Just curious as to where you are writing from. R100 is 100 rupees? Or are we talking about a different unit of money?
You wrote a fine article, BTW. Excellent characterization for a vignette about being saved from sin and evil, which is what this article was really about. But the title was misleading. It indicated that you would actually deal with the question asked in the title.
3 - Joy Lightning
I was mislead by the title as well. I read this through and I feel like some things are missing. Where is the compassion? It sounds like this girl, you don't trust her, partially because you are untrustworthy yourself.
I wonder why her father isn't working. It sounds like you don't know about what's put this family into this condition.
I wonder why you are angry with the girl and not with your friend. How is he treating this child who I assume could be the age of his daughter if not his baby sister? You are assuming things. Could she be caring for his kids so he and his wife can have a night out? Is it possible that there is an innocent reason for her being in his car? You could ask your friend to see why he's dropping her off.
For me it was compassion that is missing here. The family needs assistance, she's the poor on your doorstep, can you help her without risking your soul? I think you can. Maybe it could be only your wife who gives her jobs to do. That would be kind, and completely proper.
4 - Cindy
You asked, so, here goes. I will tell you why this child does what she does. Are you sure you want to hear the answer?
In Hawaii, it is common for children to call women they know 'auntie'. Such a title is like an honor, it brings with it the cultural recognition that women will care for all children and treat them like their very own nieces and nephews. They will bear the responsibility of being the adult, as children sometimes need us to be, not being adults or having enough experience with the world to always make the best or safest decisions alone. Sometimes children need protection, sometimes the right kind of help. But they always need the adults they associate with never to fall down on their job of acting like loving, protective grown-ups who never expect that the child should be the adult instead of they themselves.
I assume this is a similar cultural practice for this child to call men 'uncle'. I think there is a sort of trust in accepting such an honorable form of address.
Before I get to the reason, let me get this out of the way. That you are raising your voice to a child and demanding she settle an account between yourself and another grown man is a boundary problem. Adults do not act appropriately when they do not attend to their own business and, instead, they expect a child to do this for them. Consider the reason you would do this. Are you afraid to take care of your own business?
That you responded to the girl's inappropriateness with more inappropriateness yourself suggests another problem with personal boundaries. What do you think an 'uncle' would do when greeted with such an inappropriate suggestion from a child? What do you think any appropriate grown-up would do when met with a child whose dress and behavior is suggestive? Would someone who cared about that child take advantage?
I'll make a guess that your sex life with your wife could use some help. Only because this is sometimes what leads an otherwise reasonable man not to recognize when he is doing the wrong thing. Yes, it's you, not the child. The child needs help, instead you offered her someone who would take advantage of her unfortunate choices. She is a child who does not have a reliable adult to guide her. You, like the rest of the adults in her life, failed her as well.
The reason children become prostitutes is because there are men who treat them the same way you did. If all men they met treated them like the misguided children that they are and acted like supportive, caring adults, there could be no child prostitution.