Just how easy it is for a child to be abused in our society? Have the parameters of abuse been defined to determine what could be deemed as inappropriate behaviour towards a minor? Is it the suggestive touch, the use of intense sexual innuendos or the mere assumption suggestion that a girl child is conceived and born only to become the property of her male counterpart?
Many moons ago during the frustrating, hormone laced formative teenage years two best friends went on holiday to one of the girls’ home village. Both girls being daughters of very powerful career women they were pretty much self sufficient and could take care of themselves with little or no supervision. On one fateful day two prominent figures in the village community paid a visit to the mother’s small business to see her, they were duly informed of her absence and that she will only return the following evening to which they replied that they will check on her then.
Having been raised properly like any well mannered young girls, they made their way to the lobby to greet these men. Since it had been a few years since they had seen the girls and their bodies had started to fill out in all the ‘Right Places’ there was an element of surprise coupled with a cunning almost sly smile when one of the men asked again when their mother was due to come back to the village.
Later on as the girls were washing up and getting ready to turn in for the night, the heard a knock at the main gate which they had already locked. When inquiring who it was they were answered by the gentlemen’s familiar voices. The girls walked hand in hand towards the idling vehicle to find out the reason behind this nocturnal visit.
And then the hunt began…
Like lions in the jungle the men released their claws, sharpened their teeth and prepared for attack, not in the physical sense but the manner in which they communicated and their body language anyone one could tell they had come to this house knowing very well that 2 vulnerable 14 year olds were home alone for the evening with no parental supervision. However unbeknown to the predators these girls had very little prior experience with the opposite sex and none of the things put on the table as a means of enticing them worked.
One of the men suggested that they all go back to his place to watch a movie, to which the girls replied that the mother had hired movies for them before her departure and they had to finish watching them before her return. The suggestion to grab drinks was also rejected on the basis that alcohol smells disgusting and that they had no desire to turn into the ratchet girls at their school notorious for sneaking out to drink and fool around with boys.
The gentlemen were now clutching straws and were realising that getting these two young women out their home was not going to be an easy task. Call it luck, fate or a mother’s instincts because just as they were about to launch full on ambush bright lights seared towards them and indeed it was the mother who had for some reason decided to take the last day off to check on her babies.
She was a very unhappy woman to find her two teenagers casually conversing with gentlemen old enough to be their fathers at such an inappropriate hour. The gentlemen quickly told her that they were actually looking for her to which one of the girls innocently chipped in that the men had come earlier and had been informed to check on her the following day.
An awkward moment of silence passed and the gentlemen were politely asked to exit the premises. To compare the conversation that ensued between the mother and children after the men had left to the Spanish Inquisition would be an understatement for they were asked to relate every single detail leading to tonight’s situation leaving absolutely nothing out. A lecture on safe sex, reproduction and staying away from older men followed shortly after before the girls were released to bed.
After putting their heads together, the mothers of the two girls reported this matter to the rightful authorities but the men however did not get fired. In true Setswana culture it was dealt with quietly and the philandering gentlemen were merely transferred to another area with young girls present and who were probably not as lucky as the two who were rescued by reluctance innocence and of course their mother.
