Life! This world is an intriguing place. Lots of things happen
everyday that give one cause to ponder on the intricacies of this life! An
adult male raped an 8 year old girl. She was a school pupil returning from
school when she was lured by the rapist into his home. Sadly, he violated that
little girl. But that is not end of the story. Later, through the suspicion of
the girl’s guardian, the man was apprehended and he confessed to the crime. At
this point, the worry was on the health and well-being of this little
girl. As a routine practice, she and the accused were screened for STIs
(sexually transmitted diseases). What would you expect? You would not be
surprised if the man turns out to have an STI. That would suit his profile. But
alas, that was not the case. Allow me explain:
When the tests results came out, it
turned out that the man was HIV negative but the 8-year old girl was HIV
positive. The results were correct. How come? It was found out that the girl
was an orphan. She lost both her parents to HIV/AIDS. She also has the disease
from birth (vertical transmission from mother to child). She lives with a
guardian and she receives anti-retroviral drugs (drugs used in the
management of HIV/AIDS) from a hospital where such drugs were provided. But her
rapist did not know that. How could he? All he saw was a vulnerable 8-year old
pupil walking home from school and he had his way with her. Little did he know
that that little girl had HIV! Little did he know that by taking advantage of
that very little girl, he was putting himself at great risk of acquiring a
life-long disease! How could he? He did not know that by violating the
innocence of that child, his own body became guilty and vulnerable to
an incurable disease. How would he?
The well-being of the little
girl ought to be the focus of care-givers. But at that point when the results
came out, he invariably became the focus of concern not because of the
attention he got by committing such an abominable act, but because, now, he has
to be on the look-out. While he may wait to get justice served in the court of
law, as to this fact of been exposed to HIV, he need not wait. In a paradoxical
sense, justice has been served. He would spend a many days wondering when his
own test would turn positive. (Due to seroconversion, it takes a while for an
exposed individual to turn out HIV positive.) No matter the eventual outcome,
he would have gotten a big chunk of what he deserved and far more than he
bargained for: no peace of mind and body.
It’s sobering to think about how things
turn out for people who always seek to take advantage of others in a very
unfair manner. Life! People get away with offenses like those of this man or so
it seems. But, now and then we see dramatic and overt consequences to the
actions of men. The little girl had the disease through no fault of hers. She
was innocent all the same. Also, she was vulnerable and thus suffered scars
that will burn deep in her childhood memories as a result of that attack. But
her story, as sad as it was for her, in a way helps to tell a story and to
teach a many lessons! The story of a shattered innocence and an unforgettable
scar! The lessons of life’s paradox: those who seek the harm of others
inadvertently expose themselves to harm and much more.
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