I roamed the streets of Zimbabwe, a missionary for Compassion Ministry. This was my first week here, after a multitude of training for this passion of mine to stand in the gap where I was most needed, where God has called me to be. I was all prepared to be stationed amongst the poorest of poor and neediest of needy, and true indeed, this place was a desolate one, but none more desolate than the eyes of the children who line the street.
This night, I was heading back to my hostel. I was done for the day and needed some rest to continue my task of serving the community around me. Compassion Ministry was in charge of planting schools around the area, and it was no easy feat. It was no easy feat, particularly, keeping these children in the schools. They all saw fit better things to spend their time on. I would too, if my main concern was where my next meal was coming from. My mind preoccupied with these matters, I did not see the three girls approaching me just as I was crossing the street from Meikles Hotel.
"Sir, for $20 you can have me for the whole night." Her statement was plain. While I was retiring for the day, hers was just about to start. I quickly scanned the three girls, the eldest of them all did not even look sixteen years of age. Poor souls, poor poor souls.
I turned to the second girl. "So, are you going for $20 as well?" I asked. She nodded, unfazed. She was the quiet one. "And you?" I turned to the last girl. She was trying to hide that bit of indignance, but I saw it flicker in her eyes, before quickly fading away. She tried to smile, but how genuine could it be when there was so much plaguing her mind? This child had taken on the burden of an adult, and it showed. She probably had a few siblings waiting back 'home' for her, waiting for whatever miserly bit of income she could bring in. Her parents had probably divorced, disappeared or been lost to AIDs.
"Yes," she replied nonetheless, not evading my gaze. She had to be strong.
"Okay," I decided. "You guys meet me in the lobby of the hotel back there in thirty minutes then." I pointed to the hotel across the road. I had to get some things settled first, the most important of which was to proceed to the reception to book a hotel room.
After busying myself for the whole thirty minutes, I greeted the girls again at the lobby. "Come, let me show you girls something." I directed them up the lift. They seemed nonchalent, definitely not expecting what was in store.
And so I opened the door of the hotel room. There it was, everything I had ordered. Four slices of the best cake, and an assortment of finger food. Drinks of every flavour. All the DVDs the hotel could rent me. Boardgames too. The girls' eyes widened in surprise. This night was not turning out the way they expected it to be. It was foreign to them, so foreign they were stuck in their tracks and did not know how to approach the situation. I had never seen such hesitancy in children who were presented with all the delights in their world.
"Go on," I nudged them. They looked at each other, finally deciding to let their guard down and hustle into the room. They ransacked the pile of DVDs, pulling out the Disney titles. They couldn't agree on which to watch first. I had to intervene, telling them they'd get to watch all and just had to start somewhere. We plonked ourselves in front of the television after choosing a popular and heartwarming title - they gobbling down their food and cake, I savouring every bit of their reaction and exhilaration. Soon they got tired, and retired to the bed.
Seated at the corner of the room in a comfy armchair, I watched them sleep for awhile. They were sleeping soundly, just as children should. This is how it should be. I left the room.
I knew I could not change anything in these children's lives. Tomorrow, they'd be out on the streets again, soliciting customers who would probably not respond the same way I did. However, I was content with what I had done.
At least for one night, just this one night, they were children again. I had always thought that everyone should come to Zimbabwe at least once in their lives, and maybe they wouldn't continue living their ignorant sheltered lives. Maybe then, something would be done. Maybe, we're all just too afraid to face the facts. But that doesn't mean the facts aren't staring straight at us.
--Adapted from a sermon I'd heard