Slowly he tells me that he was addressed by an Indian who promised him to buy him food and clothes if he would accompany him. The Indian ordered him to buy two train tickets to Toti and gave him money.
Vusi, the trustful, hungry boy went to the counter of the railway station and bought two train tickets. When they arrived in Toti, they walked to the beach, and went into the park. In the park the Indian asked Vusi “show me your willy” to which Vusi answered “no”. The Indian repeated that he would buy him food.
Bear in mind that Vusi is a boy of the street, lives under the naked sky and has to deliver a fight each day to survive. A hungry child would do anything to get some food. But Vusi knew better. He knew this was not right and realised that what the Indian asked to do, was wrong. Suddenly the Indian grabbed Vusi, and - completely surprised - Vusi was too late to escape. Then hell started. The Indian threw him roughly on the ground and lowered his trousers … At that moment there were a few people in the park who saw what happened and they immediately called the police. But it was too late. For Vusi the hell went on. After the Indian had done his thing, he realised that there were people who saw it all. The police arrived fairly in time …
The Indian still tried to escape and offered Vusi R 1.000 if he would keep silent and run away. But Vusi was smarter and ran to a police officer on a motor bike and yelled: “He just raped me”, pointing at the fleeing Indian. Fortunately, there was a police patrol in a helicopter that could locate the man and then he was arrested in no time. A new hell opened for Vusi …not knowing what to do and completely depressed, he let the policemen conduct him to the police station. He was lucky … it was the police office of Amanzimtoti, the office that co-operates very closely with Operation Bobbi Bear. And very soon Ans (a wonderful volunteer) and a CSO (Child Safety Officer) were at the office to support Vusi … Vusi sits on the edge of the bath and looks depressed and I feel rotten, furious and emotional. I look at him with tears in my eyes.Now that I have heard his story, I am so glad for him: he showed power, he knew that it was not right, his reaction to run to the police was correct. And soon I realise that this boy will be able to process this trauma; he is strong and talks about everything that happened. When he sees the tears in my eyes, he stands up and comes to me.
I give him a big hug and he whispers in my ear: “It’s OK, I’m fine now”.I cannot believe my ears, a victim who went through hell only a few hours ago and who says encouraging words to me … I tell him that we will fill his bath and that he has to fully enjoy the warm water. He smiles and starts undressing. He stays in the bath for almost an hour. I even remember my mother’s remarks when I myself sat in the bath and opened the warm water tap every 15 minutes … and I think: “Leave him”.
Meanwhile it is almost half past one in the middle of the night and I completely forgot about my visitors. I make a bet for Tobias in a hurry and tell him that he is free to crawl between the sheets. The same or course goes for Joana. But no … they want to see if Vusi is OK.I make a bed for Vusi and prepare a few sandwiches. The poor boy hadn’t eaten yet.When he walks proudly out of the bathroom, I see his natural cheerfulness and it is easy to notice that he feels good and safe.I give him the sandwiches and he starts eating as it were the first time he saw food. After 20 minutes we all go to bed. We have to get up early in the morning to pick up the medicine. They have only given Vusi a few tablets to overcome the first days. And PEP has to be administered very strictly … the entire dose and at the exact intervals, if not you can still get AIDS. I wake up in the morning and feel that this will be a tiring day … not enough sleep, looking for a place to stay for Vusi, picking up the medicine, going to Bobbi Bear for further interrogation and who knows what else and I have two visitors I have to take care off.Apparently Tobias and Vusi seem to get along well. They are already playing outside. When I see Vusi’s smile, I am completely at ease. All will come to a good end, I think.Suddenly Joanna tells me that her plane leaves at 8.50. As I am not very alert the first hour after wakening, I scare like hell when I see it is already 7.55 !! Like a fool I call Tobias and Vusi and yell that they should take their sandwiches in their hands. “We have to leave NOW”. There is a big chance that we’re going to miss the flight.Vusi enjoys the foolish drive to the airport …
I neglect as much traffic rules as possible … And hope no police man or camera has seen me …We are at the airport in no time … and Joanna catches her flight, though the entire check-in office is already closed … wonders still happen!
“Have a nice trip Joanna!” We drove further to Umlazi to pick up Vusi’s medicine. There I learn that the medicine (3 big tablets each time) has to be taken twice a day at the same hour, with an interval each time of 12 hours. We started at 7.30 that morning, so the next tablets have to be taken at 19.30. As a precaution, I put the hour in my mobile.After the visit to the hospital we drive to Bobbi Bear to hear if there is any further news and for further interrogation of Vusi. I am told that the man was indeed in prison and will stay there for a while. “Good”, I think.My next job is to find a solution for Vusi… So I start phoning, spread my problem and then have to wait for answers.After lunch I suggest to go home and relax a bit as it has been tiring for everybody and we can use a little rest. But then I realise that I still have to bring a volunteer to the airport ..so now on our way to Waterfall to pick her up.
Once (back) at the airport, it strikes me that Vusi has never been at an airport before. It is a spectacle to see him, he immediately runs to the window to look at all these big machines and says: “Goh, I thought that an airplane was very small and never understood how people could get in it.”
I explain to him that when you look at something in the distance, it always looks smaller than in reality. I don’t think he really understands but don’t get the chance to further explain as he and Tobias are already running straight to the “instruments” to look at them.After we have eaten a bit, we have to say good-bye to Eva and see her leave with tears in our eyes: “Have a nice trip Eva!” At last we can return home to enjoy a bit the rest of the day.
Once at home Tobias and Vusi start playing in the garden and I take some rest.Still no solution for Vusi .. so he has to stay with me another night, which he doesn’t mind at all .. But during the evening, we are saved by a telephone call: a couple is prepared to take up Vusi in their house and to look after him. “Waw”, that’s great!
Vusi’s mother died two years ago. Vusi and his mother lived on the street, they slept under packing material they found at the side of the road. His mother went looking for some money and food every day …
One way or another she had found a solution to send Vusi to school; a bit later it appeared that a female teacher took care of Vusi and paid his costs.After his mother died, Vusi did not return to school. He had to look for food himself now …
Two years of struggle for life … it sounds odd but in fact Vusi was lucky that this happened … he now gets a real chance to live! We are three weeks further now and I am sitting here quietly with my PC to tell you this story. Vusi is happy, I see him every week and each time he sees me, he runs to me and gives me a painful hug with the words: “Thank you for everything you did for me, you saved me."And each time I cannot get used to these words and end up with tears in my eyes. I don’t know if this is caused by the painful hug or by the strong words …He lives now with Amanda and Christopher and their daughter. Wonderful people that do everything to make him happy and find out everything about his background. They even had a bone test done to determine his real age. They already know that his birthday is January 6, but the year remains doubtful. He himself claims to be 17, but according to some, unofficial documents, he would be 18.Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He has a new life now, food every day, a shower every day, clean clothes and every day sweet people that surround him. Amanda told me that regularly he goes back to his old habits, such as his language use, that is very ‘of the street’, he regularly sleeps on the ground … but to change all that will need some time.He even has to learn to eat with knife and fork.Before I left Vusi with Amanda and Christopher, I had a long conversation with them and explained that they had taken a very heavy decision and that this would completely change their life from one second to another.They understood this and are willing to do their utmost to help the boy.After three weeks I see that they are all happy.
Again I was able to give a new life to a victim …
Gunter
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