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If it glitters, it comes at a price Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by Julie, Kenya Jul 15, 2008
Health , Human Rights , Maternal Health & Child Mortality , HIV/AIDS   Short Stories

  


It was a Wednesday morning in December when Rita’s life took a turn that could never be reversed. She entered the counselling room feeling very confident. After all, she was just going to confirm what she knew to be negative. Didn't she look healthy enough? Had she not been a good girl who had kept her virginity until seventeen years of age? HIV was simply not for people of her calibre. This feeling did not last long, the counselor asked her if she was ready for her results, she smiled confidently and asked for them.

When the results were presented to Rita, all she could see on the paper was the big stamp- HIV positive. It must have been a bad mistake or just a bad dream. Then after five minutes, she realized that she was wide awake- she cried all the tears she could, till her eyes burned with dryness. Why was life so unfair? She went home still fighting off her tears.

She made up her mind to keep her baby but not tell a single soul about her pregnancy or her newly acquired status. It would be unfair to deny an innocent baby the right to life, yet she wanted to have a long life. This was what she told the doctor. George abandoned her, saying that he was not sure that he was responsible for the pregnancy- the only way to prove it would be when the baby had been born. So she decided to go it alone. Her KCSE results came, and she had done pretty well, but what was there to live for when everyday she was nearing her grave? She started attending the psycho social support group at the clinic to learn a few tricks on living positively.

She tried to keep her secret for as long as possible, but a swelling belly is not something that can stay under wraps for long. At seven months, her mother asked her why she was gaining so much weight; she had to tell her this part of her secret, though she was still scared of her father’s reaction. Fortunately, her father did not do anything to her; he did not even ask her about it. Rita was determined not to burden her parents with the consequences of her actions; so she found a hairdressing job in order to get ready for the responsibility that awaited her.

It was a fine working day, and the young mother-to-be went to work as usual. She however felt something funny on her abdomen; but, as was usual, she kept it to herself. That evening, her labour pains worsened. She could not reach the hospital on time. So she gave birth to baby Gift outside in the cold, when she was being taken to hospital. Without the proper information and the courage to face the questions that would be raised by people, especially her mother, she took to breastfeeding the bouncing baby boy.

Rita was the most hardworking mother that ever was, and she made sure she provided everything that her son needed. There was a very strong bond between her and her son- a reason for her to live. Unfortunately, her son stared developing complications and hospital became their second home. After five months, the flame that had lit young Rita’s life was extinguished. Baby Gift succumbed to pneumonia. The mixed feeding- breastfeeding together with solid feeding- had caused the baby to be infected with the virus, causing different opportunistic infections. After crying for hours, she decided to leave a message for George that her son had died. He did not how up at the burial.

The last time that Rita saw the man, she was at work trying to put the horrible past behind her, still mourning the death of her Gift. He told her that she had killed the baby and that she was supposed to be happy as she had no more burdens to bear. What caught the grief-stricken lady’s attention were not the inconsiderate words that the bastard was uttering, but the fact that he was in the company of a schoolgirl, probably younger than she was. How many more would have to pass through what she had been through?





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Writer Profile
Julie


A 25 year old lady who's a Journalism student at Daystar University. I am also a HIV/AIDS peer educator in Kenya. I am a strong believer of evidence based information to young people, in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. "We can not fight an enemy if we lack all the skills to win."
Comments


Dear Julie
Hafiidhaturrahmah | Oct 2nd, 2008
Dear Julie... I love ur story. It was so inspired. U are right Julie...many girls did like Rita did. ANd..I couldn't imagine in the end of story that HIV already infected Rita--not because her silly things but because "blind love" I hope you could share more this with me Julie. I love to discuss HIV and find the best way to prevent it (It's difficult to change habits right ^_^) Nice to find u here with ur amazing story Julia Warms, aViS ^_^



Ute oduol | Oct 2nd, 2008
Sad but true. I think the only way to move forward is to keep educating people on everything to do with sexuality. Keep up the good work!



hi
maxamed | Oct 13th, 2008
What a good job your doing right julie !, I do agree with you that education is the best preventive way of fighting the enemy keept it up doing. I cannot describe how inspired I am.



hello
saman karim | Oct 14th, 2008
hello julie thanks for your story



friend
saman karim | Oct 14th, 2008
hello to the members in this site i want to be a friend with you can you contact me please



You make the world a better place
Adelusi Oluwafemi Temidayo-Don | Oct 17th, 2008
This is absolutely educative and touching with a bid of call to consciousness. I must confess i really enjoyed myself while reading through the lines and paragraphs therein, nothing missing and nothing untold. Just keep up the good work because it has the ability to change the world. All the good lucks!



A lesson and guidance
Yussuf A. Mohamed | Oct 19th, 2008
Hi Julie, In fact, your story is a guidance and a lesson to many teens. Please, keep writing. Regards, Yusuf China



teaching the world
Kanyiri | Nov 20th, 2008
hey,i think you are teaching the world especially the youth a lot.In third world countries at the moment I think people still don't know the importance of condoms so go on with your great work!



Tshepo | Feb 15th, 2009
Your story is what is happening to our African sisters.The way you tell the story makes it easy 4 me to relate.You doing a good job.Wish u all da best



Contact the Great Mother
Ella Bruce | Aug 21st, 2017
I made a promise to tell my testimony all over the globe once my man come back to me and my husband came just as Great Mother told me when she helped me. I made the right choice to have contacted Great Mother the great spell caster who is capable of helping you solve your problems. My man left me to suffer and i never believed that he will come back to me again but when i contacted Great Mother she assured me that my man will come again. She gave me some list of items to buy but i could not get them in my country and so i sent her the money and she bought the items and prepared the perfect love spell. My husband ran back to me in 3 days time begging for forgiveness THIS IS SO REAL AND GENUINE. NO SCAMS. I was so surprise that the spell worked just as she told me. This is so amazing and i want you to believe because Great Mother is so real and i urge you contact her now on her email so that she can also help you the way she helped me. Her email is Greatmotherofsolutiontemple@yahoo.com and you can also contact her with her phone number on whats app +2348078359876 you can also check and contact her on Greatmotherofpowers.blogspot.com Greatmotherofsolution.blogspot.com

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