Stories
Mary - The Dancer
Mary was six years old. She came from a slum in Kenya, but she was a lucky one. She was chosen to be looked after. She was chosen to be given an education. She was chosen to have a future. She wasn't chosen because of her smile or because she was better than the others, or needed help more. She was chosen simply because there was too many children to take them all. Mary was given new clothes and fed daily and each Sunday was taken to church. The church was lively, and the Africans liked to dance. One Sunday Mary and the other children were asked, "Have you been to the toilet?" "Yes" they replied, so everyone got on the back of the 4-wheel drive and went to church.
During the service, Mary started to jiggle. At first I thought that she was just getting into the music, but when the music stopped Mary carried on jiggling. When the pastor started to pray and Mary was still jiggling, I knew something was wrong. I leaned forward and saw that she was distressed. Thinking that she needed to go to the toilet, I asked an African lady to bring her. She took Mary by the hand and led her out of the church. I was surprised when Mary didn't return to the church service. After the service learnt that Mary didn't return because she couldn't stop crying. Mary couldn't stop crying because she was so distressed. Mary was distressed because she didn't need to go to the toilet. There was four-inch worm crawling about in her underwear.
Mary had most likely drunk the eggs of this worm, by drinking from a poor water source. What other choice did she have if there was no clean water? I also learnt that the worms only come out by themselves for one reason. Overcrowding. There were too many worms inside Mary and not enough food. Mary went on a simple medication and within two weeks, all the worms where gone.
If Mary had not of been chosen she would be dead. Others not chosen probably are.