āThis one is very serious, guys:
I came upon these two on the sidewalk. They were having a conversation. āExcuse me,ā I said, addressing the girl: āIām sorry to interrupt, but is there anyway I can take your photo?ā
āWhy would you want my photo?ā she asked.
āBecause you look beautiful,ā I said. And she did. She was Sudanese. There is a very distinct beauty among people from the Sudan, and she was filled up with it. Suddenly the man cut in:Ā
āI was just telling her she was beautiful,ā he said.Ā
Naively, I assumed I had just walked up on one stranger giving a compliment to another. I wanted to capture the moment. āLet me take your photograph together,ā I said. The man seemed reluctant, he started smiling nervously and inching away. But the girl called him back.Ā
āCome take a picture with me,ā she said. Encouraged by her attention, he returned. She put her arm around him, and I took the photo.
As I examined the photos on my camera, the man started whispering to the girl. She answered him in a loud voice: āI told you! Iām not that kind of girl.ā She seemed agitated now. Finally sensing that I had misread the situation, I stepped between them. The man began hurrying down the sidewalk.
When the man left, the girlās demeanor changed completely. She seemed shaken. Her eyes were tearing up. āHe just offered me five hundred dollars to go out with him,ā she said. āAnd then when I said āno,ā he offered me one thousand. Why does this always happen to me?ā
āIt happens a lot?ā I asked.
āAll the time,ā she said. āIām sorry Iām getting emotional. I just canāt go out of my house without this kind of thing happening. I have a son. Iām a mother. I would never degrade myself like that. I just donāt understand why this keeps happening.ā
āDo you mind if I tell this story?ā I asked.
āPlease,ā she said. āTell it.ā
Letās hope this man, and all men, realize the emotional damage they are inflicting on the women they try to buy. In the meantime, feel free to SHARE.*
Dear Tumblr, fuck you for trying to erase this.Ā