Volume 2: Unforetold Harassment Stories
Despite the Lebanon explosion, which is known to be one of the largest explosions worldwide, we must not hesitate in redrawing light on the Fairmont incident, ABZ and many other unforetold traumatizing sexual harassment stories as the dilemmas and hardships of the people who faced any type of sexual harassment were never, and will never be a trend. And so I am here to speak, to share my experience, and spread the word for it and how it will never be something to shame or degrade me, or you.
The more I get committed to the real world, the more I see, and the more I experience it. I remember being in eighth-grade and I was so excited to get enrolled in the track and field training available at the club near my house. Since I fell apart from writing, track and field was the only thing that would act as a gateway to me from school if I was struggling with my studies or mentality.
One peaceful night, I went with my mum after I finished studying to meet my coach and talk about the training description before getting started. The moment my eyes caught a glimpse of him the discomfort lingered between my bones. He was a middle-aged man who seemed to be friends with cigarettes; for they sat so familiarly between his lips, obediently to harm him. The wrinkles and scars on his face seemed to give him a character double his age, yet, his actions gave him half.
I was standing besides mum, two inches away from her, trying to comprehend every detail my eyes rested on in the training space while Mum and he discussed my fitness level and the type of training suitable for my body. I didn't hear much but from what I heard: he wanted me to join the team without any previous experience, even though the club was known to be extensively strict when it comes to such matters. At first, I didn't understand why would he want a beginner to join the team, but then I apprehended the reason behind his eagerness and thirst when I sensed him sending some lustful and carnal looks my way. Initially, I didn't mind him since I was little at that time, and couldn't believe that a twelve-year-old child can be sexually harassed by a man triple her age in public, in front of her mother.
When my mum went to talk to the head coach, she left me alone with him, a harasser. That's when looks turned into actions when he started telling me how much potential my body seemed to have in track and field training, but slowly stopped talking and found an excuse to touch my waist. He then made his way down to the rest of my body pretending that he was showing me around the place. I panicked, yet no words came out of my mouth. I brushed his hands off of me and ran towards the other end of the field as fast as my legs could carry me where my mum was standing, discussing the training days with the head coach.
I said no words to her but my face said it all. It was pale and blank. She knew something was wrong by then. She excused herself and took me away, and then we left. We never went back there again.
Yet until now, I still wonder what would have happened if I didn't run from him? I learnt that sexual harassers don't come in one size or one colour, they are all around us waiting to take their shot, to harass someone, to damage someone in order to meet their lustful needs.
And for the need for this to stop, we must all work to put an end to this together.