Léna Varga
I was getting ready on a Friday evening to go out with my friends. I did my make up and listened to some music, then got dressed as usual, as I did every day. I was wearing shorts and a pink t-shirt. I packed my bag and was so happy to finally go out with my friends. We agreed that we would meet in front of our favorite restaurant, which is near my house.
When I got out of the house, I saw a strange man in the distance. I didn’t care about it, so I locked the door and started walking toward the restaurant. I saw the man pick up his pace. I was a little bit confused, but I thought maybe he was just running late. Then I looked back to see where he was. I saw that he was really close to me. I was scared. He came up to me and asked me where I was going. I didn’t know what to say, but I knew that I shouldn’t tell him the truth. I said that I was going to the mall, and I started walking faster. I noticed that he started slowing down, so I finally felt comfortable. I called my friend for comfort till I got there. When I arrived, I didn’t tell them what had happened. I didn’t think that it was a big deal. We went inside the restaurant, ordered some food, and gossiped about what had been going on in our lives recently. We talked for about four hours; soon it was 9 p.m. It was getting dark, so we decided that we should go home. We paid the bill and said our goodbyes. One of my friends lives near my house, so we walked together half of the way home. She said that she was going to talk with me on the phone while I got home, but I said no. It was really dark on the street because our street is poorly lit. I saw that someone was walking far away. He was getting closer, and I noticed that he was the man who had come up to me before. I was shocked, scared, and didn’t know what to do. I was getting closer to my house, but I knew that I shouldn’t go home. So I stopped, pretending that I couldn’t find something in my bag. He was getting closer and closer, and then I noticed that he was in front of me. He said that I looked really good and asked me if I lived in this area. I said no; I was just at my grandmother’s house for the weekend. He started complimenting me and saying weird things to me. He also started touching me. I immediately grabbed his arm and pushed him away. I started running as fast as I could. I didn’t stop running until I got home.
While I was searching for my keys, I looked back to see if he was following me,but I didn’t see him. I got into the house, ran up to my room, closed the door, and started crying. Everything was a mess in my mind. I didn’t know what to do or what I should have done. I just cried as hard as I could; what had just happened five minutes ago replayed in my mind. I wish I didn’t have to experience this every time i went out.
I long for the feeling that when I go out, I can feel comfortable because men won’t compliment me. I won’t need to bring a “pepper spray” with me when I go out at night or even in the morning. That will be my freedom.