Ned's Story

Every Friday, I write a short story—a paragraph or two—to use in a tutoring session with my neighbor. We read the story together, going over vocabulary and checking comprehension. We convey meaning through a mix of English and Darija, pictures, and gestures. My friend has a dictionary on hand, but I try not to use it. Even when three explanations fall short to show the difference between “to support” and “to help,” I’m confident the fourth attempt will bring us closer to an understanding. Given my limited Arabic language skills, I don't trust that a translation will provide the meaning I want to convey.

I try to pick a timely theme each week. The Friday before U.S. elections, I wrote about Mary who volunteered to help the Obama campaign. What followed was an interesting discussion that covered American politics, Moroccan elections, the importance of volunteering, and my role as a volunteer in Morocco.

On the eve of World Aids Day, I shared this story:

Ned goes to the health clinic every fall to get tested for STIs. When he got tested in October, he learned that he had HIV. He asked his girlfriend if she was HIV-positive, but she did not know because she does not get tested every year like Ned. Ned went with her to be tested, and she learned she had AIDS. She and Ned did not use condoms when they had sex, which is one way to get infected.

Ned was very sad. He was afraid his family and friends would not love him anymore, but they were very supportive. They helped him get good medicine. The medicine would not make the disease go away, but it would still help Ned. His family was very caring. They knew they would not get HIV/AIDS from giving Ned a hug or sharing a soda with him.

Tomorrow, December 1, is World Aids Day. Ned and his family will volunteer at the health clinic to help other people get tested and teach classes about HIV/AIDS.

My neighbor didn’t know that HIV was the forerunner to AIDS. She did know that the virus was passed through blood, but not semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk. She did know kissing did not spread HIV, but she didn’t know why saliva does not transmit the virus and neither did I. We compared the role of sex in our cultures. Premarital sex is illegal in Morocco, although people still have it. Many youth have secret boyfriends and girlfriends that they hide from their families. I’ve heard that it’s illegal for women to carry condoms, although I have yet to verify this assertion. A likely explanation for the claim is that sex work is illegal, and any woman carrying condoms is presumed to be a prostitute. I explained American dating and safe sex, that not every American has sex before marriage. Sex is a personal choice and not one controlled directly by government mandate, although politicians do find it necessary to interfere in other ways.

I look forward to these tutoring sessions—story time, as we call it—every week. Our lessons go beyond reading comprehension and building vocabulary. I choose topics that will engender discussion, incite critical thinking and cultural exchange. Stories must raise questions, not offer truths.