Like pride, lust goes before a fall. In his novel, When a Man Cries (University of KwaZulu-Natal Press), Siphiwo Mahala chronicles the downfall and uphill struggle of municipal councillor and serial seducer Themba Limba. This is an extract from chapter 11, “Should a man cry?”:
I decided not to give immediate chase after Thandi; that would have raised many people’s eyebrows. I wanted to give her time to settle and when she began to feel comfortable then I would remind her of my part in taking her out of the sea of poverty. The only salvation for her was to come back to these arms that had once held her so tenderly. Besides, there was never a shortage of opportunities in a school environment.
I had been entertaining schoolgirls who boast more delicate flesh than that of their worn-out teachers. I had never taken a particular interest in schoolchildren, but what is a man supposed to do when girls with tender and fresh bodies present their womanhood to him? Is he supposed to say, no, I can’t touch your body because I prefer that of your older sister who has probably had several lives coming out of her womb? How is it possible that a man can refuse the solid bodies and opt for the large loose-limbed ones in whose veins blood often competes with alcohol.
As a schoolboy I had been one of the staunch campaigners against the association of teachers with their female students. Young and sometimes not-so-young teachers obviously had many great advantages over us schoolboys in dealing with girls. We did not have the material resources they did. Schoolgirls were tempted by presents such as money and expensive clothing that male teachers dished out as a way of expressing their interest. Little did my fellow schoolmates and I know the pleasure our educators derived from the young girls’ bodies.
As a teacher I have now had the privilege of experiencing the adult’s perspective. As I grew up it was impressed upon me that I dare not submit to temptation, but I have always wondered if the same rule applies when temptation is good for you. As an adult I reasoned that the danger is actually in the way in which you submit to temptation. I believe in letting young girls initiate the move; that way they will not reveal it to anyone.