Disturbing

Last night while drinking at one of our favorite street side cafes, a small boy no older than 12 joined our group. He was covered in filth from head to toe and by his expression on his face, my immediate assumption was that he was mentally retarded. The boy jumped in our laps lovingly and hugged us and tried to kiss our necks. I was a little put out by the situation and wasn't entirely comfortable.

One of our friends who speaks Vietnamese found out that this boy is a heroin addict and is infected by HIV. My heart breaks for this child who has no future and whose present is clouded over by drugs. I went home and scrubbed myself clean and was able to rid that dirt but no matter how hard I try I can't scrub the mental image from my mind.