The Gaslighting

In an attempt to be believed in my claim that the unwanted attention couldn't possibly be coming from so-called gay people, I also told my neighbours about the explicit couples outside my window. Perhaps that was why the gaslighting began?

What happened next was that the special treatment resumed. This time, the intention seemed to be to convince me that the villagers' behavior had never been caused by any rumors. As soon as people caught sight of me, they would look flirtatiously, sway their hips, or fix their hair. Gradually, new behaviors were introduced while the flirtatious ones were phased out. Some weeks, every single person would cough as soon as they saw me. Other weeks, everyone I met on the street said the same thing. Other weeks, they would touch their hair or stare intently. This went on for twelve years.

During the first few years, I was too ill to go anywhere. When I eventually became well enough to travel to nearby towns for shopping or hospital visits, I discovered that the treatment followed me wherever I went. In fact, it even intensified when I left the village.

I suspected that the villagers saw their chance to prove to me, once and for all, that nothing had ever happened and that I had been imagining it all along. Not for a moment did it strike me that it could actually be true. Not for a moment did it occur to me that I might actually be the one who was insane. I simply assumed that since I didn't leave the village very often, the villagers found it just as entertaining every time to gather acquaintances in town to perform the usual theater for me.