Obaa Yaa
I lost my virginity to my relative
My father is loving, caring and his greatest desire is not only to develop the human resource base of his children, but to enable the youth in the family reach appreciable levels in education.
Irrespective of this laudable intention of my father, I lost my virginity to one relative of mine when l was 14 years old.
My parents used to travel on business trips for about two weeks every three months, during which we were left under the care of our relatives who were older than us.
This elderly relative of mine behaved as though he loved me and had my welfare at heart, not knowing behind his charming smiles and seemingly caring nature was a sinister motive to put me to bed at all cost.
Being an elderly relative who knew much about life and was sexually active, he succeeded in luring me into an active sex life.
Surprisingly, though l am now 23 years old and in the university, he still made attempts to seduce me into having an affair with him.
Since l now resist his diabolical advances, he complains vehemently about whatever l do and resorts to telling lies about me to my parents. He has been able to influence my parents to believe in his part of the narrative, for which reason my parents often blame me for trying to be a naughty girl.
He has discouraged my boyfriend from visiting me with the reason that l am too young and inexperienced to be in a relationship.
I would like to report his conduct to my mother, but l am scared about my parents’ reaction when they hear of this and the likelihood that my father will withdraw the assistance he has been giving him and sack him from the house.
Kindly assist me with an answer to enable me make a decision before the worse happens.
What step should l take in order to deal with this problem?
Mercy, Odumase Krobo.
Dear Mercy,
You must know that your moral life is at stake because of the secret relationship between you and your relative.
The fear is that the frequency of sexual acts between the two of you has the tendency of making you think that the illicit relationship is normal, while it increases your sexual appetite.
As a student in a tertiary institution, you are no longer a child but a matured person who is capable of taking your destiny into your own hands.
This is an abominable act which must be condemned by all and failure to act now will result in consequences you will grow to regret later.
This is an opportune time for you to halt this unhealthy practice before pregnancy sets in to further set the family apart.
You can imagine how enraged your parents would be when they discover this unhealthy relationship between the two of you. Be informed that you will get a fair share of the blame when they get to know.
Your relative must control his libido, know better and should not abuse the good intention of your father and pay him back this way.
Report his conduct to your parents before it is too late.
I am in my final year in the university. My elder sister has been very supportive after the death of our parents.
My sister has a boyfriend who visits often. Anytime he comes around, she wonders why I don’t entertain him and why I suddenly find an excuse to leave the room. She takes it as me being cold, even jealous, and it angers her more than I can even imagine.
She has no idea about what is going on behind her back. He has asked me out on several occasions and looks at me in a lustful manner.
But my problem is that I never told my sister the real reason I avoid her boyfriend. I have kept my distance, not out of hate for her or for him, but because I carry a secret that would break her heart.
Princess, Tema.
Dear Princess,
Why are you keeping this away from your sister? As long as you continue to live under the same roof with your sister, tell her about her boyfriend’s behaviour.
Have you by any chance confided in any relative? I’ll advise you to open up to someone, at least to take the weight off your shoulder.
Act fast before the situation exacerbates.
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I am a young lady of 23 years who lives in a compound house around Kasoa in the Central Region. I live with my auntie.
We are not always at home because she spends most of the time at the market due to her business, and I am mostly on campus.
One sunny afternoon, I overheard some tenants talking about another who takes her bath in a basin and throws the water away. We have two big bathrooms, but just because she doesn’t want to scrub, she has refused to bathe there.
Although she is usually not around due to her work as a nurse, it doesn’t warrant her to do as she pleases. We have spoken to the landlord about it, but she seems unconcerned. What should I do?
Beatrice, Accra
Dear Beatrice,
I am surprised that your landlord seems unperturbed.
Have you considered having a conversation with the tenant to find out why she ignores the chores? She does not seem bothered about the kind of perception the other tenants have about her.
Why would a young lady who is a nurse and an advocate for healthy living be this lazy and unconcerned about her surroundings?
No excuse should be tolerated just because she’s a nurse and mostly not around.
