Tell your story#32 (Our virginity, our pride)

Good day steemians! First and foremost, I'd like to thank @ruthjoe for this opportunity to tell a story. I write with a saddened heart as the story I'm about to tell happened to my neighbour and till this day, I'm still in shock each time I think about it. Before I proceed, can we just take a few minute to imagine ourselves loosing our virginity in a way that is so unpleasant to us, a way that you can't even speak about it to anyone. Hmmm.
Virginity is a lady's pride and no lady wants to loose it painfully.

Source

This incident happened 3months ago and the lady's name is Joy. Joy is a young adult of 20 years of age. She was a very jovial girl and was liked by people in the neighborhood. She's decent and humble. She stays with her brother who was so calm and cool-headed but right now he is someone I can tag to be "a green snake in a green grass".

It was quite unfortunate that they stay in a room apartment, herself and her brother. Whenever she wants to dress, this guy finds it so hard to excuse himself and give her her privacy with reasons best known to him. Let me guess, maybe because he is the one paying the rent. So one faithful week, Joy wore a sad look throughout, she wasn't jovial anymore, always by herself and never wanted to associate herself with anyone...even me! She no longer comes to my house like she used to.
Everyone was concerned. My mum had to call her and asked her if she's going through anything or probably in need of something, she said no and that she was fine! Lo and behold, the following week, joy started throwing up and was looking so sick. Her brother came to my family to tell us that his sister is sick and that he was bothered. My mum suggested that the ailment might be malaria (as that's the common disease in Africa caused by Female Anopheles mosquito bite). She also adviced him to take her for some medical checkups. He said he needed some money to take her for that. My parents assisted him with the money.

So, later that evening, Joy's brother came back to our house very angry. After pacing around for a while he broke the news that 'JOY IS PREGNANT'.
What? How? When? Where? Who? ...these were the words that came out of my mouth. Joy was a decent girl, I then concluded in my heart that she was definitely raped, cos why not?
Her brother kept on saying he was going to kill her , he was going to send her out of his apartment if she doesn't say who impregnated her. My mum had to send me to call Joy. When she came in and saw how her brother was shouting and threatening to kill her, she became frightened. My mum asked her who impregnated her , she looked at her brother and couldn't say anything. My mum and I kept on asking, but Joy was mute.
After a while, they both left, my mum decided that she was going to text Joy on her phone. We believed that there was something she really wanted to say but couldn't say. So my mum texted her at night to ask the same question of who got her pregnant. By morning, we saw her text message that it was her brother and that he ties her mouth and sleeps with her everynight except when she's seeing her monthly flow. He also threatened that if she tells anyone, he will send her out of the house to live on the streets and might even kill her.
I was heartbroken after reading that, my eyes were popped out and full with tears. Why on earth will a blood brother sleep with his blood sister. Oh my God! What is this world turning into. I see these things happen in movies and sometimes hear of uncles raping their stepdaughters and all, but not this! I concluded that her brother is truly a green snake in a green grass. He was never the good person everyone thought he was. He made Joy loose her pride, her virginity! That was so sad. Right now Joy is 4months pregnant and I pray she delivers her baby safely. Amen!

I learnt so many things and will be sharing a few of them:

1. We shouldn't judge people by their appearance only. Joy's brother appeared calm, cool-headed, and responsible but turned out to be abusive and manipulative.

2. A lady's personal space and privacy is very crucial. Joy's lack of privacy and personal space contributed to her vulnerability.

3. Say No to silence and fear. Joy's silence and fear of her brother's threats and consequences led to prolonged suffering. If she had spoken about it to someone, the situation would have been well managed.

And lastly, to as many that has suffered abuse in one way or another. Don't be silent! You can still speak to someone, report that person, pick up the remaining pieces of your life and move on. There are still better Opportunities and people out there to help you become a great person. Greatness is in you, speak up!!

Source: shot using my Samsung galaxy A10s phone camera

Thank you!

I'd like to invite @oblessgod and @namocomfort to join this amazing contest.

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