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Life after the loss of her virginity was normal for the girl. She continued to top some of her classes and to receive awards. Her parents continued to think of their daughter as the same angel, all normal. However, something unusual happened two weeks later. Rita noticed that she had an abnormal vaginal itch but she stayed mum about it. After all, she could not just go telling her mother or anyone that she was already enjoying the forbidden fruit.
She went to George’s habitually, and it had become natural to give in to his requests whenever they came: so they went on with their business. It was George who finally broached the question, “Do you also feel something funny?” That’s when Rita explained how she felt and asked him to take her to hospital. He was the only person she could rely on because she would much rather have died than let her parents know her secret. George shared some over the counter antibiotics with her and assured her that the problem was caused by the “expired” condom they had tried using.
In August, when the KCSE candidates were doing their mock exams, the young woman became so ill that she could not even go to school. The itch had turned into a burning sensation and she had a fever that left her clothes wet. “Romeo”, on the other hand was nowhere to be seen. She stayed at home for a week. Her mother was the one that took her to hospital. She told the doctor about all of her symptoms save for the vaginal problem; so she was given medication for the symptoms she mentioned. She started recuperating after taking part of the dosage.
As soon as she could walk, she went to check on the man who had pledged his undying love for her. She instead found the landlord and three other gentlemen, who had come to confiscate George’s belongings since he had not paid rent for two months. It turned out that George was actually an imposter. He’d said that he worked in a restaurant in town, yet, in the real sense, he had no job. Where he had gone to, God knew best. So she just greeted the occupants of the house and left.
Soon the news spread like a bush-fire, of Rita’s affair with a conman. All this information reached Mr. Odhiambo, who did not take it lightly, thanks to his trustworthy friend the landlord. He was told that Rita had been planning to elope with the loser. So after a nasty lecture to his daughter, he ordered her to keep away from the man because he would infect her with AIDS. That was the most that she had heard her parents speak to her about sex. But wasn’t this a little too late?
Rita decided to turn over a new leaf and to concentrate on her studies. She went and sat for the few exams that remained and did fairly well, considering that she had missed some of the prior ones. A teacher invited Rita to live with her in her house while studying and sitting for her final exams, so that she could get an environment conducive for reading. She was determined to right her wrongs and work extra hard now that her distraction had moved out of the picture.
That only lasted a short time. George went to visit her at school when she was revising for the exams. He did not lack in convincing tactics, and soon they were together again. She would go to visiting him dressed in her school uniform. Everyone who saw them together raised their eyebrows; in fact some of George’s relatives asked him openly what he was doing with a school girl.
George’s cousin called her to his house and warned her to be careful with his cousin and never allow herself to be deceived. There were signals shouting everywhere for Rita to read them, but she still had the itch which she desperately wanted to get rid of. If this was the only way she could convince him to take her to hospital, she was willing to do it. Before she sat for her exams, she had already received her birthday gift- she had had sex on her birthday- but she would only realise this later.
The duo went to hospital after Rita had sat for the exams, and had been persistent on the subject. This was four months from the day she started experiencing the symptoms. They were given the necessary treatment for the Sexually Transmitted Infection and sent to the counsellor. George left to go to work because he apparently did not need counseling. Rita however decided to finish the whole affair so as to become free again.
The counsellors noticed that Rita had missed her menses for a month but that she had not undergone the pregnancy test, so they sent her back to the doctor. Her nightmare was confirmed, she was actually pregnant. The doctor, sensing her state of bewilderment, sent her back to the counseling room.
Rita was obviously shaken by the thought of how her father would react to the news. All she wanted to do was to get rid of the pregnancy. After about an hour of counseling, she was less agitated and the counselors managed to convince her to take an HIV test. She then went home to wait for the results. She was however told to think about her options on keeping the baby and that abortion was illegal in Kenya. That was the longest week of her life.
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Writer Profile
Julie
A 25 year old lady who's a Journalism student at Daystar University. I am also a HIV/AIDS peer educator in Kenya. I am a strong believer of evidence based information to young people, in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. "We can not fight an enemy if we lack all the skills to win."
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Comments
Dear Julie Hafiidhaturrahmah | Oct 2nd, 2008
Dear Julie...
I love ur story. It was so inspired.
U are right Julie...many girls did like Rita did. ANd..I couldn't imagine in the end of story that HIV already infected Rita--not because her silly things but because "blind love"
I hope you could share more this with me Julie.
I love to discuss HIV and find the best way to prevent it (It's difficult to change habits right ^_^)
Nice to find u here with ur amazing story Julia
Warms,
aViS
^_^
Ute oduol | Oct 2nd, 2008
Sad but true. I think the only way to move forward is to keep educating people on everything to do with sexuality. Keep up the good work!
hi maxamed | Oct 13th, 2008
What a good job your doing right julie !, I do agree with you that education is the best preventive way of fighting the
enemy keept it up doing. I cannot describe how inspired I am.
hello saman karim | Oct 14th, 2008
hello julie thanks for your story
friend saman karim | Oct 14th, 2008
hello
to the members in this site i want to be a friend with you can you contact me
please
You make the world a better place Adelusi Oluwafemi Temidayo-Don | Oct 17th, 2008
This is absolutely educative and touching with a bid of call to consciousness. I must confess i really enjoyed myself while reading through the lines and paragraphs therein, nothing missing and nothing untold.
Just keep up the good work because it has the ability to change the world.
All the good lucks!
A lesson and guidance Yussuf A. Mohamed | Oct 19th, 2008
Hi Julie,
In fact, your story is a guidance and a lesson to many teens.
Please, keep writing.
Regards,
Yusuf China
teaching the world Kanyiri | Nov 20th, 2008
hey,i think you are teaching the world especially the youth a lot.In third world countries at the moment I think people still don't know the importance of condoms so go on with your great work!
Tshepo | Feb 15th, 2009
Your story is what is happening to our African sisters.The way you tell the story makes it easy 4 me to relate.You doing a good job.Wish u all da best
Contact the Great Mother Ella Bruce | Aug 21st, 2017
I made a promise to tell my testimony all over the globe once my man come back to me and my husband came just as Great Mother told me when she helped me. I made the right choice to have contacted Great Mother the great spell caster who is capable of helping you solve your problems. My man left me to suffer and i never believed that he will come back to me again but when i contacted Great Mother she assured me that my man will come again. She gave me some list of items to buy but i could not get them in my country and so i sent her the money and she bought the items and prepared the perfect love spell. My husband ran back to me in 3 days time begging for forgiveness THIS IS SO REAL AND GENUINE. NO SCAMS. I was so surprise that the spell worked just as she told me. This is so amazing and i want you to believe because Great Mother is so real and i urge you contact her now on her email so that she can also help you the way she helped me. Her email is Greatmotherofsolutiontemple@yahoo.com and you can also contact her with her phone number on whats app +2348078359876 you can also check and contact her on
Greatmotherofpowers.blogspot.com
Greatmotherofsolution.blogspot.com
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