Adeewa had just finished eating her breakfast; she was in the sitting room waiting for the driver to take her to school that morning.

Adeewa clocked ten, earlier that month. She celebrated her birthday all by herself without anyone sending birthday wishes to her. She stays with her nanny all the while. She was always bored even though her parents bought her toys, story books, laptop, and bed-time novels to “kill” her boredom anytime they were away.

Mr Ajisafe, Adeewa’s biological father, is a businessman in the United States while his wife, Mrs Ajisafe works as a doctor at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, Lagos, South-West Nigeria.

The two parents were always busy with their jobs; not giving enough attention to their one and only daughter, Adeewa. They were focused on their jobs, not minding this little lasso.

For years, Mrs Aderonbi, Adeewa’s nanny, tended her all the while her parents were away, she took an excellent care of Adeewa as her boss’s daughter, which makes a big difference in her life.

She was 13 when she got promoted to SS1 without parental guidance. She was free, and puberty was fast approaching, thanks to her wayward lifestyle which she learnt from her evil nanny, she was without knowing it, developing a faulty idea of what puberty really means and this was because she lacked moral counselling.

Soon enough, she got herself attracted to a lout named Dapo. Dapo was a laborer that works for a bricklayer at building sites. He was a corny, streetwise boy. He sweet-talked and mesmerised Adeewa with serenading love poem chants. The day she called on him for some help to build a pit latrine for her dad behind their house, he said: “You are such a nice n beautiful girl.” Has anyone ever told you that before? asked Dapo.

Dapo teased unendingly. Are you sure? Adeewa replied. Then he said he can bet his whole life on it that her beauty is out of this world. She giggled and smiled profusely. Nobody has ever told me that, Adeewa said and she went further to say that Dapo would be the first person ever to compliment her that way.

That is why it’s always perfect for every parent to always compliment their various wards or children, telling them sweet words like “I love you and all.” So that they won’t feel surprised when a stranger tells them that and that will save most of our young females from unwanted pregnancies and social vices learnt from their prospective so-called boyfriends.

It was 11pm and Adeewa was still awake, reading messages that Dapo has sent to her previously. She didn’t know she was not doing the right thing since she has no one to counsel her aright. Dapo and Adeewa chatted for so many weeks before she invited him into her parent’s abode.

Dapo visited Adeewa on a Sunday noon; the day her nanny was away to her hometown for her younger sister’s naming ceremony without informing Adeewa and her parents that she was travelling. In the meantime, Adeewa’s mum was still in Lagos working as a senior paediatrician while her husband was still living and working in Washington DC, United States of America.

Adeewa entertained her boyfriend with fried chicken and chips and he was very happy when Adeewa presented the food to him. He couldn't remember the last time he ate something that delicious how much more a sumptuous food as chicken and chips, he ate it all like a possessed glutton.

“Switch on the television, please,” said Dapo. “Wow! You also have Ts-TV,” exclaimed Dapo. Oh yes, Adeewa responded, asking, “Do you also have it in your house?”

“Haba! What do you mean? We have almost eight of it in our mansion,” Dapo lied.

“Lori Iro. Really, your dad must be very rich.” She said as she moved towards the shelf where the television was to turn it on.

“Oh what’s that? Dapo asked. “Whaaaat?” Adeewa exclaimed, startled. “That…” Dapo said. “What's that” Adeewa asked again. “Blood stains on your skirt,” Dapo replied, looking confused. “Blood or what did you just say?” Adeewa replied.

“Ok, turn your skirt and see what I’m talking about.” Adeewa turned her skirt and saw blood truly stained her whole skirt and on the spot she was sitting on the sofa.

“Ha, what is happening to me?” She asked herself, crying; “what am I going to do now. I don’t want to die.”

Adeewa continued crying, still staring at her stained skirt. “Oh no, you can’t die,” Dapo snapped; “it may be your menstrual period.”

“What’s period?” Adeewa asked him multiple times. “I mean your menses....”

Adeewa burbled again, looking very confused.

“So you mean you don’t know the meaning of menstruation?” Adeewa could not answer the question.

“So, you have not been taught?” Dapo kept ranting. “How could a 13-year-old girl not be educated about menstruation?”

The confusing look on Adeewa’s face cannot but be over-emphasised. The brief moment of silence that had engulfed the sitting room lasted a while as if a former corrupt president of a certain country just passed on.

“Go and wash yourself up while I go get you a sanitary pad.”

A week after the incidence, Dapo started on same cunning games with Adeewa, taking advantage of her since her parents were not usually around.

“Adeewa, are you a virgin?” Dapo asked. In fact, he used his number 6 and recalled how she reacted to her first blood-flow experience. So, his basic assumption was just right. More details to follow in the next installment.

•Mike-Nifty, public affairs analyst, can be reached on: nifty.mics@yahoo.com.

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