"Kemi! Come and fetch water for me", Amope instructed her daughter but Kemi refused, she would prefer the company of her lover Kunle who was a first class hoodlum.

Like many innocent teenagers Kemi was head over heels, she believed her love would change Kunle. Like every dutiful parents, Amope called her daughter and counselled her.

"Kemi my daughter, I know you are not a girl anymore but you are not a woman either, I heard you are keeping bad company. Kemisola my daughter, we all know that Kunle belongs to the dreg of the society, you know I won't lie to you".

"Okay mama", Kemi replied.

"Is that all you will say?"

"Yes mama".

"My daughter I don't want your life to be ruined, don't you want to ask me anything or tell me something?"

"No mama". Kemi responded with her head down.

While Kemi was tossing and turning on the bed, she imagined her future with Kunle.

"I know we will make a great couple", she said to herself with smiles.

The next day they met at the usual place and Kunle invited her to his place but she rebuffed.

"I thought you said you love me", he blurted.

"Yes I do but...."

Before she could complete her statement Kunle walked out angrily, Kemi tried to catch up with him but all to no avail.

"I will go and see him tomorrow", she whispered to herself.

"Mama I want to go to my friend's house".

"Which of your friends?"

"Kunbi".

"Please don't stay too long and be careful", the mother advised.

"Yes? Who's there?" Kunle asked angrily.

"It's I Kemi".

"Oh! My one and only Kemisola", he said with excitement as he opened the door. Little did the naive girl know that she was in the Lion's den.

Kunle ran his finger through her hair and rubbed her hands gently, he made his way up to her bosom and Kemi resisted.

"Kunle please stop, I don't want to loose my virginity".

"You are funny, who told you that with a mere touch your virginity would go missing?" Kunle said with a frown and then sat on the wooden chair. There was a brief silence until Kunle held his abdomen with a frown.

"What is the problem Kunle?" The worried girl asked.

"I am having stomach ache".

"Oh sorry, is this the first time or it has always occurred".

"It's been up to two years", Kunle replied as he groaned in pain.

"Well then let's go see a doctor;you cannot continue like this;it's getting too much; sorry."

"I have been to the hospital and the doctor says the only solution to the stomach ache is sex. He said it's because I have not been having sex for the past two years".

"But I don't want to loose my virginity".

"Don't worry, you won't. I will be gentle, I just need to get cured, do me this favour and I will forever be grateful".

The poor naive girl fell for it and Kunle conquered her. Few weeks later she started manifesting some remarkable physical changes.

Amope noticed and questioned her daughter but she denied it, her maternal instincts kept urging her to push further.

"Kemi we are going to the hospital right away", fear was written all over Kemi's face. A pregnancy test was carried out and everything was revealed.

Amope asked her daughter who was responsible and in minutes she stormed Kunle's face me I face you apartment.

"See what you have done to my daughter, she's now your responsibility. And as for you" facing Kemi , "you have gained admission to the university of marriage unfortunately you can't be an accountant there. Lest I forget, stay here and never come back". The angry mother roared and left.

Kemi started living with Kunle, their relationship seemed like a fairy tale at first but later it changed to a horror show. Kunle would come home drunk many nights and beat Kemi into pulp.

"Do you want to die here? Go back to your parents, see how swollen your face is. If a man can beat you in this condition then I don't think he's a man but an animal", her neighbor said.

"What did you just say?" Kunle demanded.

"No I wasn't talking to you, I was .....", Tunde stuttered.

"Save your breath, she can't go anywhere, her mother's parting words was that she should never come back, so mind your business and go to your room". Kunle blared.

Amope heard all her daughter was going through but refused to intervene. "To me Kemi is as good as dead", she said to her friend who advised her to take Kemi back.

A year after, Amope died of cardiovascular accident (stroke)

I will keep saying it, parenting is not easy but we have to be our children's best friend.

Lest I forget, abstinence doesn't cause abdominal pain, if any guy tells you he's having abdominal pain secondary to abstinence please ask him to hit a brothel with protection of course. What if Kemi got more than pregnancy, what if she was infected with HIV or any other sexually transmitted diseases? Do you know that early exposure to sex predisposes women to cervical cancer?

It's so disheartening when a parent sees his or her child stray, all dreams and aspirations becomes shattered, unfortunately Amope heaped her heart with profound sadness and it cost her her life.

No matter what our wards do, throwing them out is not the solution, yes they can be punished but don't discard them like a worthless piece of trash. Don't forget your efforts during pregnancy, delivery while they are growing up, academics and so on. Adolescent period is the most difficult stage in the life of every individual and that stage determines the kind of adult that person becomes.

If you have questions concerning sexual and or reproductive health please consult a health expert.

This is your HEALTH TAINEMENT nurse urging every parent to be their children's best friend.

#Parenting
#SexualHealth
#Adolescent
#Teenager
#health