By Ruth:
The African Girl Child.
“ mummy, please what those pussy mean?” I rememberd asking my mum while I was eight years old.
“ It’s a cat” my mum replied reluctantly.
“ No, mummy it’s not. My friend at school told me it’s a female genital part” I said innocently.
My mum turned red at an instant and before I could ask her why? She had bounce on me leaving me with a little scar on my cheek.
“ The next time you say such a word, I’ll design your face. And don’t ever follow that prostitute that you call a friend.
I can remember having same experience if not worst from my dad. He had punched me so hard on my cheek. Ever since I’ve decide not disclose or discuss anything with my parent again. I kept every secret to myself.
But for how long will I keep every secret from my parent? Here I stood stained by my menstrual blood but I never knew what it was. I was really confused.
when my uniform got all drenched with my blood. I stood confused in the toilet not really sure of what to do. This was my first time experiencing a menstrual flow.
I taught of removing my skirt to wash it but that wouldn’t make any sense, how do I get a new one to wear? Moreover the bleeding or what ever it was wouldn’t stop flowing. Once I felt a terrible pain around my abdomen, I screamed out.
“ Who’s there? What’s going on there?” I heard a male voice but I couldn’t alter a word not because I don’t want to but the pain I felt was really excruciating.
“ what’s wrong with you? And why is your uniform stained?” I heard same voice asking. I looked up to see Sir Maduforo standing right in front of me.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked again.
“ I don’t know sir. I just saw my self bleeding”
“ where is the bleeding coming out from? Do you have any injury? ”
“ No sir. I just found out I was stained while I was learning”
“Oh, I see” Sir Maduforo said gradually looking through stained uniform.
“ Do you know what menstrual flow is?” he asked
“ No sir”
“Do you know what to do now?”
“ No sir”
“ Just wait for me here?” he said and walked out. Minutes later he was back with one of the female senior prefect.
“ Jidenna will help you. You don’t have to worry. What’s your name little sweetheart?”
“ Ann sir” I told him.
“ Alright Ann, Jidenna will look after you”
He called Jedinna aside, whom he spoke with, before he left. My mess was taken care of by Jidenna, who took me to the gate once it was time for me to go home.
CONTINUATION.
At home I met my parent. They had returned home early. I remembered what happened in school, I wondered if they would shout or hit me again if I tell them what had happened.
“No, I won’t tell them. That will be another secret of mine” I said to myself not knowing what I was experiencing was nothing to keep a secret.
N My parent especially my mum would find out as soon as I run out of a sanitary pad, more over I didn’t really know how to use one or when to change it, Jidenna didn’t really teach me that maybe she felt my parent would.
I’ve been with a particular sanitary pad which Jidenna gave me till night. I had sat down with my parent in the living room watching a match, when I excused myself to ease myself. I was feeling wet within me, I felt something moist between my laps and my abdomen was really heavy on me, I felt really uneasy. I had to excuse myself from my parent.
“ hey! Stop there. Come here” my mum yelled after me “where’s that coming out from? Did you get injured?”
“ No” I said calmly shivering while gradually moving back.
“ my friend! come here and turn your back” she thundered. I got closer to her, she held me then looked at my dress.
“ When did you start seeing this?”
“ Today while learning”
“ Hey! This girl won’t kill me. Did any man touch you? Like did any man use his finger or any object on the place where you urinate from?” my mum asked but I told her “no”
“ But you’re not of age to start seeing your menstrual flow” she sputtered but I just stood calm and quite.
As for my dad he was too lost with the ball he was watching to listened to my mum. She took me to her room gave me a new sanitary pad, she helped me to change it to a new one then said.
“ Get ready tomorrow we’re going to see a doctor, for a test”
The sound of those words from her sent goose pimple round me. I felt more scared wondering what I’ve done or if something terrible was wrong with me. I kept quite then went to my room.
The next day, immediately after break fast, my mum took me to the hospital where I was checked by an obstetrician. After few check up at my genital area, she told my mum nothing was wrong with me.
“ Your daughter is alright, it’s just the menstrual flow nothing else” the doctor told my mum before we left.
“ But why at this age? It’s too early, I mean she’s just ten”
“ Madam, it’s alright. A girl we admitted few minutes ago with her mum is eight years old but she’s already seeing her flows.
……………………….