TALES BY ME(Part Two)

TOO INQUISITIVE

(Written while I was preparing for my WAEC exams)

This is the story of a girl who was so inquisitive, always wanting to know. Her words would almost always begin with the questions – why, when, how or who as a result of asking too many questions. However, today she has a bitter tale of woe to tell. In bitterness, she relates this story:

“If I had known is always the end result of disobedience to Godly and elderly counsel and advice, and by extension, a failure to heed to God-given conscience. I happen to be one of those who refused to heed the pieces of advice because of my inquisitive behavior. I just was not satisfied with being asked not to do certain things. 

I come from a godly background; my father is a pastor and my mum is a teacher and also a church leader in church. I am the third child in the family consisting of four children. My father being a strict disciplinarian would never allow us watch the television without his guidance and presence. He also made sure that we came back from school on time. We hardly attended parties except on rare occasions of a well known friend’s birthday parties. Dad always monitored our movement. Despite his strict behavior, he was the most loving father and ensured that we had all that we needed to be comfortable. He would take us out on weekends and made us happy.

Despite dad’s loving attitude, I still did not appreciate the restrictions he made and I also could not comprehend why he would always call us as a family and talk about morals and all that God expected from us. He would talk about us(his children) keeping and preserving our virginity until the appropriate time which of course was at the time of marriage. But did all of that matter to me?

Well, I needed to know for sure why we must not be engaged in sex and dating as my friends in class always talked about it. So, at age fifteen in senior secondary school class four, I was introduced to a boyfriend by my friends. I chose these friends because I admired their ‘mature’ way of doing things and the way they talked about letters, outings and parties.

When I started to be friends with Don, a 25year old student in the state university, I stopped attending classes regularly. Sometimes I would give escuses to my teachers that I was ill. Meanwhile I would dress up for school and before getting to school, I would rush into a nearby closet and change into casual wears and run to Don’s apartment. Don was from a rich home and so he had an apartment of his own. I continued this illicit affair with Don and everytime I visited, he would have sex with me. 

Of course my attitude changed and my mum was the first to notice that I no longer acted like the young naïve girl she used to know. The way I walked and talked changed but my friends taught me so well on how well to play the game. However, they did not teach me how to avert the grave incident that later occurred. Two months into my relationship with Don, I noticed I was getting feverish and vomiting and spitting all around. Mum noticed and called me aside to ask me some questions like, ‘How do you feel? When was the last time you saw your menstrual cycle?

Being so ignorant of the reasons for all the questions she asked, I answered her question that it was two months ago since I last saw my menses. She slapped me and started screaming. I was stunned and asked wanting to know the reason for her reaction. My mum told me that I was pregnant. Upon hearing that, I fainted and only regained consciousness at the hospital. 

Then I was told that I had lost the pregnancy as a result of the shock and unfortunately in a bid to save my life, they had to take out my womb due to complications. I was just 15! The price I had to pay for my being too inquisitive.

       **************

The quest for knowledge in itself is not a bad thing. It shows that we are humans created by God. However, while all things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

1 Corinthians 10:23 AMP