Opinion article by Duke of Shomolu, Joseph Edgar
Everyday I watch her grow into womanhood. She carries the body of a full fledged woman but the mind of the 16 year old that she is.
But do the men know that. Last night as I walked with her, I could see the stares; the idiots were looking at me with envy. Kai, oga don catch fresh one their evil eyes seemed to be saying.
The other day I posted our picture and one of my closest friends called on immediately ,’Duke where u dey get these fresh ones, when you finish send her number or make she give me her friend ‘ I say, Idiot na my pikin’. He dropped the phone.
I was angry and afraid at the same time. This was my daughter and these men if given the opportunity would pounce.
Then, I started dancing with her. They stared, they winked, and one even was bold enough to ask if he could dance with her afterwards. I said not on your life you faggot.
She is tall, light skinned with a very svelte body structure. She smiles warmly and can be introverted which makes her more alluring.
She is kind and respectful and will answer every call because she has been brought up to be respectful and that is the loophole.
So, I decided to have a talk with her today. I said, do you know my friends will toast you.
She opened her mouth with disgust. Your friends?! .. I said yes and reminded her of the skit with Mr Macaroni and Seyi Law where they both had each other’s daughters.
She screamed. She had watched it but the message was lost on her as she like many her age watched and laughed.
I now told her of my friend who had slept with a young girl and when they were done, he asked her age and she said 22 and when he told her his, she said,’ sir you are older than my mother’.
This is the society that we find ourselves today and almost all of us are complicit. We do not realise what we do until it comes to us.
As long as it’s not your child it’s ok. But if it comes near you ‘Armageddon’…
The teenage girl child is vulnerable. She can’t seem to find her place, she is confused with the changes on her body, and her mother who is suppose to be her last fence is also confused between her upbringing and today’s system.
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The mother is the most confused in all of these. Her days were different she could see the danger coming. Danger was physical.
It was the errant pastor, the lewd uncle or the mechanic down the road. They would call and offer money. They would pounce or simply toast.
Today enemy na breeze lurking on social media and worse with the changing outlook, growing independence of teens, the mother who was brought up in a more traditional setting is just weak and confused.
So, I said to Annette. You have to prepare yourself. You will be chased by all and sundry. The most dangerous is not the one that will offer you money to sleep with you but the one that will play with your mind.
That one will make you fall in love with him and he will use that to gain power over you.
That one is within your circle of trust; your uncles friend, your teacher in school, your fathers friend, your distant cousin, the nice neighbor, your best friends elder brother, your best friends dad. Plenty…
You must never be shy to tell me things. You are lucky; you have a veteran in the game.
Keep me posted. Let’s engage and keep the communication lines open.
Your mum is useless to you in this matter. This is a predatory game. It’s getting into the mind of men and anticipating their moves and playing on that to survive.
This is where I am King. So let’s work together.
I ended by saying to her,’ remember there is nothing any man can offer you that I your Dad will not give you, even if I have to struggle for it. So, money and material things should never be bait.
I got this from a very special lady who earned my respect with that saying and so, I tell my own daughter.
She was shy as she was hearing her dad use words like Fuck, hit on you, touch your breast, and rape you for the first time.
But who cares. The message had to be passed very graphically before I become father in law to the neighborhood mechanic.
Let’s learn.
*Duke of Shomolu*
