Suddenly, his demeanor changed, he was no longer the fine, soft-spoken fatherly figure, but a brutal, dangerous predator eyeing his prey. Everything that followed was nothing short of a living death. I can still smell his feted breath, his painful grip over my mouth to stifle my screams and the nightmare that followed. Mercifully, I must have passed out when my head hit the wall as he was dragging me down, but there was no denying what had happened. When I came to, I was alone in the office complex. I sat there in shock not knowing what to do. My life was over and I was not yet nineteen. I arranged myself as best I could, went home and stood in the shower, fully clothed, and told myself it was a bad dream. It never happened. And I never went back to work there again.
To this day, no one knows what happened. I went to work in a small office for far less pay, where my boss and most of the employees were women. I am not friendly with anyone, I keep to myself, do my work, go home. I have become a machine; I function without feeling, but at night when I am alone, the nightmares come and torment me. My mother wants me to go out on dates with young men, but it is the last thing I want. Who would want to marry a defiled woman? How many lies would have to be told to cover the horrible truth, even if I was to meet someone who would want me? And what man would I ever be able to trust? I look in the mirror and see a tortured, twisted face that belongs to someone else, not me.
My soul cannot bear the pain anymore, it wants to go to sleep. So, chances are that when you read this letter, there will no longer be a problem. All I wish to do before I find my release is to warn other young, naive, impressionable girls who dream of becoming successes to be very careful and not be swayed by compliments, not be taken in by the promise of fame and fortune and not to trust anyone. Always know that danger lurks and seeks out those who do not anticipate it and are not equipped to fight it. I’ve been there and done that and now I pay the price. Thank you for giving me a voice and letting me say good-bye.
Dear friend,
Please, step back a moment and here me out. I know what is in your heart of hearts and I beg you not to take that path. Your story is the story of many young girls, idealistic, freshly out of school and trusting in those who appear to offer them the answer to all their dreams. There is really no way to pinpoint which individuals will help you in your quest to grow and get ahead, and who will bide their time until an opportune moment presents itself. But there are things that every parent should teach their children, boys as well as girls, the most important being, “If something doesn’t feel right… it probably isn’t right.” When that happens, you our young men and women need to be taught to run and tell. The world we live in is a frightening place, filled with hidden booby traps, and sudden craters, ready to swallow up those who missed the “do not trespass” signs along the way. You have, indeed, done a great service by sharing your pain and misfortune, so that another young person can learn what to look out for and how to protect himself or herself.