The last lecture for the semester ended as the professor dropped his chalk, wished the students well in their forthcoming exams and walked out of the lecture theatre. They had just entered into the lecture-free week when students would start preparing for exams.
Ireti barely heard what the lecturer had taught in class. She was so hot her skin burned, and now she could feel a headache coming on. She felt some itching down there and fought the urge not to scratch.
Shoving her books into her bag, she stood up and left the lecture theatre. She would have left sooner if not that she wanted to avoid any issue with the lecturer who was strict with his class. She worried a little; this was the worst time to be sick. She needed to do well in the exams because she'd missed some tests due to the issues she'd been having with Yomi. That meant she had to be in proper state of mind and body to study hard.
Her head banged as she took each step. She pressed her thighs together to soothe the itching. She'd been feeling that itch lately but hadn't paid attention to it. Maybe she'd gotten infected through that filthy water the hostel provided. She would have to get to the hospital immediately. She reached for her purse and checked for her student medical card. Finding it, she headed towards the campus clinic.
When she saw the doctor and related her symptoms, he prescribed some antibiotics for her but told her to go carry out some tests. Three days later, she collected the test results and went back to the doctor.
The doctor peered at the results and gazed at her. “I thought by now you should be aware about protecting yourself if you are going to be sexually active.”
Embarrassed, she opened her mouth but closed it again.
“You have gonorrhoeal infection,” he said tonelessly.
Ireti's heart stopped and her eyes widened. Gonorrhoea? How? She'd only been with Yomi and had always used protection, except...
“You will begin treatment right away but you will have to talk with your sexual partner to also get treatment so that you won't be re-infected. Are you married?”
For the second time since she lost her virginity, Ireti felt a deep sense of shame. “No...I'm not.”
“If you are not, then you need to be more careful about sleeping with someone whose sexual history you do not know.”
He jotted some things on her card and gave it to her to take to the dispensary. She stood up in pain, tears stinging her eyes. Gonorrhoea? It must have meant one thing only. Yomi was sleeping with someone else, without protection.
God, you are punishing me for my sins.
She began to cry.
The thief comes to steal and to destroy but I have come to give life.
Feeling defeated, she ambled to the hostel. She bought some bread at the buttery, ate and used her medication. Lying on her bed, she reflected on her life and wondered how she got herself into this mess. She desired to get out of this trap but she was too afraid to leave. How would life without Yomi feel like? She just couldn’t remember how it was without him.
I’m knocking at your door only if you will open.
Lord, I am not worthy of any love from you. I am messed up, so messed up.
Come let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Why were all the Scripture verses she’d learnt coming to her at this time? Frustrated, she wept.
Lord, I'm messed up, I'm messed up. I need help and I don’t know how or who to ask.