RAPED BY BOYFRIEND

My boyfriend raped me on Christmas Day!
Dear Taiwo,
Everyone celebrated Christmas with joy in their hearts and some are still rejoicing in the spirit of the season, but this was not my lot. I am extremely sad. The worst part is that I cannot confide in anybody what happened to me, not even my mother who is the closest person to me because she had warned me several times about my boyfriend, but I would not listen.

What happened on Christmas day also might not have happened if I hadn’t told her a lie just to get out of the house to attend the party organised by my boyfriend and his friends.

I am 19, a student in one of the higher institutions in Abeoukta, Ogun State. My boyfriend is also a student in one of the federal universities; he is 24 and a final year student. We live in the same area, and right from the onset, my mother never supported my being friendly with him, talkless of dating him. Up till today, I always denied dating him whenever my mother raised the issue. I always told her that he is an ordinary friend.

I was a virgin, until Christmas Day. I had planned to remain so until my wedding night. My mother knew I was a virgin and she always encouraged me to remain so. I always told my boyfriend that I had never had sex before that day, but I didn’t know that he never believed me.

He invited me to a party organised by his friends at a joint far away from where we both live. If the party were to hold in our area, I wouldn’t have attended because my mother wouldn’t have allowed me. How I wish it was the other way round, because this incident would not have happened.

I lied to my mother that a friend’s mother was celebrating her birthday. Not that she doesn’t allow me to go out, she does. After all, I am an undergraduate in 200level, but she wouldn’t have allowed me to go for this particular party.

The party was a good one, with some of his friends that I knew and their girlfriends in attendance. There was enough to eat and drink. I did not experiment with alcohol. I have never tasted it before and I didn’t want to start that day. I knew I must not misbehave and give my mother a cause to suspect I didn’t go to my friend’s mother’s bash.

The party started in the afternoon and when it was past six, I told him I wanted to leave. He asked me to be patient as he had something to give me. I waited for about 15 minutes and told him I wanted to leave again, he asked me to give him few seconds. He excused one of his friends and after speaking with him outside the hall where the party was going on, he signaled to me to follow him. I did and when I discovered that his mission was not to see me off, instead we were headed for a room at the hotel where the party was going on. I questioned him, he answered by telling me that he wanted to pick my gift, that I should follow him. As I went into the room after him, he locked the door and put the key inside his pocket. “What is the meaning of this?” I asked. “Relax”, he answered me.

He made to fondle my breasts and I refused. He pleaded with me to allow him have sex with me and I equally refused. When I saw that he was becoming agitated, I told him I was a virgin and I intended remaining so till my marriage to him. He started laughing and his attitude made me realise that I could be in danger. I made to recover the key from him. This led to a fierce struggle between us. He was stronger. After hitting me several times, he overpowered me and raped me.

He stormed out of the room, when he was done. He left me bleeding and bruised with my dress torn. Fortunately, for me, it was quite dark; I left the hotel room and made my way home. I was lucky that my mother was out by the time I got home. I took my bath and went to bed. I laid down and stared into nothing till the following day. I couldn’t believe it happened to me. I was brutally raped by my own boyfriend, the man I have dated for two years.

I am yet to tell my mother or anyone. The most painful aspect is that, he was not even sorry for what he did to me. He would not speak with me and I am not sure he hasn’t told some of his friends. I saw him three times after and there is this scornful look and smile on his face.

I don’t know what to do, please Aunty Taiwo, help me.

Francesca.