MY PAST IS BITTER BUT I KNOW MY FUTURE IS BRIGHTER.

"I told my mother that, her boyfriend is violating me,but she shouted at me several times because the man puts food on our table."

Joyce is a 12 year old girl who lived in the village with her grand mother.Her mother bore her at a tender age and left her with the grandmother because she left for the city to learn a petite trade that could help her and her baby in the future. Little Joyce lived happily with the grandmother in the village as she helped her grandma with house chores.This terrible day came when Joyce was raped by a guy in her village, the violence on Joyce made her very uncomfortable as everyone in the village pointed fingers at her when she passed by.The environment was no longer friendly for little Joyce as she suspected every male around her.Joyce felt the whole world was on her head.The family decided to send Joyce to the city with her mother in order for her to forget the past,but did she actually forgot the past? On arrival at the Town,Joyce was so happy because she was distracted a little and it made her to forget her past a bit.She was enrolled in a public school in the Town. Joyce's mother was dating a man who helped them to pay rents and provided them with food. Joyce lived happily with her mother not until this unfaithful day when her mother went out and the mother's boy friend attempted to have sex with her,ehh another incident again, Little Joyce became so uncomfortable and knew the world is so unfair to her.One day while her mom went out,this man forcefully raped Joyce,When they mom came back she tried telling her but her mom said "why is it that men only want to rape u.?"u are a liar,this man is a nice person he has been helping us,Joyce could not continue; she cried secretly as her mother doesn't believes her.This man didn't do it once but several times and Joyce got pregnant finally,the man warned her"if u tell anyone about this I will kill you." Joyce was so frightened and knew the world is unfriendly,even the man she trusted as a father is sleeping with her,even the woman who bore her believes she is telling a lie. The mother's boyfriend took her to the hospital and aborted the pregnancy, Joyce was just 14years old then,Two days after the abortion this wicked man had sex with Joyce again added to the pains she had from the abortion. Months later Little Joyce was just there,looking at places,she had no where to go to,no one to share her pathetic story with.The man continued using her as a sex machine and Joyce mother never noticed because she always left the house for work. This man impregnated Joyce the second time. The point is every time Joyce did something wrong at home, the man will always support her,bring her goodies, pay her fees,so it was difficult for Joyce mother to believe he was actually sleeping with the daughter.This second pregnancy was as well aborted and Joyce bleeded a lot, this man will always take Joyce to a different town for the abortion in the pretext he was taking his daughter for vacation. This time around Joyce could no longer bare it,she cried but the man continued as Usual warning her not to tell anyone. Joyce aunty visited them and found out that Joyce wasn't happy and she asked Joyce if all was well and Joyce said yes, but she saw fright on Joyce's eyes and knew something is wrong, she took Joyce out to a quiet corner and told Joyce to trust her she would not tell anyone,Joyce saw a trustworthy person for the first time, she explained everything to her aunty,the aunty almost collapse, they went back to the house the aunty told her sister everything but Joyce mother didn't believe and said Joyce is a liar that she will tell the boyfriend when he comes back and Joyce will go back to the Village. Joyce mother told the boyfriend and he got angry and said this is deformation of character. That he will take Joyce aunty to Court,as God does his things, when he arrived the court, the magistrate was a woman and an advocate for women's right. After listening to what he said, she sent a convocation to Joyce and her aunty, the magistrate told Joyce to explain everything the man did to her and Joyce did. The magistrate just sent policemen to arrest the rapist as he awaited judgement and he was trial for 30years. Every woman needs to listen to her child especially a girl child, they need attention, let poverty not make u hate your child. Thank God for women change makers like the magistrate who intervened in Joyce case and made Joyce voice to be heard loud,put a smile on Joyce face again, made her to sure of security by the government. The Government needs to sanction rapist as was in Joyce's case. Joyce is on our sponsorship for her education,She is fine and she believes in herself now and she knows the future has the best in store for her. There are many Joyce's case out there,we need to give them strength by supporting them and also make they voices heard.