Monday, April 16, 2007

The Girl Whisperer

by laspapi

as published in the Guardian of April the 15th

Whispering in the Dark

A few years ago, I was leaving a well-attended church on the island after a mid-week service. It was the place to be, with a vivacious preacher and young upwardly mobile professionals of both sexes as the majority of the congregation. As I got into my car that night, a friend called out my name. We had been at the University together and he asked for a lift. I willingly assented. There were also a few people around who also asked if they could join us. They crammed into the car and we chatted in the darkness of the vehicle until I dropped all off in the heart of the mainland.

Months later, as I stood at a tyre repairer’s near my home, a young lady approached and asked if I attended that church. I said I did and asked how she knew. She told me it was my voice. She had been listening to me speak to the tyre man and although she couldn’t recognize me from looking, knew I was the one who gave her and others a ride home months before (yes, when you hear the whisperer, you never forget).
We re-introduced ourselves and I showed her where I lived. Thereafter, she became a regular visitor at my place. We’d stay in a room by ourselves for hours and instinct strongly told me she was not averse to romantic advances but I never proceeded down that path. She told me how she was fending for herself and her siblings and how she strove for a better life. not being actually one of the upwardly mobile types.

After a while, I got tired of her repeated visits and began to avoid her.
At dusk one day, she came round, (I was next door) but she was told I wasn’t in. She could see my car where it was parked, however, and said she’d wait, so she sat on a low fence and watched the people in the neighbourhood pass by.

I didn’t come out of my place of refuge till she left, though, but after she went away, two female friends in the neighbourhood who had seen her as they passed, came to meet me at separate times unaware that the other had done so. They said the same thing laughingly, “Whisperer, are you the owner of that girl’s pregnancy?”

My blood ran cold and I understood that I had almost been outplayed. This ‘church’ girl had hoped I would take advantage of her on one of those many visits so she could claim I made her pregnant. If I’d refused saying, “Only once can’t make a baby”, she would have reported me to the head of the church and that church leader would probably have announced to his church full of people who knew me that I had made a church member pregnant and I was refusing to accept responsibility. I could see it all, a full sermon on my case and if I still refused, removal from the church and national disgrace. Years after, people would still point to me and say “he has a child he refuses to take care of”.

So, restraint saved me, and an odd reflex for survival. Yet, when I reflect, I think of how many men wander the streets of this world, playing father to children that are not theirs. “Only the female knows” is the adage, so be warned about whispering in the dark.

Even a “Whisperer” would have fallen but for divine intervention.

8 comments:

Naija Vixen said...

first!im getting guud at this!lol...u never forget the whisperer's voice!women can be manipulative oh...sumtymes we convince ourselves that we doing it for guud,but it works the other way too...great piece.

Waffarian said...

"We’d stay in a room by ourselves for hours..." Na bible study? hehehehehhe Bros, na God save you, next time, no dey do prayer meeting for your house, the devil can be anywhere!heheheheh

laspapi said...

Thank you, vixen, I know all about women and their manipulation.

@ waffarian- I learnt a strong lesson there, waffy. It cant happen again.

Noni Moss said...

Damn! Loll - my blood ran cold for you too! Hahahah - a church girl almost played you. Lucky escape.

Question - why show her where you lived in the first place?

laspapi said...

I dont know, noni. I was just being friendly o

Anonymous said...

Lucky you weren't a victim but almost, many families have been shattered by such incidents. Thank goodness for DNA but how many folks can afford it.

Back in the days of old, men married women they didn't love..all in the name of "udunit" and shikena....that was it.


Migration the West had ruined many families rather than unite them. Many a men have found out the kids they toiled for weren't theirs after all.

Read one example below
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/04/10/10immigdna.html



How do you now explain to a child you love that the ties that bind will be severed?


Papi, na true...only a woman knows..but then again as we've seen on Maury Povich show on this end, she may not....well not until she can count her fingers and dig throw her mental database..

Tufiakwa....

glad to know it can't happen to Papi again.

Here's a nice joke...



A young man went to his father one day to tell him
that he wanted to get married. His father was happy
for him. He asked his son who the girl was, and the he
told him that it was Samantha a girl from the
neighbourhood. With a sad face the old man said to his
son, "I'm sorry to say this son but I have to. The
girl you want to marry is your sister, but please
don't tell your mother."

The young man again brought 3
more names to his father but ended up frustrated cause
the response was still the same.

So he decides to go to his mother. "Mama I want to get married but all the girls that I love, dad said they are my sisters and I
mustn't tell you." His mother smiling said to him,"
Don't worry my son, you can marry any of those girls.
You're not his son anyway, but please don't tell your
father!!!

Anonymous said...

Here's the news page on immigrants and DNA wahala

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/us/10dna.html?ex=1177041600&en=f1f559007945a063&ei=5070

laspapi said...

wow. that's a fearful story, anon. I'll go check the links.