CHILD OF POLYGAMY

All these recollections came to Safia as she lined up with Etor and their friends for their first confession in preparation for confirmation.  All the girls ahead of Safia looked shocked and confused when they came out of confession, but as they were admonished, no one said anything about their session with the pastor.  Safia’s turn eventually came and she proceeded to sit across the table in front of the pastor.

“This is your first confession and you have to confess all the sins you can remember committing.” the pastor instructed Safia.

“Yes sir, I will, but what happens if I forget something?”

Looking a little more stern, the pastor instructed “you have to confess any sins you can remember.  If you lie and go through the confirmation and communion, you will bring everlasting curse on yourself.”

Safia straightened herself in the seat.  “Is it only the sins in the Ten Commandments or any bad thing I have done before?”

“All bad acts are sins,” the pastor explained.  “You must confess all, and you must not say anything about the confession to anyone else; do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“Now, tell me what sins you have committed.” the pastor continued.

“Sometimes I lied to avoid punishment, and sometimes I disrespected my parents.” Safia confessed.

“Have you ever stolen?”

“Emm, emm, emm, yes, sometimes I stole a few pennies from my parents to buy candy at school.”

“Alright” the pastor continued, “do you have a boyfriend?”

“No, my father is very strict.”

“But, have you ever had sex?” the pastor delved further.

“No sir, I’m afraid.”

All these questions about sex were embarrassing to Safia and she was blushing.  Yet the pastor did not relent.

“What do you think it will be like to have sex for the first time?”

Safia adjusted herself in her seat again, almost squirming.  “I don’t know.  Some of my older friends said it was painful but sweet.”

“Did your friends tell you about using lubrication to decrease the pain and increase pleasure?”

Looking down at the floor in shock and embarrassment, Safia responded, “I do not know what lubrication is.”

“I mean, will you let your boyfriend smear spicy creams like VICKS, MENTHOLATUM, ROB, ZORO, OLA BALM OR VASELINE on his private part for sex?” the pastor explained.

“I don’t know; I’m too young and scared at this time to think about what I’ll do then.”

Safia was exasperated.  She was baffled, but also angry that the pastor was concentrating on sex on this occasion that church members (including her mother) considered a very sacred occasion. Mercifully, the pastor had enough by then and concluded the confession by repeating his warning not to discuss what they had talked about with anybody.

Safia felt dizzy and lost when she stumbled out of the confession room.  Her friends were all waiting outside and they set off slowly for home.  Safia’s shock and confusion was overwhelming and she could not observe the pastor’s warning.

“Did the pastor ask anyone else about sex?” Safia posed an open question.

“Shhhhhhhhhhh” all the girls said simultaneously.  “We are not supposed to talk about the confession.”