I am 25 years old. This is my second time writing to you. The first time that I wrote to you I was telling you about a cousin of mine who admitted to me that he is my father. I did speak with my mother about it and she attacked him about it. This is just to remind you of who I am. Now I have another problem.

I don't know where to start, but let me just get to the issue. The man I grew up with as my father since I was three years old had to take care of four of us, three girls and one boy. The first one left home and I am the third. He was sending me to school and I got pregnant. I know that I was wrong. He was furious with me; he cursed me and told me that I am just like my mother.

I didn't like the way he acted and what he said, so I left. I have a big brother and sister by my mother's side and I decided to ask them if I could stay with them and go back to school. They couldn't send me back to school but I stayed at my mother's house. She treated me like a dog. This is my mother, not a man, my own mother. She is not even the one that grew me, yet she treated me that way.

Seek a job

My aunt eventually took me in. Incidentally, they live in the same district. My aunt sent me back to live with my mother. Nothing had changed; she treated me the same way. There is not one week that passes in which I don't sleep outside at least two or three times for that week. She curses me and tells me to leave her house and go and seek a job.

Whenever I have a headache, which happens quite often, she does not even think to buy me a tablet for the pain. It always goes back to the same thing, I need to go and find a job. My aunt had to take me in again. Another problem now is that a cousin of mine is setting up my aunt's son to fight with me. When I heard about it, I spoke with my aunt and she in turn spoke with him but it never stopped.

I sought a job and eventually got one. So I started to work at age 16. I had to leave my aunt's house because of her son. I was raped by two men at the place where I worked. I had to leave the job. And once again my aunt took me in. Her son's attitude towards me was still quite evident. I had to move, so I asked my sister to allow me to move in with her. I was adamant that I would not go back to my father's house. My father is now 74 years old and I don't want to rely on him. I am grateful to him and I would like to repay him for everything he has done for me.

I got another job working with a little girl and her father. They treated me like their own family, giving me everything I need. After some time, with the wife being abroad and shortly after the daughter going away too, my employer started fooling around with me. I became very uncomfortable and left with the intention of finding another job, however hard that would be.

I tried leaving, which I did, but went back to work for him, because he begged me to and he apologised. It started again, but this time I fell in love with him. I know that he is married and I just don't know what to do. I had a boyfriend before him and I got hurt, so now I just don't trust men. Before this married man, I had kept myself away from men because of my experience of getting raped.

My mother has treated me like an animal, and so has my sister. At one point in time I had to sleep in a fowl coop. I want to leave where I am working now as the man has gone overseas to visit his wife. So many people have treated me badly, my family and those who I worked with. Please help me. I know that someone is praying for me.

C.T., Jamaica

Dear C.T.,

You were sexually abused as a child. And eventually you became pregnant at a very tender age. You got a job and you were raped by two men at your workplace. Evidently, you did not report these incidents to the police. Nor did you receive any counselling. You have come from a dysfunctional home. And now you are at the mercy of your employer.

You need a new beginning. You need to find yourself among God's people who would help you. Your relatives are not the type to give you the help you need. I suggest that you take your Bible and begin to read and go to church and speak to the pastor and tell him of your situation. Tell him/her that you need to find a place to live and to leave the place where you are employed. You are not a silly girl, you only need help and for people not to take advantage of you. It is time for you to try Christ.

Pastor