The Blood Series 3

This is Simbi's story...yes Simbi (she wanted me to call her that)

My first period wasn't dramatic, at least not for me, but for my mother...that's a story for another day. You see I was her last daughter and because my elder sister had grown up with an aunt my mother didn't have practice in her younger years raising a girl  through puberty and so our relationship suffered.

The first time I heard of menstruation, it was amid over 200 other girls, an NGO had visited my school to talk to us about menstrual hygiene and distribute sanitary pads. I was 11 at the time and I took the information my little mind could bare to understand.
This would become a common occurrence at school and each time I found myself with a new pack of sanitary pads I had not use for "Yet".

The day finally came, I saw the blood; I made my way out of the bathroom and when my mother saw me frantically getting tissues she sensed what was up but didn't say anything and neither did I...The awkward silence between us only said we both knew what was happening. When she finally summoned courage to ask what the tissue was for, I had to answer and I could see the fear in her eyes, her confusion but the conversation ended there our none-existent relationship didn't allow her saw any further.

The next five days and the rest of the year was filled with self-conscious moments, I had a constant fear of getting stained  (which I eventually did several times).
I had heard during those lectures that using tissues for period  wasn't safe but I ended up having to use them since I couldn't ask my mother for pads or money to buy them. I even hid my PMS from her and suffered it alone... School became more stressful especially the days I was on but I endured it all...
Even though I was expecting my period, my first menstruation memory isn't what I thought it'd be.. The entire first year of my period I used tissues, anytime I found myself in public restrooms I raided them for tissue paper because I knew it would come in handy, I wouldn't have had to suffer this if my mother had laid aside her fears and talked to me about it, after all I was scared, my bosy was changing and I didn't know how to deal with it....

Simbi; now an educator spends her days grooming young minds and teaching young girls confidence building and being that listening ear to those that need it. She hope her mother gets to read this story.