Chapter One – “THE LETTER”

Aliya is a young girl of 16 years old who before reaching this age has always wanted to be an adult and referred to as one. She is an only child who has a father who is a nurse. She has a close relationship with her father, compared to her mother and she tells him everything. This helps her father to guide her smoothly in the affairs of her life. One of the things she tells him is her first encounter with a boy who claims he likes her.

The boy, Bobo. declares his likeness for her and also gives her a gift to show these feelings. Being the first time she is at the receiving end of such gestures she doesn’t know what to feel and her dad is quick to put her through. Sweet Sixteen PDF

The readers can identify with Aliya in this instance as everyone has a first when it comes to a relationship with the opposite s3x. Aliya’s father’s advice to her is also applicable to young adults.

He advises that a recipient of a gift should not feel obliged to do anything because they feel indebted.

Also, gifts don’t mean the giver really loves the other person and relationships shouldn’t be based on material benefits.

On Aliya’s birthdays, since she is 12, she receives birthday cards from her father and on the occasion of her 16th birthday, he gives her a birthday card, a digital camera and a 16-page letter detailing her life journey, each page for each year.

...Chapter Two – “THE DRIVE”...

This chapter is a flashback as contained in the 16-page letter. Aliya is 12 years old and just returned home from the boarding house when she goes on a drive with her father.

During the drive, Aliya sees some girls hawking and she envies their freedom. She fees they are free to go around, meet people and have fun but her father cautions her, explaining that things don’t always seem like how they look. Though Aliya is born into a comfortable home, she isn’t allowed the freedom of going wherever she likes.

This situation explains the irony of life as no one has it all. Though Aliya is born with a silver spoon, she is not afforded the luxury of going wherever she wants or meet other people randomly. She lives in a high fenced house and also goes to a boarding school.

On the other hand, the girls hawking on the streets may seem free and maybe having fun, in Mr. Bello’s words ‘they would not mind trading places’ with Aliya in an airs conditioned car. Then, another disparity that exists between rich and poor children is the fact that rich children are naturally expected to do better in life because they have all the comfort in the world.

However, the zeal, willingness, determination and desire to become great which propels some poor children is usually enough to make them eventually great.

During this drive, Mr. Bello seizes the opportunity of the informal atmosphere to give his daughter s3x education. A few days earlier, Aliya has seen her menstrual period for the first time and her father deems it fit she needs to learn about this important aspect of a woman’s life.

He teaches that menstruation is the body’s way of telling a girl that she is biologically ready to be a mother, which means if she has unprotected s3xual intercourse with a guy she could become pregnant.

It is obvious that this is the first time Mr. Bello is having a discussion about s3x with his daughter but surprisingly she already knows so much about the subject. This is an indication that in the present age and century we live in, s3x is no longer a hidden issue that is only discussed in hush tones, but it is everywhere. Aliya already learns about s3x from TV, friends, magazines, books, and movies. Aliya already has the basic knowledge of what s3x is all about so her father gives her guides concerning s3x and other things he refers to as fifth, which can corrupt the beautiful room which is her mind.

He advises her not to watch movie scenes that depict s3x and also be watchful about the company she keeps.

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