Dear Pastor,

I was living with a man. We did not have kids but he made sure that everything that I needed was in the house. When he went to work he would take the keys with him. If I walk on the street he would beat me up and ask me who called to me. And he would want to know what they said to me. I couldn't take it anymore, so one night I convinced him to leave the keys in the morning with me when he was going to work. And as he left, I also left and I have never returned or looked back. And that was five years ago.

He still calls me telling me to give him a chance again. But I have learnt that a man of his type should never get a second chance. Pastor, I was not a bad girl and I was from a different community.

Escaped

Dear Escaped,

This man had no confidence in you. He was a jealous fool. How could he physically abused you and locked you away as a prisoner and at the same time expected you to love him? He provided food and shelter for you but that was the extent of his kindness to you. He wanted to control every aspect of your life.

I commend you for finding a way of escape. I hope that you have gone back to school. You need to learn to empower yourself so that you would be in a position to get a good job and to make your own decisions. I wish you well, and please let me hear from you again.

Pastor