Stranger Danger
by Celli Mboya (CA)
December 13, 2025
We are taught Stranger Danger.
But we are not taught what to do with landlords, with managers, weird uncles, freaky cousins or brothers. Do we teach our kids about what happens, when someone they know makes them uncomfortable? We are never told what to do, with those members within our families who act wild, freaky and peculiar. What happens if someone is not a stranger?
The people we know. We are told to,
‘Respect them. Respect is a weapon.’
When I was 8 or 9, my uncle tried to assault me. My uncle came to the house. He kept coming around. Asking for my parents and I would respond to him that, ‘They are not here’. Then he would go and come back, and still ask the same question. The last time he was like, I need to wait for your dad, I need to talk to him. Since we’ve been taught, ‘Respect is a weapon, and we need to respect our elders, I allowed him to sit in the house.
He comes in, He grabs me and tries to sexually assault (sa) me. I was 8 or 9. Thank God that my dad was in a phase where he would allow me to watch WWE. So I grabbed a knife, and I tried to knife him. He could see the fear in me. But he knew I could hurt him, because I had nothing to lose. He may beat me, but I could hurt him. So he ran away.
This guy came back an hour later. The audacity of assaulters.
He came crying. He was begging me not report him
Then I was like, No! I must tell my dad.
So, when my dad came home, I told him what had happened.
He dropped his bag, and ran to my uncle's house.
Then my mum was less than a minute just behind him.
So I told her. She screamed his name while running after him.
After waiting for hours, they come back. I inquired what happened.
And the response I got was, ‘That’s Adult’s conversation’
So on a Thursday, we cooked Chapos and slaughtered a chicken.
I found that odd because we never cooked Chapos on a Thursday.
Guess who the guest of honor was, ‘My uncle’ . He was the guest of honor who was being cooked for.
I was then given my food to go eat in the bedroom. Immediately, I got into my room, got to bed, because it was the safest place I could cry. I started crying. After an hour or three, my mother came, opened the duvet and asked,
*What do you need him to do so that you can forget and you can forgive him*
Remember the forget came first.
I wondered why she would say that. My mother was law, but I knew that was not okay. Instead of fighting for justice. She weaponized respect. Or maybe, it was a pressed memory to give her grace. It was the PAIN. She wanted to feed me the pain. She dished it to me.
Truly inherited traumas are chosen to be passed on.
Story Narrated and Credited | Nyandia Gachango
Titled: No Longer a Child of Chaos | Engage Talk
Share your thoughts?
Comments (33)
African Child
January 13, 2026
This is an experience that many young people are going through, untold. Their rights need to be upheld. Thanks for bringing this up.
❤️1(1)Sherry. B
January 4, 2026
And the uncle would do it again knowing too well no action would be taken against him... The dark stories we never share and suffer with in silence... Feeling the pain of betrayal from the ones we too well know and depend on for protection 🥲
❤️2👍1(3)Luna
December 25, 2025
Wow...and here I thought that parents are the ones who are supposed to protect their kids from such incidents...it's sad really
❤️2(2)Olive
December 24, 2025
Sounds like the typical patriarchal society we are forced to live in
❤️2(2)Joy
December 24, 2025
What stands out most painfully is the way the parents dismissed, negotiated, normalized, and protected the abuser,silencing the victim, choosing comfort over truth, and safety over justice.
❤️2(2)Dam
December 23, 2025
Memories....personal experiences.....things we keep to ourselves that finish us dah by day.... For respect and the desire to keep family bonds and ties together ❤️ 💯 ✨️ 🙏 💙 wee keep our tongues tied.
❤️1😂1(2)Dennis Wanjiku
December 21, 2025
It explains about what mostly happens in our families but still left me wondering, what about those girls and boys who still go through the same and have no chance to come out and point these immoral people
❤️2(2)Monica
December 17, 2025
It's true young people especially ladies do pass alot when growing up being in a society where you can not raise a voice because of the phrase " caurse " is so pathetic and sometimes causes us alot , its time we call it as it is to protect the future generation , everyone that is involved should face full force of law and justice be served where due .
❤️2(2)Sunday
December 16, 2025
🤔🤔 uhmm... so many questions are criss crossing my mind rn!! I mean through this, it is totally relatable with some of childhood experiences. Such a nice piece💯💯. But the question is did you forgive? 😊
❤️2(2)Joseph Gift
December 16, 2025
😭😭
❤️2😢1(3)Ivan
December 15, 2025
It's really sad how parents say not to trust strangers, but the worst type of people are the closest ones to you
❤️3(3)Raphael
December 14, 2025
Oh my days the thing with this generation being as fucked up as it is no one really does see such they don't allow "children to express themselves they even go as far as trying to make them forget such Instead of actually talking about them and Just because they don't want to ruin the relationships as "adults "msm so sad
❤️2(2)Paris L.
December 14, 2025
Wow, this very true, grateful for people like who started anganging in such convesation breaking the status quo " respect is a weapon", aspecially about those they dont tell us to be careful.of, the ones we think are our own, loved but they are the real enemies, snakes who should be never be trusted. I enjoyed reading "the WWE" really got me😂 I suppose we need to teach our kids kumfu.
👍1❤️1😂1(3)Lokumu
December 13, 2025
I can totally relate to this,,,like damnnn
❤️2(2)Amtavi
December 13, 2025
I love it 😀
❤️2(2)Papiiiii
December 13, 2025
Wow, so sad that till now we live in such an era where such happens and its a slap in the wrist…. Respect is a long ago tale, we must change the narrative!!!
❤️3(3)Joy
December 13, 2025
It is well shared and it will create change in peoples mentality
❤️3(3)stephen
December 13, 2025
some time we were taught respect the wrong way. respect it just be given to what is just and right. Respect should produce honor, discipline and respect. this case sound familiar it is well shared and it will create change in peoples mentality
😂3❤️1(4)James
December 13, 2025
Respect the wrong way.
❤️2😂1(3)Curry
December 13, 2025
Sound familiar
❤️2😂1(3)Philip
December 13, 2025
I appreciated the courage of coming out with this narration It sheds alot of light on what is transpiring amongst many families today unfortunately. It can be a sign of affirmation for anyone who's gone through the same to speak out on the same
❤️1(1)~Gachucha
December 13, 2025
Using your GOD given gift to be voice to the voiceless, love that ✨...Such things need to be talked about and justice to prevail ⚖️
❤️1(1)Mwangi
December 13, 2025
As they say better the devil you know than the angel you don't
❤️1(1)Moggy
December 13, 2025
Wow that's great, well narrated. I think we should stand by our friends when such matters arise and seek for their justice ⚖️.
😂1(1)X4ni
December 13, 2025
Creative 👊
❤️1(1)Dan✌️✌️
December 13, 2025
What a twist 😅,and plus many questions still lingering on my mind right now,,That plot twist is really astonishing but "Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners." GOOD JOB CELLI✌️🙌👍and still expecting more from you💯
❤️1(1)Mike
December 13, 2025
Indeed a great reminder that danger is not always a stranger....Very Insightful
❤️1(1)Bernard
December 13, 2025
I like the content and the main idea of the story
❤️1(1)Fatuma
December 13, 2025
It's so alarming of how our own blood can turn against us 😭how about strangers😎
❤️1(1)Jean Idambituo
December 13, 2025
Waouh! That is absolutely true many times kind of this stories happened in my country
❤️1(1)Makos
December 13, 2025
It is true danger is not always a stranger
👍1(1)Junior
December 13, 2025
True. Very relatable and insightful. Knife Him. You have nothing to lose
👍1😂1(2)Celli ml
December 13, 2025
I love this piece ❤️. "Adults Conversation" is alway the response. 🤔I remember I was also once told, What do you need him to do so that you can forget and forgive. Remember the forget came first. Akhi Trauma wueh 💀😒
❤️2👍1(3)
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