I don’t enjoy working at this massage parlour

Dear Pastor,

I am 20 and I am from the country. I grew up in a very poor environment. I did not do well in school and I did not attend regularly. I don't have any exam passes.

I asked a cousin who is living in Kingston to get me a job. She said if I was willing to do what she was doing, I would make money. I went home with her and there were two other girls there. She said they were her co-workers. The other girls asked me if I knew how to please men, and I told them I didn't understand. My cousin told them that she would explain everything to me. The two girls shared a room and I stayed in my cousin's room. I was very nervous. My cousin said that she would protect me, introduce me to good guys, and teach me how to give massages. She said she would be home because it was her time of the month, so she could not work. She taught me how to do massage, and she also explained to me that she works at a club.

One week later, she took me to her workplace and introduced me to some other girls and to the woman in charge. A man came in and spoke to her and she told me that he was one of her customers. She wanted me to come into the room to watch them, so I would learn what to do. I had heard about these things, but it was the first time I was witnessing it. When we went into the room, the man asked if he could get me too. She said I was only there to watch. The man told her he wanted the whole works. I said to myself, "I am going to go back to the country."

She worked on that man for about 40 minutes, even doing oral sex. Although he did not touch me, when he was leaving he handed me $3,000. I asked my cousin if that is what she has to do every day and she said yes. I told her I did not want to do that every day, so she said I could go back to the country, but there was nothing there for me. So every day for one week, I went with my cousin. She had me observe other girls and how they operated with their customers. I told her I would try. At the end of the week, my cousin gave me $15,000 from what she had earned.

I met a guy. He was the first guy I went solo with. He told me that he is married, but he loves me. I told my cousin what he said. She said that many of these guys are going to tell me that they love me, but I should not get involved with them. This guy kept coming back, and my cousin told me that if I won't listen to her, she is going to ask me to leave her house because she is only trying to protect me. He set another man on me and I worked with this man and serviced him. He gave me $25,000 and told me that the man and his wife are separated. He also sent his telephone number with the guy for me to call him.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave my cousin's house because I don't have anywhere to go, and she treats me well. I am making enough money now to send to help my mother. But I do not enjoy my job. What should I do?

H.G.

Dear H.G.,

The type of work that your cousin has got you into is not an honourable job. You need to be learning something that does not have anything to do with sex.

Perhaps you should consider contacting HEART/NSTA Trust and learn a skill. Some of these parlours are advertised as masseuse parlours, but the truth is, they are sex shops, or whorehouses. I believe your cousin meant well when she told you to come and she introduced you to her trade. Now you are on your own and you have been earning from these men who are using you to satisfy themselves. But you need more out of life. Think about it and decide what you want to study and do with your wonderful self.

Apply to HEART. Talk to your cousin about what you want to do and why you would want to go to HEART. She might just agree with you and help you. You don't have any formal education, but if you have ambition, and you seem to have that, you can do very well in life.

Pastor