At a cozy restaurant dinner, Edgar and Carol whispered sweet nothings in each other’s ears. They held hands and looked so inseparable that an onlooker could not tell it was their first date. Carol had met Edgar three months back at a house party; they swapped phone numbers and surely kept in contact through calls, Skype and Facebook chats. With all the flirting and updates as a daily routine, both parties suggested a first date; at least they would get to talk face to face and know each other better.Save for the amazing food, the couple shared jokes, laughter and lots of bonding conversations; undoubtedly, Carol thought she had met her long awaited soul-mate.“We had a lot in common. He was the listening type, a quality that was absent in many of my past relationships,” says Carol.As fate would have it, Edgar and Carol had sex on the first date. After a few glasses of wine and later beers on Edgar’s advice, the tipsy mood led to the regrettable. They made out, and when Edgar suggested going home with Carol, she didn’t think twice. At home, one thing led to another, and though Carol was hesitant, he convinced her that all was fine and that he didn’t see her as a call girl. How wrong she was!Well, just a day after he wanted nothing to do with Carol.“She is a cheap girl. And how sure am I that she doesn’t sleep around with anyone who offers her a drink,” he narrated to his friends.On the contrary, Carol was an accomplished girl with a great reputation among those who know her. She is a no nonsense girl who sends waves of fear in men with potential when it comes to proposing love matters. She is not a drunkard nor has she gone drinking with the opposite sex before, save for her brothers. As she blames their fling on the drinks, Edgar continues to despise her and call her cheap. Meanwhile, sex on the first date is one unfortunate thing, owing to circumstances, and goes unsaid.As a matter of fact, sex on the first date remains condemned and an exotic practice, at least in our African setting. An African girl who respects culture is one who takes her time, especially regarding matters of the heart, not to mention matters of the bedroom. So, who takes the blame? Isn’t the dude equally cheap when he sleeps with a stranger on the first date? Why shouldn’t both parties be equally affected? It’s a mystery!
