Episode 4: “HE WAS FAMILY… Until He Became the Monster in the House

Let me tell you something that still makes my chest tight when I think about it.

We used to live in a compound where everybody knew everybody. You know those days when you could drop your kids off at a neighbour’s house and go to market with peace of mind?

Families helped each other. Aunties weren’t just aunties by blood but they were aunties by community. And uncles? Ha… we trusted them like brothers.

Then everything changed.

There was this particular family, we were close to them. One day, they brought in a relative from the village. Let’s call him “Brother Kay.”

Charming guy. Helpful. Always washing car, buying bread, assisting mummy with errands, helping the kids with homework. He even led morning devotion.

Everybody trusted him. He was practically a big brother figure in the house.

Until… the youngest daughter started withdrawing.

She wasn’t eating well.
Stopped playing outside.
Started flinching when someone raised their voice.
Her spark? Gone.

At first, the parents thought it was puberty or school stress.
But one day, the mother walked into the girl’s room unexpectedly… and froze.

The girl was curled up, crying. And just kept repeating:

“Don’t let him come again… please… don’t let him touch me again…”

The walls of that house collapsed that day.

Everything they thought they had protected… shattered.
And the worst part?

It wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone they trusted.
Family.

💔 The Truth?

This is more common than we think.
Too many children are living with predators disguised as helpers.
Too many mothers are too tired or too trusting to notice.
Too many fathers are too emotionally absent to ask the hard questions.

😭 And the child?

She’s still healing.
Years later, she struggles with trust, self-worth, even her faith.
Because the person who introduced her to pain… was also the one who prayed at the dinner table.

📖 Scripture:

“It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” — Luke 17:2

💭 Dear Parent, here’s the raw truth:

Not everyone in your house is safe just because they’re “family.”
Discernment is protection.
Silence is not spiritual.
And your child’s discomfort is not rebellion, sometimes it’s a cry for help.

📌 Family Safety Check-In:

This week, ask your children privately:

“Is there anyone around you that makes you feel uncomfortable? You can always tell me anything.”

And mean it. Don’t defend the person they mention. Protect them first. Process later.

💬 Talk to Me:

Have you ever heard of or experienced a story like this?

Drop a 🔒 if you believe children deserve safety before image.