Online dating and heartbreak-Gideon 23

“I was ready to find the love of my life on the internet…” 

I decided to try out online dating because in-person relationships were not working for me. I had no luck with the ladies I knew in my life so I thought I might have a better chance on a successful relationship with someone I met online. I downloaded one popular dating app, signed up, and I was ready to find the love of my life on the internet. 

Finding the perfect match 

It did not take long before I got a notification on the app that several people were a match, which meant that they saw my profile and were interested in me. This was so much easier than me struggling to find love with people I met in person. I went through every notification to see who was interested in me and I took my time to select the one I thought was the best fit. Her name was Jasmine, and she was very beautiful from the picture she had posted. I sent her a message and she replied immediately. She said that she felt love at first sight when she saw my picture and she would like to get to know me. This was exactly what I was looking for. We both agreed that it would be better if we talked off the dating app so we exchanged phone numbers and started talking on call and WhatsApp. Things were great, we talked frequently and I wanted to meet her in person finally. 

Money was proof that I loved her 

Every time I asked her to meet me in person, I always received excuses. She was either working, had travelled to the village to visit her grandparents or to Mombasa for whatever reason. All this while, she asked me for financial help and even though I was not quite well off, I sent her whatever I could. Sometimes she pressured me to send the money and if I said I did not have money, she said it was proof that I did not love her as I said. I insisted that she tell me where she lives so that I can have a physical meeting with her and she agreed and sent me an address. I set out to visit her since she lived only 2 and a half hours away. 

I got to the place where my online love had directed me and knocked on the door only to find a woman in her mid-30s. I told her that I was looking for Jasmine and she told me that no one called Jasmine lived in that house or in that building.  

Lessons from getting played 

My relationship was a lie.  When I called her, her phone was off, and she had blocked me from accessing her online profile. I was devastated because I really wanted to believe in love, but instead, I got played. I was foolish and was used by a stranger for money, and believed that it was love. 

It was hard going back home that day and it took me many months to recover from that incident but I did eventually. I learnt to be patient when it comes to love and, to take time before fully trusting a person so that I don’t get played again. I continued going about my daily business until one day the heartbreak that I felt had disappeared, and I was happy again.