A Love Fraud

Her hands shook as tears spilled down her cheeks. She tried to still them around the knife but they wouldn't stay. The knife kept rattling in between her palms.

Her heart clenched fitfully and a pitiful sob escaped her lips. Why did he leave? Why did he lie to her and leave her a wretched mess? He had used her and done damage without turning back, without looking if he had left her whole. She had thought they were meant for each other like humans and oxygen. Always needed, never to be done without. But he proved they were nothing similar or close to that.

She remembered when she first met him. It was at university. He was a direct entry student and had joined her level in the second year. He was especially handsome and it was like he knew it. Almost every girl in the department were attracted to him and wanted to be his girl. She was drawn to him like a moth to a lightbulb but she had always learnt to hide her feelings especially when it came to handsome self-confident guys like him. But it was hard not to notice him during lectures. It was like he took up the whole space in the room, like he lit up the room and he was the only one there.

Then in their third year, it happened. They were put in the same group for a project in their third year. When she found out, she was elated that she would get to spend time around him, hear him speak and maybe one day, he would even notice her. And he did. After one of their group meetings, he had stopped by her desk, "Hey, I saw you staring at me throughout the meeting today." Her jaw dropped. Had she been that obvious?
"But, don't worry. I notice you now." He smiled, winked and left. What was that? Her heart was racing at a thousand miles per second. He notices her now? That means she had to look better. She had to dress better. She had to be better.

Over the weeks, they met frequently for the project and after the meetings, he would walk with her to where she would board a taxi. They exchanged contacts and they talked about a lot of things. His texts notifications woke her up and his calls accompanied her to sleep almost every night. It became clear that they both loved each other or at least she thought so. The whole department and faculty knew they were together and people envied them for their growing relationship.

Then, in the new session, he stopped coming to school. She didn't see him or hear a word from him. She called but his number was always switched off or not available. It felt likeher heart was wrenched away and she was a walking mess. She felt empty like there was something irreplaceable missing from her. People asked her where he was but she had no response. She herself had no idea what happened to him.

Two months later, his vanishing had become bearable and she knew how to hang on better. She was going through a course assignment when a text came in through an unknown number.
"Hey, it's me. Sorry for ghosting on you. I'm really sorry but things happened. Could we meet at Lolly's?*

Immediately, she stood up, grabbed her bag and keys and marched out. Apparently, her heart was still his. She met him at Lolly's and she knew just then that he had really been going through a lot. He looked ill, his frame skinny and eyes shrunken. He wasn't bursting with energy like he was before. Immediately,herheartwent out to him and she took him in her arms and hugged him and kissed him.
"What happened to you? Talk to me."She commanded and he told her. He told her that his family was in debt and loan sharks had come to take every one of their belongings. It had been tough trying to survive. Trying to live and struggle for the basic amenities of life. His family had thought the loan sharks would leave them after taking all they had but it was not to be so. The loan sharks had snatched up his youngest sister and had said they would abuse her sexually if the money wasn't paid in two days.

"Why didn't you let me know? Why? I could have helped?" She cried out.

"I thought i would be able to handle it but things just got worse when they took her. I don't know what to do."He buried his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.

"Okay, how much are we talking about here?"

"Five million lis."

"Five million lis??" She was shocked. "That's kind of a lot but I can help. How much have you been able to raise?"

"2 million." He looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"I can lend you three million. It's my savings but I don't think I would be needing it yet. When things are better, you can return it back."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really." He stood up abruptly and went over to her hugging and kissing her. Words could not describe his appreciation to her for doing this for him. They both went to her place afterwards and that night was one of her best nights.

He kept in touch for a while but after two weeks, the same thing happened, he had vanished again. No way to contact him, nothing. She went to Lolly's, hoping to see him but she never heard from him. She went back to being a walking mess barely holding it together.

Another two weeks later, she got a text from him. "Hey, babe. This time around I'm really sorry for doing this to you. Things are really hard here. I thought after paying the debt, the loan sgarks would leave us and return all the things they took but they didn't. They said our added interest was 2 million lis and that we had to pay that before we could be left alone completely. I'm sorry I won't be able to see you but I don't want to bring any harm to you. Do you think you could help me this time? Please?"

She sighed in relief as she read his text. At least, he was still here somewhere and he hadn't deserted her. If anything, he cared for her safety. Her last savings was 1 million lis. She thought hard and decided to lend it to him. She hoped he would be able to raise the rest and things would become better. At least, together, she figured they could overcome anything.

"I only have 1 million left. Would that be enough?"

"Yes, love. I will figure out how to raise the rest."

"Please, don't desert me again. Keep in touch with me, at least. Promise me."

"I promise."

She transferred the funds to him and he promised to text her later. Two hours later, she received a video, photo and text from a friend of hers.

"Have you seen this?" She loaded the picture and almost dropped her phone in shock. His face was on a wanted poster. He was wanted for debts, fraud and drug trafficking amongst other crimes. She didn't want to believe it until she loaded the video and saw him on his knees trying to salvage drugs that had been left on the floor, trying to sniff them. People were mocking him and laughing in the background but all he cared about was the drugs in front of him. Her hands shook. She tried calling his contact bu it was not available. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She had given him her life savings all because she loved him not knowing he was a drug addict and trafficker

As she was trying to wrap her heads around that, she received a document from her doctor. She had been feeling queasy lately and had decided to go to the hospital for a check up. She was sure this was the test results. She prayed deep in her heart that it wouldn't turn out positive. But it was. She was a month pregnant. She dropped her phone on the floor and staggered to the kitchen, grabbing hold of a knife and sinking to the floor. She wept and wept. It felt like all her dreams were tarnished, all her life's work gone to waste. If he was here, she probably would have been happy to have the baby but without him, it felt like everything had come to naught. Here she was, a victim to a love fraud.