Samantha had been in love with Victor since they went to Junior High school together. By the time she had gathered enough courage to tell him how she felt, they had long graduated. They still lived in Lira, where Victor had become a lecturer at the University and Samantha a primary school teacher. Unfortunately, Victor didn’t feel the same way about Samantha.
After her confession, they didn’t speak for months. Samantha still loved him though, so she created a fake Facebook account using her friend Mercy’s name and pictures. She wanted to make Victor fall in love with her online, and then later reveal it was her all along. Since she knew Victor in and out, she thought he’d easily fall for her. When he accepted her friend request the next day they started chatting.
“Hello, Mercy here!”
“Hey, I’m Victor. Just seeing your profile, I think God sent you straight from heaven to me. Shall we get to know each other more?”
“Well, I think that’s not such a bad idea, you sure do look good yourself,” Samantha replied. It was the start of conversations that would last for days.
Whenever Victor wanted a video call, Samantha gave one excuse after another. Whenever he said he wanted to meet up in person, she’d tell him her parents had sent her on an errand in Gulu, a district far two hours from where they lived.
“I’ll stop chatting to you if we don’t see each other in person,” Victor texted two months later. It scared Samantha, she didn’t know if she should tell the truth or not, because the truth might destroy their friendship.
One day, the two had coffee at coffee huts, a quiet café overlooking a beautiful garden filled with flowers. They ordered iced coffee, a drink they had loved since childhood. They started talking as they had their iced coffee and Victor brought up the conversation about his online girlfriend.
“By the way, I wanted to tell you about this online girl I met called Mercy. Oh gosh Samamntha, this girl has really got all my attention,” Victor told Samantha as he blushed.
“Well, well, my friend is in love. Who is this Mercy girl that got you so worked up? She must be so pretty ah?” Samantha replied as though she knew nothing at all.
“I met her online and yeah she’s really pretty though I haven’t met her in person yet.”
” I’m happy for you my friend. You know I always want to see you happy.” Samantha felt so guilty for lying to her friend but there was nothing she could do.
Another week passed. Victor kept putting pressure on Samantha to meet. Samantha, without really thinking about the consequences, came up with a solution, but little did she know that it would become one of the biggest mistakes of her life. She called her friend Mercy, whose name and photos she had used and asked her if they could meet up. The two met up later that evening at Samantha’s apartment.
“I’m glad you came Mercy, can I offer you tea, water or a soda?”
“Water will do. And what’s so important for us to talk about?” Mercy replied as Samantha returned from the kitchen, carrying two glasses and a jug of cold water.
“First, I would really like to apologize for what I am about to say and ask you for.”
“You’re my friend Sam, you don’t need to apologize. Just go on and tell me what’s bothering you already. You know that I can do anything for you.”
“Okay, I used your name and pictures to catfish my friend online. And now he’s insisting on us meeting up. I really don’t know what to do. If I tell him who I really am, he’ll probably won’t see me again and I really like him. Please help me out.”
“What a ridiculous method you used, Sam. What where you thinking? Do you know that you will still lose him regardless? Because even if I help you right now. We are going to have to tell him at some point.”
“I know dear but please help me out.”
“Okay fine, but I’m only going through with this madness because I love you, okay? And I will only meet him once.”
“Alright my friend, thanks so much. I love you.” Samantha replied, hugging Mercy. Mercy left Samantha’s apartment with the address where she was to meet Victor.
Samantha should have just told Victor the whole truth, but love had blinded her, and she couldn’t tell right from wrong. If Victor found out, she’d lose him forever. Victor and Mercy went for a dinner date the same evening. Victor was amazed by Mercy’s beauty. Afterwards, Mercy told Samantha that Victor was suspicious. She said she could calm his mind down, she said, by meeting him again. Samantha was so happy to hear this. She really believed that Mercy wanted to help, so she gave Mercy all the details for the fake Facebook account.
A week later, Victor and Mercy met for the second time. After, Mercy confessed to Samantha that she had fallen in love with Victor and that he loved her too. There was nothing Samantha could do. She’d rather keep Victor her as his friend than to have him hate her for lying.
A few months later, Victor and Mercy got married. Samantha learnt to live with that for the rest of her life. Seeing them together really hurt her, but eventually she had to get over it because she brought it upon herself. Victor and Mercy lived happily and Samantha remained his best friend. She was happy that at least Victor was still his friend. Maybe someday she would also find her soulmate.
25 May, 2023
