Catfishing: a medium used by people to pretend to be who they're not. I hadn't been catfished before.
At least not in the definitive sense of the word but I had experienced something similar.
.
.
"My friend, Michael saw your picture on my phone and asked for your Facebook ID? He's a really cute guy and my best friend.
"Our houses are a stone's throw away from each other. Would you mind me giving it to him?"
I read and reread that message over and over again.
"Why would Tobi want his friend to talk to me?" I began to overthink.
The gears in my head working in overdrive trying to formulate reasons as to why he would want his friend to initiate a friendship with me.
Even adding that he was cute.
What was I supposed to do with that bit of information?
If I liked someone, I wouldn't even entertain the thought of my female friends speaking to him unless it's through my knowledge.
I decided to just trust him and go along with the flow.
"Sure, why not?" I replied.
Soon after, a friend request notification came up on my screen from the said Michael which I accepted.
Michael seemed lively and fun and I enjoyed chatting with him. He opened up to me that he liked me and would love to meet up with me one day.
I was genuinely befuddled.
Didn't he know that his friend and I were fully in the talking stage?
"I like your friend so I don't think it would be wise for us to meet up if this is the reason. Don't tell him I said I like him."
I wasn't ready to expose my feelings to Tobi not until I was completely sure that he felt the same way.
"I understand. It's fine. We can just stay friends. Deal?"
"Deal!" I replied happily.
Tobi and I had been chatting for almost a month.
The second week of September would make it a full month of us knowing each other. Around that time, my friendship with Michael was also blooming.
One day, whilst lounging around in the parlor, a weird text from Tobi came in which left me confused.
"Have you had sex or anything close to it before?" The topic of sex or sex-related activities had never come up in any of our previous chats so I couldn't for the life of me figure out where such question stemmed from.
"I haven't had sex before but I have done some random stuff," I replied.
"Stuff like what? Kissing or something more?" I don't know what came over me but I found myself pouring out details of my very brief, weird, and embarrassing near-sexual life.
In addition to my details, he enlightened me of his sexual life; he wasn't a virgin anymore. He lost his virginity when he was 16, which was a year ago, to one of his seniors in secondary school.
I found this information contradictory to what he told me about him being religious, yet again, I decided not to think anything of it. Nevertheless, I indulged in the dialogue and tried to amp up my sex life so I wouldn't seem like a prude to him who happened to be a pro.
"Babe, I'm sorry. I went to get something." Confusion flooded my senses.
If he had gone to get something, then who had I been chatting with for the last thirty minutes?
"Oh, okay. Did you leave your phone with anyone?"
A minute passed, no response; five minutes passed, and still no response. I was starting to panic when he finally replied.
"Sorry, I was scrolling through past messages. You've been chatting with that my friend, Michael, all this while. I think he likes you."
He closed off with a laughing emoji and I felt my temper rise.
What was so funny about that?
"Anyway, you've not gotten back to me on our meeting? Is there any problem?"
It baffled me that he didn't even apologize to me and was taking this whole Michael issue so lightly.
"How could your friend take your phone, lead me to believe it was you and you don't have a problem with it? Are the both of you pranking me? What kind of sick game are you playing?" My anger was beginning to get the best of me.
All I wanted was a really good explanation and an apology.
"Calm down, we were hanging out together and I left my phone with him and went to get something.
"I didn't know he was going to start chatting with you using my account. No vex. The boy can be mad sometimes."
I still wasn't satisfied. He didn't even apologize.
I strongly believed that he and Michael were up to something fishy and I didn't like it.
"I don't want to meet up with you anymore," I declared.
"Don't tell me you're angry because of something that wasn't even my fault."
I didn't wait to see more messages before I went offline.
Multiple message notifications from him filled my Facebook messenger throughout the next week.
I was still surly and the conversation I had with Michael a few days after that incident did nothing to help mend my trust in him.
"I'm sorry for using Tobi's phone and deceiving you but I really like you and even Tobi knows.
He was the one that even suggested that I chat you up when I saw your picture on his phone."
"What do you mean by that exactly? Why would he do that?"
My head was spinning; I was already tired and frustrated from being in my mother's boutique all day. I wasn't in the mood for games.
"Tobi has a girlfriend. He doesn't even like you. Please just give me a chance. I promise, I'll make you very happy," He pleaded.
"What do you mean by he has a girlfriend? He broke up with her months ago."
I could feel the trust I had in Tobi melting away but I tried to solidify it. He wouldn't do that to me.
He wouldn't lie to me. What reason could he have to lie?
Michael must be the liar here. Spouting cheap stories to make me lose interest in Tobi.
"Look, Michael. I don't know what you would gain from lying against your friend but I do not believe anything you are saying. And I do not care if you have feelings for me. This conversation is over. Please do not message me again."
I sent the message off and removed him from my friend list.
Tobi finally learned the error of his ways and apologized.
He must have reflected on how his friend's deceit must have hurt me.
It may have taken him a week and two days but at least he apologized and that was enough for me.