When Maria Grette first discovered that the 58-year-old Danish man with whom she had fallen in love was actually a 24-year-old Nigerian internet scammer, the 62-year-old Swede was distraught. But, soon, her feelings changed.
“The most terrible thing was not that he had cheated me, but that he had lost his innocence,” she said.
She became consumed with what she describes as “a profound need to make a difference to the people of Nigeria”.
Ms Grette’s relationship with Johnny (not his real name) began after an evening of fun and games with her girlfriends, during which they playfully created a profile for her on an online dating website. A few years before, she had gone through a traumatic divorce, and her friends teased her about finally starting a new relationship.
But when the fun of creating her profile was over, Ms Grette, who works as an arts teacher, painter and arts therapist, didn’t give much further thought to the website.
“I received messages telling me that people had contacted me, but I never looked at them,” she said.
Then, one day, she did.
“I still don’t know why. It was like a sudden impulse happening before I could stop it,” she said.
That particular message was from a man who described himself as a Dane raised in South Carolina, USA; a civil engineer working on a contract in England; a widower with a son in a Manchester university.
“I was caught up by the atmosphere and by something in his words,” she said.
The pre-amble
Johnny: “I wish I could see through your eyes and see what you like to see”
Maria: “I like to see the truth, and often the truth is more beautiful and greater than people dare to realize”
Johnny: “You talk in parable´s. I can´t wait to see you”
Maria: “I cant understand how you can think so dedicated of me, when you have never met me. That scares me.”
“We spent some time writing, then he called from a UK number.”
Ms Grette, who had lived in different countries across Europe, was surprised that she could not place the man’s accent. She mentioned this to him but didn’t give it too much thought.
He told her that he was planning for his retirement; had Sweden in mind for a place to settle; owned a house in Denmark inherited from his parents; wanted to leave that to his son, Nick, who was very attached to it, while he looked for a new home for himself in Sweden.
“I wanted to meet him because I liked him,” she said. “He had a way and a sweetness I had never known in a man before. And he was innocent in a way that puzzled me.”
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from Lifestyle – Mpasho News http://ift.tt/2eBAJuk
via Mpasho Lifestyle
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