In April of this year, I found myself traveling from Nsanje to Dedza for some work-related meetings. My journey began a bit later than planned as I arrived at the Wenera Bus Station in Blantyre around 7 PM, missing the bus I originally intended to board. I had to wait for another one departing at 8:00 PM. While waiting, I decided to have a meal at a restaurant within Wenera.

As I was enjoying my meal, a young woman joined me at the table. It was clear that something was troubling her; her eyes welled up with tears. She was dressed nicely, but it was evident that she might have been in a conflict or had encountered trouble, possibly with the notorious “street children”

When she approached me, I couldn’t help but think, “This girl has likely been a victim of street children” She sat nearby, greeted me respectfully, and then politely asked if she could borrow my phone for a moment to make a call. Without hesitation, I handed her my phone, and I overheard her conversation. She was pleading with the person on the other end to send her money for her transportation to Lilongwe because she was in a difficult situation. She promised to explain the details once she reached Lilongwe and asked the person to send the money to my number, as she claimed to have lost her own phone.

After the call, she returned my phone, thanked me, and said she was waiting for the money transfer. I agreed to the arrangement. Seeing how vulnerable she appeared, I contemplated buying her some food. However, I hesitated since the money I had was given to me by my then girlfriend, and I couldn’t spend her money on another girl. In a moment of weakness, I instructed the waiter to give her nsima costing me only 1,000 Kwacha.

About 30 minutes later, I received a 30,000 Kwacha transfer on my phone from the person the girl had called. She asked for my phone to withdraw the funds from a mobile money agent. I offered to escort her, which she thought was a kind gesture, but, well, you can’t trust anyone.

We both boarded the bus and began our journey to the central region. During the bus ride, I sat close to the girl and asked her to share her story. Tears streamed down her face as she began to narrate the events that had led to her vulnerability.

From what I learned during her heartbreaking story, I must say, gentlemen, take your time to fear women. It’s not what it seems at all.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she began recounting the series of events that had left her feeling exposed and vulnerable. According to her story, it all began on TikTok, where she used to share her dance videos. She mentioned that she had quite a following, with around 2,000 people regularly watching her content. She spoke of a particular male follower who often left complimentary comments on her dance videos.

With a hint of nostalgia, she gazed into my eyes and admitted, “You know, I loved the attention and compliments about my looks and body.”

As she continued her narrative, she explained how she and this admirer eventually exchanged contact information and began chatting on WhatsApp. She confessed that she enjoyed their conversations and even started developing feelings for him. The attention from her long-time boyfriend dwindled as her focus shifted towards this new online connection.

She elaborated on how a romantic relationship blossomed from their online interaction. I couldn’t help but wonder if people no longer got to know each other in person before entering relationships.

She went on to reveal that the guy occasionally sent her money, and through her tears, she said, “In return, I sent him my nude pictures and videos, a decision I’ll always regret.”

She shared that the guy had once visited her in Lilongwe, and they had a sleepover at a local lodge. She described the encounter in detail, making it clear that she thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together. After the sleepover, the guy expressed his desire to marry her, which thrilled her considering his swagger and generosity.

Following the sleepover, the guy even gave her 250,000 kwacha to start her own online sandal business. Fueled by this new opportunity and financial support, she made the difficult decision to break up with her caring and loving boyfriend of six years, a move that left him in a state of depression.

She further explained how she ended up in Blantyre for another sleepover with her new boyfriend. However, on the second day of her stay, the guy’s actual girlfriend, along with her friends from Ndilande, confronted her, accusing her of having an affair. The situation escalated, and the group physically assaulted her, taking her handbag and cellphone. To make matters worse, the boyfriend disowned her in front of his girlfriend and her friends, claiming that she was a transactional sex worker he had picked up at a club.

The group of girls chased her away, leaving her with nothing. To add to her distress, one of the girls told her to get an HIV test since the guy was HIV positive. I could only imagine the emotional turmoil she experienced. To make matters even more distressing, the girls recorded the confrontation and threatened to share it on social media.

This was how she found herself in her current dire situation. She confided that the money she received was actually from her ex-boyfriend whom she had left behind, and she deeply regretted her decision.

I encouraged her to confront her past and seek forgiveness from her ex-boyfriend. In a surprising turn of events, she called me last week using her ex-boyfriend’s phone to say that her ex-boyfriend had forgiven her, and they were back together, planning to get married next year.She also mentioned that her HIV test came back negative.

Some men truly have a forgiving heart, and It’s a testament to the second chances that life can offer.