In retrospect, I should have downloaded the actual photo I received so I could warn others. But it was something like this.
I received a photo of a buff looking man with a child saying Hi to me. OK. The man claimed to live in Ft. Lauderdale. Hmmm. I grew up in Miami. The photo was at a port because there was a distant ship in the background. Yeah, †hat fits.
The man claimed to be 45, and asked me my age. I was demure and reluctant to answer. Oh fine fine. He understood. Anyway, age is just a number he said.
He claimed to be a widower. OK. Things happen. I mentioned that I am a widow. He asked where I lived and I told him I was originally from Miami, FL but currently reside in the Midwest. Then he asked me where I grew up. Hmmm... Miami, FL. It's near Ft. Lauderdale.
I once took the time to memorize questions to ask people you don't know in order to help fill in information about who I was conversing with, and also break the ice and be polite. This is helpful for the socially awkward. I noticed he was doing the twenty questions thing with me. I supposed he had thought this conversation through and probably chatted with a number of fair maidens. Was this a red flag? I didn't feel that it was. I supposed a man was out flirting.
So what? He asked for a photo, and I sent a thumbnail shot, and explained that I'm on a new computer without many photos yet.
He mentioned that the child was his daughter. OK, so the tragedy wasn't in the distant past. I didn't ask about her name or age, or say, "Oh, she's so cute." I was a bit surprised he didn't bring it up himself.
He asked me my birthday. I gave him the month but not the day. I asked when his birthday is. This was the crux of the conversation it turned out. He said it was in two days, which is today.
There would be no party for him though. No, he had been an only child and his parents were then killed in a car accident, and then his wife died in childbirth.
Generally I avoid men with too many tragedies going on because... who knows. I could be the next tragedy. I knew a man that was widowed eight times. Another that was widowed three times. They never figured out why his third wife died. Some mystery illness. I didn't think these men were murderers, but even if they were just unlucky it seemed like cause for concern. Maybe they lived on top of an arsenic deposit that they themselves were immune to.... Maybe they were carriers of typhoid, like Typhoid Mary. The man with eight wives next married a woman that knew him in high school. They weren't married long and she hurriedly divorced him. Curious. She had been getting sick too. That was alarming to her and was the reason behind her sudden decision to divorce him.
OK. Cut to the chase. Oh, the aching loneliness this poor soul told me he felt. If only I could be with him now. If only. Honestly, I was becoming a little drained of the conversation. It seemed to be getting clingy.
He said that he was upset and sad today. But never mind! He'd try to be brave. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Well, it's just that I haven't received anything for my birthday." Boo hoo.
I puzzled over this. You're 45 dude. Santa's gone. And if there were gifts, they would probably be given on the actual big day. But I responded, "I'll get you a surprise! I hope you like chocolate!"
He then played his wild card. "It would actually really help if you would send money...." he whimpered in despair. Oh really? I finally sensed red flags. "Well, how about if I send you $100?" I said, thinking this would probably seem like a lot. "Well, could you possibly send $200?" "I'll just make it $250 for good measure," I said. "Oh, thank you so much. You've made my day!" he responded.
I told him I would be leaving immediately to go over to the store. I asked where I should send the money. He told me I should buy an Apple gift card. I should then send him a photo of the gift card and also of the receipt. "Sure babe!" I said. "I'll talk to you in a few minutes."
Sadly, I was unable to chat with him again, since I had pressed the block option and the report option.
Beware.
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