Catfished!!!

From the Urban Dictionary: Catfished -

Fooled, hoaxed, pranked.

I had a date with someone I met on eHarmony. We chatted online for about a week. Exchanged emails after a few day and then phone numbers a day after that. Because he said he was military with a base one place but a home somewhere else I agreed to meet him in the city he called home - even though that was a 2.5 hour train journey for myself. 

   The reason for my journey up there and no halfway meeting point was because he said he would be driving 350 miles the evening prior and could I please indulge him this time as he would visit me next time. I got to my final destination and texted him to let him know my phone was dying. 

   He said to wait outside a coffee shop at the station. I did for 2 hours. I waited and phoned him using a payphone (felt very 90s at that moment), emailed him using the station's WiFi and even paid a girl to send a text message from her phone.

    I got one reply to my five emails saying "What were you wearing? I didn't see you." Realizing he had stood me up, I went to the nearest coffeehouse to drown my sorrows till the next train an hour later. I sent my catfish an angry yet very restrained email which I knew was sure to make him feel bad. Got on the train and tried to fall asleep for the journey home - to no avail of course. 

   I'd left home at 9 that morning and here I was back were I'd started at 6.15 pm. I felt like such a fool. I'd never been stood up before either. When I plugged my phone in I had two messages. The first one was him saying there was something wrong with his phone so that's why he couldn't answer or email when I contacted him. I knew that was bullshit. 

   The second message, clocked in an hour later, said it was a lie and he was sorry. He was there, saw me and instantly realized he was still in love with his ex so he ran and left me in a strange city instead of being a man and at least giving me the courtesy of coffee before the next train home. 

   His story was that he was a soldier. Pictures seemed to verify it but it could have been somebody else's photos. The station was tiny. And I didn't see him a anywhere. And I was looking hard. And no real soldier would have a problem facing a situation like this head on. If they did they would need an evaluation from their commander.

    A red flag that gave me a gut feeling is that he didn't want to talk on the phone before we met. Avoided it. Finally phoned when I was on my way already. But I spoke to him once in a week. Not okay. But lesson learned. Lost £55 for train tickets and another £10 for food. But at least he didn't take my spirit.

Love,

P