Story Sent in by Isaac:
I was in a cafe, out on my first date with Martha, when she picked up her phone, the ringer apparently having been set to vibrate. She had a brief conversation with whomever it was who had called: "Hello?" "Oh my God." "Yes, I'll be right there."
She hung up and asked me, "Can you do me a huge favor?"
"What is it?"
"I need a ride to Milton. I wouldn't ask unless it was really important."
Milton was about 45 minutes away. Martha didn't have a car. We were in the middle of a meal. I asked her, "What's wrong?"
She said, "My uncle. He lives in Milton. They don't expect him to make it through the night. I need a ride to his house. My parents are already there, or I would have gone with them. It's probably the last time I'm going to see him. I wouldn't ask unless–"
I had planned on spending the time with her anyway, and she had given me no reason to doubt her word up until this point, so, wanting to help, I said, "Sure. Let's go."
On the way there, she talked a bit about her uncle, but was silent, for the most part. I reassured her a couple of times that I thought she was doing the right thing by going out to see him, and she thanked me for the ride.
Once we made it to her uncle's house, on a quiet street, she jumped out of the car and said, "Thanks, Isaac. My parents will drive me home."
I asked her, "Do you want me to come in with you?"
She said, "No. I just want to be with my family. I hope he's not dead. Thank you so much for the ride, and I'll be in touch."
I drove home, melancholy on her behalf, but glad that I came through for her.
A few days later, she contacted me to let me know that her uncle had pulled through and that he'd be okay, after all. I was relieved, and asked her if she wanted to meet up again.
"Funny you should ask," she said, "How's today at 2pm?"
I was free, and so we met up again, at a different place. After we sat down, I said to her, as a joke, "I look forward to having an emergency-less date with you."
"Me too," she said.
Not long after, she picked up her phone. "Hello?" "Oh my God." "Yes, I'll be right there."
She hung up and said to me, "You're not going to believe this. It's my grandmother. My father's mother."
"What about her?"
"She's just taken a turn for the worse."
I dropped my shoulders and gave her a look. "Come on, Martha. Are you serious?"
She said, "I'm totally serious. I need a ride to Lewisburg. I wouldn't ask unless it was super important, but if you can't do it, I don't know who else I can ask."
"Your folks?"
"They're there already!"
"Was that them calling, just now?"
"Yes."
I extended my hand. "Give me your phone. Let me call them back so I can get directions, then."
She froze. "I'll give you directions. I know where my own grandmother's house is."
"I'd rather speak to your parents, if that's okay."
She said, "You don't believe me? Why would I make this up? I don't believe this!"
"What's the big deal? I'll give you a ride if you let me confirm it with your parents. It just seems like a huge coincidence."
She stood up violently and asked, "Are you going to drive me to my dying grandmother or not? Every second we waste is another second she could be dead."
I replied, "If you let me confirm it with your parents."
She gave me the finger and stormed out. I had a bit of doubt for the rest of the day. What if it was a coincidence, and her grandmother really was ill? I guessed that I'd never find out, either way.
However, before she remembered to block me on Facebook, by the next day, photos of a drinking and partying Martha had appeared on her Facebook wall, in addition to multiple wall comments from her friends that read, "Great to see you, Martha! Thanks for coming all the way out here!" and so on. Made me glad for having called her bluff, and then I blocked her, myself.
10/02/2011
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You are kind of dense aren't you?
ReplyDelete^ How so? She hadn't given him any reason to doubt her the first time she did it and wasn't fooled when she tried to do it a second time. The OP was pretty much the opposite of dense.
ReplyDeleteYou know Baku, I think Ipdar has a point. Wouldn't you find it even remotely suspicious when a person schedules a date during a time when a close family member is seriously ill? You don't suddenly take a turn from normal health to knocking on heaven's door (or hell's door) in the course of one day. Illnesses are a long and gradual process and generally speaking you will have a good idea of when the worse is to come. Yeah, I would have had my B.S. detector turned on from the get go. But I won't call the O.P. completely dense.
ReplyDeleteHe probably gave her the benefit of the doubt the first time. I don't think that's dense, but naive or charitable, depending on how you look at it.
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing is, why didn't she just invite him to the party? I doubt the hosts would mind at those kind of get-togethers if she brought a date.
Lots of illnesses come one suddenly... like a stroke or heart attack to name a couple.
ReplyDeleteI like that he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and came through for her that first time. What I can't believe is that she used him under the pretense of dying relatives. That's majorly fucked up.
ReplyDeleteOP is a class-A chump for falling for that old story even once. It sounds like she didn't even try to make it believable (for example, have a friend call the phone so at least it actually rang). OP is clearly...
ReplyDeleteUh, actually, now that I think about it, perhaps OP should contact me. I have some excellent investment opportunities I'd very much like to discuss with him.
Some of you are just soulless creatures, you know that?
ReplyDelete@Baku
Exactly what I would have written.
I've heard of people making dates to get free food, but making dates to get rides? That's new...
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with OP - I would have given her the benefit of the doubt the first time, and challenged her the second time.
Hindsight is 20/20...Especially when we're looking at someone else's mistakes. As mistakes go, this wasn't a bad one at all.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to go from "ok" to "The doctor said she might not make it through the night" pretty often for a while, so I can understand how the first time could have been genuine. But bravo to the OP for not falling for it a second time.
ReplyDelete"You don't suddenly take a turn from normal health to knocking on heaven's door (or hell's door) in the course of one day."
ReplyDeleteOf course a person can. What are you talking about?
It's not dense at all, he did the decent thing.
Wow what a sneaky crabinvested hoe that girl is, She could of atleast used her uncle again but the fact that she used her uncle one day and a grandmother the other shows that she thinks people are stupid and she can manipulate them. For someone who has plans and parties to go to all the time im surprised she cant find a ride from a 'friend' if she has any..
ReplyDeleteAnd to Coriolanus and Idpar or whatever your name is both of you are somewhat dense.. for one OP was actually smart how the heck would he know she was lying the first time, he would of been 'dense' if he fell for it the second time.. so im thinking you're dense for not comprehending thatand to Corio what are you talking about? Of course anyone can get ill on a moments notice..smh
Dying relatives and sick grandmothers etc..remind me of the internet romance scammers..
ReplyDelete