My Online Dates

CHAPTER ONE

Betel, why don’t you go to town with us? Asked W/ro Mizan.

I told you I’ve a lot of home work and assignment to finish, mom. Why don’t you leave me alone? Said Bethel.

It’s a break for you. And you can have lunch with us. I just want you to have some good time with your family, but if you don’t feel like going out with us, it’s okay.

I want to be alone. I mean, after I finish my work, I can watch TV or do something; you just go with the boys.

I don’t like this idea of yours. You said these days, ‘ I better sit alone.’ Probably, you’re doing something with that internet when I leave the house.

You can unplug it and lock all the cables in your bedroom and go, if that’s what you think of me. Betel snapped.

The whole family knows that she’s busy with the internet, but they want to know what she’s up to. Her younger brother Mamoush knows what she’s doing, but he’s given a lot of presents by her so that he won’t tell his parents what Betel is doing on the internet.

She promised Mamoush to buy him bike and a laptop to play all games he wanted alone. He always asks himself , How can she get that money and buy me those things? She’s in high school. She’s doing grade eleven, there’s no means of getting that much money by her own.

Mamoush is about to lose his patients. Bethel’s boyfriend never comes to Ethiopia. Her boyfriend’s name was Bo, and he was from Sweden. And last week, she was trying to convince him, he forgot what she told him about her boyfriend. After the mother left her and went to change her clothes, her brother steps in and starts asking questions.

Betty, what was the name of your boyfriend? Asked Mamoush.

Why do you ask me today? Asked Betel.

Is he Max?

No. His name is Robby.

He is from?

Ireland.

Yes. Last time, you told me another guy’s name and he was from Sweden.

Why don’t you go with your mom?

I’m going. But I want to know. You break up with him, and you meet this one?

U… h! You know, those people of far away never tell you the truth about themselves first time, but his name and nationality is…

But, you showed me a young boy’s picture from Australia first time. Now, this one is older and he has different nationality. I don’t know.

Does your mother send you to spy on me? Go and tell her that I’m seeing men online; you’ll lose what I promise you.

I just ask your friend’s name and nationality, why are you so upset? Bye, if you don’t like talking to me.

I know you and mom share secrets, she’ll buy you something and she will make you tell all the stories you know about my friends and me.

Bye. Said Mamoush.

Betel is busy chasing boys and men online. She told her father to bring internet and buy a computer for her, so that she will search for online language courses. Her only reason for her to get a pc and internet was, to make her dream true.

When she was a child, her uncle who had been staying with them used to read her English stories. She’s used for those English books, from simplified books to the fat novels. Sometimes she falls in love with some of the good characters. She doesn’t like to be a friend with Ethiopian boy. She dreams of white boy and man only. She’s very young to go out by herself and look for a white boy in Addis. Since she was thirteen, she’s dreaming of a white boyfriend. When she was in grade nine, she heard that, there’re many dating websites on the internet and that brought a huge smile to her beautiful face.

She knew that her parents could do anything to her, if she wanted something to help her education. Her parents discussed that and brought her what she wanted to home. She was doing well in school by the time she asked them to buy her the computer. The computer had been put in the sitting room, so that nobody uses it for something which is not useful for him.

She searches for online schools for the courses she needs. Her younger brother Aman does things like, writing poetry and designing web pages of his own. The last born Mamoush plays games when he comes from school every day.

Betel goes to bed early, and she wakes up early in the morning to study in the sitting room. Her father is proud of her, he told her he lives for her only, and he can do anything for her to make her happy. Because she was his hope, his first born, a very clever girl in school. She does good things at home when her father is around, just to get her father’s attention only.

Betel, we’re leaving. You can release the dog, in case you fall asleep while you’re reading too much, he’ll take care of the compound. Her mother said.

Okay mom. Betel replied.

Aman is a kind of quiet boy; he dressed in blue jeans with extremely large black t-shirt and black snicker. He has a good athletic body and he is always clean. He keeps his clothes washed and ironed in his wardrobe. He is tall like his father, but he can grow taller than him. He has got a same height with his dad while he is sixteen. He was waiting for them at the gate, Mamoush runs and pushed his older brother and left the compound. Mamoush’s black jeans can be worn by his older brother, it’s too big for him. That is the boy’s choice; he is wearing size thirty eight white snickers. He is almost drugging it to walk. He eats well every day, but he is very skinny. W/ro Mizan puts on brown tight with a beige shirt which is large enough to hide her big tummy. She let her long hair to fall down her back. She has black hair with some strands of gray. She has fair skin and very beautiful face. Her smooth small lips and her well cared white beautiful tooth give her an elegant look when she smiles. She left the compound after her sons and pulled the door to lock it.

Yes! They’ve gone. Said Betel and jumped in her bedroom. She is still wearing her pink pajamas, a pink short and a short sleeved top. She has no time to change it because she can’t wait to see her online date.

She walked to the computer, switched it on, and plugged in the internet line. Even if her mother unplugs it and locked the cables, she’s already bought her own. She’s on a date with one Irish boy, he’s eighteen and he’s so cute. She looked for her cell and sent him text to chat her online.

Come on Robby Kalona, come online pls. She typed again and again. Her online date was not responding. She sat there staring on the pc, and gets no answer from Robby. In fact, he chats her on the evenings; she had to remember that she may not find him online during the day. She is annoyed missing the invite from her mom.

What else can I do now? Betel asked herself. Yes, I can check the face book. But, they’re all boring. Half of my class mates will be online by now. I don’t want to see any of them.

She typed on the address bar, online dates. Then her browser brought her a bunch of dating websites to her. Afrointroductions. Com attracts her eyes.

She feels the forms and becomes a member. She was very happy to see lots of people online on this website. She started her search on the countries she wants to live in the future, with her white boy or husband. She can dump Kalona if she finds a boy more handsome and one or two years older than him. She doesn’t care for Robby Kalona because he doesn’t answer to her text. She started her search by the age group and membership grade.

Because she is a standard member, she can’t chat the standard member on Afro. She’s sending her interest for few young men in Scandinavia. After few minutes, she received instant message. She accepted it and starts to chat him.Hi. typed Mark from Denmark.

Cool. Typed Betel.

Where’re you now?

I’m home.

Are you alone for more minutes?

Yes. My families have just left.

Do you’ve webcam?

No.

How can I see you then?

I can send you my picture.

Sorry, I can’t chat without webcam. He closed his window.

Betel wanted to cry, she likes his face. His age was twenty and he’s a dancer, and played music. She’s no way to get webcam the same minute she wants it. She started to think, how to get the cam. She can’t ask her parents for that, because the webcam has nothing to do with her school.

It’s big trouble to stay in a third world country. Said Betel, she heard that from one lady next door.

Another instant message is coming, while she’s feeling bad, because Mark left her.

Hey babes.Said the guy.

Fine. Said Betel.

How’s the going?

Great.

Do you’ve any man?

No.

Why? You’re seventeen.

Yes, but I want a Caucasian man.

I’m a Caucasian man, but I need to see your picture or want to see you live.

I can send you my pictures, but I don’t have webcam.

"Okay. My e-mails is; sippkos@libro.fn, you can send me the pictures.

Cool. Hold a moment, let me attach some pictures and send you with my e-mail.

Okay.

I’ve sent you now, go to your inbox.

Can I check your pictures? Will you wait for me?

Sure.

I like your picture.

Thanks.

Can I see more pictures of yours?

Yes. I’ll be sending you more pictures while we’re chatting.

Oh! You’re very nice girl. Do you have a cell phone? I want to hear your voice now.

Yes. 251 913 716 869.

Good girl. I’ve sent my pictures to you. It was last summer by the beach.

Betel checks her inbox and she down loads the picture of this date. He was sleeping by the beach, near one of the waters of Finland. The guy was strikingly handsome, if it was his real picture. Her cell is ringing.

Hello. Said Betel.

Hey sweetie.Said Sippo.

Nice to meet you on Afro.

You’re good young girl.

Thank you. I like your picture.

Yes. Do you think you and I can be friends?

Sure. Why not?

Did you see my profile? Or you just click on me when you see my picture?

I read your profile and I like it.

Then you’re good to me. I do love African girls. I come to Africa most of the time, and we’ll be seeing each other.

Yes. When do you think you’ll be here?

I guess in a month or after six weeks.

That’ll be great.

Let’s chat on Afro communicator. And he hangs up.

Betel is extremely happy. This time, it’s going to work for her. She chats Sippo till her mother and her brothers get back home. She gives an excuse for Sippo and tells him to be online after midnight. She unplugs all the cables and went to her bed.

CHAPTER TWO

Bethel scatters her books on her table, to pretend she was studying and now she lies on bed. She doesn’t read Sippo’s profile at all. She was just lying to him, telling him she liked his profile. She closed her eyes and started dreaming of Sippo .Sippo is a business owner, he’s very handsome and he’s only twenty. How come he owns his business, while he’s so young? You see, they’re much better than us. She was wondering about her new online dates.

She pulls her diary book and opens it, she has just finished the second note book and the third one is almost used half way. She picks her kea and opens it to write about Sippo. The new online date of hers, she doesn’t even know who he is, what kind of job he does, and what profession he has. She is almost taken by him, only chatting him for about three hours.

Why do I trust these men all the time? My diaries can tell how many boys and men cheated me and dumped me for another woman. They hate my innocence or my age. I can be a good partner, only if my date marries me and takes me home with him. I’m not going to date an Ethiopian man, if I date one, it’ll be over my Dade body. She promised to herself.

Her door was knocked, and she replaced her book and grabs an accounting book. She knows how to pretend around her parents, she cheats her father but not her mother.

Hi mom, what do you bring me? Asked Betel.

Nothing . I’ve invited you to go out with us, and you refused. Why should I carry takeaways for you? Asked the mother.

I brought you some fries, here you’re. Said Mamoush.

Yes, I’ve only one little brother, Aman takes care of his mom only. If he was daddy who brought you out, he could bring me something. Betel complained.

The mother studies her daughter’s face, and sees something in her eyes. She called out for Mamoush and left for her bedroom.

Betel doesn’t care for the food, she unpacks the fries but deeply thinking of Sippo. Why am I such an easy lover? I always go easy with all the online dates. Those people have no heart. My heart, my mind, my precious study time and my tears whenever my date dumps me, only my pillow confesses that. But this time, it must be working well for me. God has seen my cries, he’ll never let me down. If Sippo turns out to be like the other online dates, I’ll never ever see another man online. I mean it.

Betty, can I come in? Asked Mamoush.

Yes, my dear. My only dear brother, come in we’ve a lot to discuss today.

Mamoush enters Bethel’s bedroom, and started asking his endless questions.

You’re happy. Is your friend coming soon? Mamoush asked.

Yes, he’s coming soon. Betel replied.

How soon?

He’ll come in a month or six weeks, maximum.

Wow! Is he taking the family to some resort?

I don’t know.

But, you told me last time, he’ll take us to some resort…

Oh! Yes… but I don’t know.

You’re not sure about your friend always, why is that? Asked Mamoush.

That’s true, she is not sure. The man who promised her to take her families to some resort is a history. He was seeing her only for one week, and she has never heard from him again. Betel thinks sometimes, the online dates come through the telephone lines like some spirits, and disappeared the way they come, they always let her suffer. They are some kind of dream about something which shall never come true.

The problem is, she always tell to her brother what her online dates said to her. Kids never forget what they hear and what they see. She wanted to cheat him, but he’s very clever boy. He knows that she has got many boys from the net. Today, early in the morning, when he asked to make things clear about her friend she yelled at him. Mamoush wants to keep it that way and learns more of her boyfriends, the way she calls them. His mother advised him today, to be nice for Betel and collect all the stories of her daughter and not to hide anything from her. Mamoush will tell all the stories of Betel to his mom, after he finishes up with his sister. He was keeping his words for two years, but his sister didn’t fulfill what he is expecting from her. He should be keeping friendship with