Sly woman drives man into poverty

By Michael Oriedo

Though it happened a year ago, bitter memories still linger in his mind as he recalls how a woman tricked him into penury.

Peter Thari, 34, was a successful businessman running a bar that was popular in Nairobi’s Eastlands. But today he is a pale shadow of his old self, cadging drinks in the very bar he once owned.

His downfall began when he met Jane, a happy-go-lucky woman who impressed him so much with her wit. Soon he was head over heels in love with her.

A resident of Umoja Estate, she spun for him the tale of how she had lost her job after she rejected her boss’ sexual advances.

Her misfortune endeared her to him so much that after about a month, she moved into his house.

They were a perfect couple with Peter running the bar and Jane searching for another job. But things started unravelling the day Jane announced that she was going for a job interview in Mombasa.

Excited, Peter booked a bus ticket for her hoping that her job would open doors for him to do business at the coastal city. A day later, Jane called to inform him that she had secured a job with a respectable salary.

Selling goods

But his celebrations were shortlived. She was supposed to begin the job immediately and would, therefore, not return to Nairobi.

For some weeks, the two kept in constant communication, Jane always calling to tell him about her new job and the business opportunities available.

So when she invited him to join her, Peter was only too eager. It took a week for him to get a buyer for his bar but at a lower price than what he had initially wanted. He also sold his household goods at a throwaway price.

He sent her part of the money for her upkeep and to rent a bigger house for them. Two days later Jane called and informed him that she had found a two-bedroomed house that suited them. Peter was elated and couldn’t wait to go to Mombasa.

But come the day of the journey, he could not reach her on phone. He was forced to postpone his journey and decided to wait for her to call. The call never came and when weeks turned into months and months into a year, Peter knew he had been duped.