The day we posted this story, we had a lot of people trouping into our inbox to offer help to the girl involved. Some gave out elaborated plans to help her off the snares of her friend. They asked for contact but we couldn’t give it because we are not supposed to give details of those who send us stories. There is a woman here who had been very helpful to those who share their stories. She reached out to us asking us to do everything within our power to reach out to the girl before it’s too late. She too had a plan to help the girl and put her in a place where she would feel safe.

It gladdened our hearts and made us proud that we could be a channel through which someone could receive her breakthrough. We sent a mail to the sender who sent the story to us. It was very simple and straightforward; “If you’ve read comments on your story, you should know by this time that people are ready to help you out. We want to help you get through the right hands. Send us your phone number or call this number so we can have a discussion and see the way forward.” 

Our email inbox is a very busy place, but we woke up each morning checking to see if she had responded to our email. It took her a week to respond. She said, “I’ve left my friend’s place and I’m currently living with my mother and her husband. My mother knows the situation and has promised to protect me but I still need help so I spoke to my mother about the story I shared. She says if anyone wants to help me, they should send it through her.”

We responded; That’s not a problem but why don’t you call us or give us your number or even the number of your mother. We can talk to her and take everything from there.” 

It took another week to get a response from her. She said, “I will talk to my mother and see if she’s ready to talk to anyone. Right now I can’t give out numbers or identities because the people in the story wouldn’t be pleased if everything comes out.”

There was something about her last email that triggered our curiosity. The mail signature read, “Sent from my iPhone.” A nineteen-year-old girl who doesn’t have a place to stay uses an iPhone? In our next email, we wrote, “Or you’re lying to us? You’re not doing any of us a favor by calling the number we gave you or giving us your number. We understand your situation. We’ve promised to keep you anonymous but we can’t render help if we can’t ascertain the veracity of the story you sent us.”

We kept exchanging emails until we decided to forget about everything and move on with our lives. Days later, she sent another mail telling us; “Actually, the story is not mine. I’m the senior sister of the girl who is going through the abuse. She told me everything so I decided to share it. She doesn’t know that I shared it. That’s why I don’t know how to go about the whole thing. She’s back living with my mother and her husband. I can meet you and represent her. Anything you give to me, I will deliver it to her and send the evidence that I’ have delivered”

We responded respectfully, “You’re a waste of our time. It’s clear your intention was to pull emotional fraud on our readers to get them to send you money. We won’t allow you to go through with that. We are closing this issue. Don’t write back to us if you can’t call.”

Days later, two individuals sent us a message saying someone has contacted them claiming to be the one who sent the story but Silentbeads is sabotaging her from receiving help so if they had something to give her, she’s ready to meet them and collect it.” 

Everything so far points to one conclusion; that story we shared that day is not a true story. It’s a packaged fiction created to sound like the truth. Our editor knew the call of the story so he put in his best work to make it emotionally piercing. To make it appeal to our senses of giving so we could help a sister in distress. What a waste of man-hours.

For this reason, we’ll pull down that story after today. We can’t allow it to stay on our platform. Someday someone may read it and ask, “SO people read this story and didn’t do anything to help the girl?” They might not know the full story so they’ll judge each one of us here, including our readers as cold-hearted stones who heard someone’s cry for help and decided to turn deaf ears to it. We can’t allow this to happen. Even up to now, people still come into our inbox asking what we’ve done to help that girl. That’s why it is necessary to take down the story and let it fly where it belongs. Fiction.

Let’s also use this opportunity to plead to people who send us their stories. Yes, we don’t have any scientific ways of authenticating the stories we receive. We can only rely on our intuition to judge but let me ask, what do you stand to gain when you send us stories that are not true? What do you do to the many good advice people waste their time sharing on your story? Does it make you feel good? Does it make you feel like you’ve walked upon the sun and it didn’t burn you? You don’t only waste the time of our editor, you also disrespect the people who dig deep into themselves to give their best advice. You waste their anger and waste their data on things that don’t matter. 

Please don’t do it. If the story you’re sending to us isn’t a lived experience, don’t send it to us. A lot of people here believe in our work and believe in the reason we do what we do. Don’t cause doubt in their minds. It doesn’t butter your bread and sugar your kooko so why do it. 

On this note, we will draw the curtains on that lady’s lies. Tomorrow by this time, that story wouldn’t exist on our blog and on our Social media handles. Thanks to everyone who wanted to help. God knows your heart and he’ll visit you with goodies this Christmas. Keep being good. Bless your hearts.

—N.J.E
Editor