The 50-year-old Finnish man whose love I squandered over lust
I met him, Joni, a gentle-mannered Finnish man one weekend, in July of 2021 when I was visiting Estonia with a small group of Nigerian acquaintances. It was through Grindr, and he was one of the rare ones interested in having a balanced conversation with me. I kept in touch with him even after I returned home. We exchanged WhatsApp numbers and I think it was as early as in the first week of getting to know each other that we decided I would be visiting him in his Finnish home town of Turku. Eventually, in October, I made the trip. I got permission from my company to work abroad for a week. And Joni graciously granted me his place for this much-needed escape from my homely cage. Joni is a very kind man. Perhaps, it was because I gleaned this that I decided to fly out to spend a week with a man whom I had never met, in Finland, a country that I had never been to. And this kindness, oh, the kindness did not change when I arrived. He showered me with care and attention and goodies all thro