The next time, from the Yen Trang lobby computer, that I spoke with Lin, evidently on the 13th August, 2018 (pretty sure the time you’ll see there, 10:21 p.m., is NZST; Vietnam is six hours behind, so assume it was 4:21 one muggy afternoon in HCMC), as you’ll see I very quickly become exasperated with the whole game.
8/13/18, 10:21 PM
He hacked your accounts tim
Tim Walker
I don’t give a shit if he hacks my Facebook accounts; what’s he going to do, post a rude picture?
I dont know.he said that
Tim Walker
Said what?
I am fighting with him .he hacked my accounts today and unblock him
But he said he didnt do
I am very upset now
Tim Walker
Who CARES?! Lin, it’s Facebook, it doesn’t matter…?
He hacked your accounts?you dont care??
Tim Walker
Why would I – what’s he going to do?
Oh he said bad things about you
Tim Walker
Lin, this is ridiculous; you have to just forget Gary and his childish manipulation and get on with your life.
Really, he SAID bad things about me…?
Yes
Tim Walker
Do you realise how stupid you sound right now?
They’re WORDS Lin; they can’t hurt us.
But his words hurted me before.
Tim Walker
Only because you let them hurt you.
That’s why I say Lin, ignore the silly old prick.
8/14/18, 12:45 AM
Okay
GAry: hey timmy
it’s Gary
How are you?
Do you really want to meet with me and tell me how you feel?
I can tell by the size of your little kids mouth, I would hurt you so bad
you can talk shit behind a computer tho
you can write mr writer
my job was infantry
its to fight
so don’t think you can ever walk up to me and talk shit in your lifetime
you are just a kid to me
You talk shit about me because you want what I already had with her
You get half truths from her and want to judge wholey
but I’m american timmy and I just bust you in the mouth when i see you in HCMC
write your books and talk shit behind a compute all day, but you won’t hit it like I did with her and I’ll bust your little ass up and down the streeet
Go do your little side jobs and lie about the stock market to people who don’t know. Because you are fake
Yes Lin needs money
2.5k to be exact
meet with me and bring it to me
if you so well off mr writer come meet me pay what she owes me
Easy to walk into a relatinship with problems and share your 2 cents..
And I can tell you have a small penis
don’t change the subject
your mouth is so small
everything about you small
you are not long and strong like me
and you got a temper
lin will never marry you
but you can take her for a spin
You know what is funny to me
you asking her to tell you about her guys
here your are just meeting her and you want her to be honest
I’m the guy that was going to marry her after 8 months and she didn’t tell me the truth
A blowjob behind my back
with james
telling me she only had 3 lovers in her life
but she sleeps with her best guy friend
you better learn all these names timmy boy
James, Dale, Justin, Gary, Mon, and thats just the serious relationships in the past year
1 night stands you will never know
so don’t bother asking her to tell you about her guys
you are nothing special
And you are just like her with your I searched all over vietnam for love act
lets see who hurts each other first, I got the popcorn
She has that I’m a conservative farm girl from Dak Lak act.
Timmy boy just make sure you carry on the tradition of warning the next guy like James warned me……….
[07/06/2018 20:15:04] Lin: Why you lied him?i have never asked you to buy camera for me and i have only this zalo
[07/06/2018 20:19:33] Lin: I didnt many guys,when i met you i broke up him
[07/06/2018 20:19:48] Lin: You should tell the truth
[07/06/2018 20:20:05] James Leigh: Stop playing with this poor guy! He’s dumb and actually believes you. I won’t tell him all about you because he’s a nice, dumb guy and doesn’t need to be hurt. Why aren’t you using your other Zalo
[07/06/2018 20:20:47] Lin: I have only this zalo
[07/06/2018 20:20:49] James Leigh: You don’t need to use some old guy to get out of Vietnam
[07/06/2018 20:21:14] Lin: I d̀ont use him
[07/06/2018 20:21:28] Lin: Which the a nother zalo you say?
[07/06/2018 20:21:33] Lin: I even dont know
[07/06/2018 20:21:45] Lin: I havent talked to you for long time
[07/06/2018 20:21:59] James Leigh: Ha ha? What? Is he reading this? Okay, keep lying, if he’s stupid enough to believe you! Let’s chat on your other Zalo so I don’t embarrass you
[07/06/2018 20:22:04] Lin: I didnt ask to meet you in June
[07/06/2018 20:22:10] James Leigh: Ha ha
[07/06/2018 20:22:13] Lin: I will marry him
[07/06/2018 20:22:24] James Leigh: Switching to your other Zalo
[07/06/2018 20:22:28] Lin: I dont have another zalo
[07/06/2018 20:23:18] James Leigh: It’s funny this one has no pictures or timeline
[07/06/2018 20:23:35] James Leigh: I’m going to your other Zalo now
Lin was never the victim
she will play the role of the victim
but she was never the victim
But you need to stop pretending to Tim, you just want a piece of ass
8/14/18, 5:07 PM
Tim Walker
Gary, you are insane. To infiltrate people’s Facebook accounts is deranged. Fortunately I have better things to do with my days than play immature games with a 50-year-old kiddie fiddler.
8/14/18, 6:40 PM
Tim Walker
You want to do something today Lin?
8/15/18, 12:00 AM
I just read your text.i am sorry
Are you there??
Maybe you went out already now
I didnt know you text me .i am sorry respomding you late
I am at home.i just had dinner
8/15/18, 3:23 AM
Tim Walker
It’s fine, Lin.
How are you?
Tim Walker
You know Lin, when I met you, you were easygoing, carefree.
Now through your own actions, you’ve made your life a lot of work.
I worked in the morning today
I am at home
Tim Walker
I know.
I know.
But he texted me much so i dont want to open my messegers
Tim Walker
I know.
I am sorry for everything he talked to you yesterday
Tim Walker
Yeah, about that, Lin, you’ve turned yourself into more work than I can be bothered enduring.
That conversation continued for a little longer, with me becoming progressively uninterested in the awkward situation that she had made…
It only occurs to me now, and while I was in Vietnam of course in the heat of the moment I believed everything that Lin told me, but the above Facebook message, dated over eight months ago, including – especially – the apparent entry by ‘Gary’, is utter shit. She was clearly doing what eldest daughters in Ho Chi Minh City do best – attempting to scam money out of White folk. Reading over that Facebook conversation over eight months since I last saw it (which, admittedly, didn’t transfer from Facebook quite how I’d hoped), it’s seems so obvious – how did I not see it at the time? Lin reveals to me in person that she owes Gary $2500 for a camera, to be later corroborated in Gary’s apparent Facebook interaction, particularly his invitation/demand that I should pay this debt; the whole thing now seems so comical.
…I did however, while scrolling over Lin’s and my FB conversation, for the first time in months, just happen to check out her profile.
You won’t believe what I found; I barely believe what I found.
Article by Tim Walker
Edited by Lin Aug
Photography by Gary Cooper