A SHORT STORY: The Gambler's Plight

Henry was singing as he cruised around town on a cool evening when he stopped by to buy from a hawker. His wife was on the front seat. There was nothing more he could possibly want from life, this was his dream life. Everything was perfect. Could everything really be perfect?

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No. It was at this juncture that Henry woke up from sleep. His dream life indeed... He woke up to harsh reality. Henry was a broke man who could be anything he wanted but prosperous. At a time in the previous years, he attempted suicide but his wife Martha cajoled in to looking on the bright side of life.

In his college days, Henry was a promising young man but now, this was not the promising life everyone thought he would live. He was a first class student from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. But luck was just not on his side. No job, no connections.

After this dream life of his, one week later, his phone rang. Wonderful! He had just secured a networking contract as Computer Science was his bias. He got a contract to network the newly built Globacom office and within days, he received the funds (N250M) after all his expenditure for the job, he’d be left with about N25M profit.

Fast forward to months later, Henry started to live his dream. He was cruising around town in his new car and he stopped to buy from a hawker. Martha was at the front seat and there was possibly nothing he could want from life that he didn’t have. But Henry started spending his savings without making little or no investments. His friend Smith influenced him in to going back to his old habit, gambling and the so-called fixed game drama.

“Play it with all your savings, it’s a sure banker” Smith told Henry that fateful day. “Nothing dey happen! Set your life join if you fit… Remember you are running low on cash with time, no jonze oga (meaning: act smart).” Seeming like a very good counsel and bet, Henry staked his last N10M on the game via a bet company online. It was late when the football match started but Henry could not sleep even if on a normal day, FC Barcelona would trash the weaker opponents.

However, was this a normal night? No. Things were going quite fair but then he slept off and woke up to see everything had gone sideways. FC Barcelona lost, his savings were gone. He couldn’t believe it. He pinched himself to confirm this was real. It was.

Fast forward to months later, Henry was cruising in his last possession, his car, when he didn’t see a truck on speed switch lanes in a bid to overtake. Trying to step on his brakes, they failed him. Henry had lost it all. He never should have placed the bet. Reminiscing in the hospital bed, he muttered to himself, “a bird in hand… I never should have let that bird fly.”

Moral: Do not gamble, and even if you must, do only with your spare cash.