Greg grabbed his travel bag closer to his side as he noticed everyone seemed to be in haste, and some people got closer to his side, making him a little uncomfortable. He had been warned that the city of Lagos was full of dangerous people, and he needed to be smart to survive the city.
Greg looked around to see if his friend, Daniel, was anywhere close by, as he had promised to pick him up at the train station. Greg made a swift turn when he realized a hand from the back attempted to snatch his box right under his nose. Alas! It was his friend Daniel.
“Daniel!” Greg gave a sigh of relief.
“At least you did not lose your guard." "Welcome, my friend.” Daniel patted Greg on the back as he helped him with his bag to a taxi in line.
“Lagos is such a beautiful city; look at the tall and beautiful buildings!” Greg said amusingly as he watched Daniel let out a chuckle as the taxi drove out of the train station.
“You are yet to see anything, Greg. Unfortunately, I live in the ghetto. "Life in Lagos is pretty much not a bed of roses." "Once you are freshened up, we’ll visit some joints, and hopefully, you can get extra cash to complete your tuition and accommodation." Daniel said as Greg nodded in consent.
After about an hour’s drive, the taxi came to a stop at the junction leading to Daniel’s house. Greg began to understand why Daniel referred to his place of residence as a "ghetto area." He fastened his hold onto his box as he noticed people stare at him, probably because he was new in the area, as they alighted from the taxi. He noticed some boys in their teens greeting his friend Daniel with much respect. Greg felt a little uncomfortable as some of the boys that walked up to Daniel had tattoos on their skin and dressed shabbily. Some had sticks of cigarettes in their hands, while a few others had alcoholic drinks.
“Daniel, is this place safe?” Greg asked in an audible whisper as he tried to keep pace with Daniel.
“Come on, Greg, you are in safe hands.” Daniel smirked.
Greg followed Daniel into his one-room apartment after a fifteen-minute walk from the junction. Greg’s eyes darted around Daniel’s room, and he wondered how Daniel coped in such an unkempt apartment and environment.
“When can we go to the game house?” Greg asked as he sat on Daniel’s bed.
“You need to calm down." "Freshen up at least before we set out.” Daniel replied. “I have prepared water for you to bathe; the bathroom is just outside the room.” He continued.
Greg’s face lit up in shock. “You mean I will have my bath outside?" I will rather pass, Daniel! "I can’t bathe in the open, inside that rickety bathroom!” he retorted.
“It’s fine; it’s your body, man." "We can leave in one hour’s time.” Daniel replied with his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.
As dusk crept in with a modest chase of the sun on the far horizon, Greg and Daniel left for the game house. Greg touched his trouser pocket to reassure him his money was intact as he walked beside Daniel. Greg suddenly began to feel his heart pound against his chest as Daniel pointed out the game house to him. It looked fairly lit, with people entering and leaving through the main door. Greg looked at the man at the entrance, whose height and body intimidated him. This gave him some relief, as he believed the house had some security in place.
Greg watched Daniel as he exchanged pleasantries with people that looked to be in their early thirties, while some were obviously older. Greg shook hands with some people Daniel introduced him to as he was led to a table where three other men sat. Greg was not an amateur at cards, as he prided himself on winning uncountable victories back in the village he came from. “The city cards will be no different.” He thought to himself.
Greg took the cards served to him, and within minutes, he beat those that sat with him. He had only bet half of his money, and he was already in profit. Greg smiled to himself as he convinced himself he was set to whip all his opponents. Greg felt Daniel’s pat on his shoulder as a sign of commendation. Greg watched as his opponents grumbled and brought more money to the table. Greg smiled as he coveted all that was put fresh on the table.
“That’s enough for today; let's go home.” Daniel whispered into Greg’s ear.
“Just this once, Dan, I’ll sweep them off their feet!” he responded with a smirk of confidence.
Greg placed all his winnings on the table, including what he had left in his pocket. He knew he was in for a life-changing win once he secured this victory. He looked at his opponents as they showed no concern for their recent loss, only for him to notice they had rearranged their positions. Greg maintained his position as he defied Daniel’s counsel and got the game rolling. The session, however, seemed unusually longer as tension filled the room and the table began to attract more interest as people gathered around to know the outcome of the heated game.
The tremor in Greg’s hands became noticeable as he knew the loss was imminent and he needed more than luck to win the game. The confidence of his opponents in the face of the heated game destabilized him, and he wondered if a foul had not been played.
Greg froze in shock when one of his opponents checked up on his card and was declared the winner. He could not stand from his seat as many thoughts ravaged his mind. Tears welled up gradually in his eyes as he noticed people beginning to disperse from the table.
“Can you loan me some cash?” Greg turned slowly toward Daniel.
“Let us go home, Greg; nobody borrows money to gamble!” Daniel replied, lifting Greg to his feet.
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Beautiful story , learnt something new , don't lend money to a gambler, like kenny Rogers sang in "The gambler" you got to know when to run, and Greg should have known that
Very true
It's nice having your comment
Truly nobody borrow money to gamble because you might lose the game so how did he intend to pay back?
Such a nice story
Thank you ma
You are always welcome 🤗
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You have a nice "turn of phrase," as we say.
Interesting phrasing like that adds a really nice touch to a story.
Daniel has been played, it seems. The other gamblers pretended to be less skilled so he would bet everything he had. His plight is perhaps inevitable, but you do a nice job of character development, which helps to offset the very predictable outcome.
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Thank you for kind consideration