Prologue
"Wetin Man u dey play sef" asked Nonso
"Make dem no go cut my game o!
Na that money I wan use carry Grace go flex on Friday "
"1-1". I cut in
"And Fellaini don collect red card sef" I added
"Ayyyyee I for just double chance am o
Ordinary Swansea way dey relegation dem no fit flog"
Nonso.
My best friend and unofficial Chief promoter of bet9ja, combos,leagues,markets and options. He was up to date with. He knew which sites had the best odds,ice hockey,basketball, football,rugby,tennis name it and Nonso had played it all..sadly with more losses than wins.
I had quit staking for one week now as it where but with people like Nonso around me I knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before I caved in.
Onistha
Busy,bustling with activity buying, selling. Buying selling, the crazy cycle that repeated itself and reappeared at every nook and cranny of this town.
You had to be a part of it, and not just a part, make gains from it.
Onistha, had been my home after we moved in from ASABA years back and I had come to appreciate what value it held as an. Eye opener to the crazy business pattern this east of the Niger.
It was one of those breaks that seem not to end, the Non Academic Staff back at School had gone on strike, setting the resumption date back by a few weeks.
Broke and Bored from hopelessly staying at home I went to chill with my guy Nonso at ochanja.
Who be this Grace sef way you no wan let person hear word ontop.
Chai,My Grace, Nonso exclaimed with a boyish grin widening as he was eager to describe.
Nwa,digodo soft,
Ifu ya eh, You go beleive..he smacked his lips.
Nonso replied in his usual way with more Ibo than English. Making me realise how weird our conversations always went.
With me speaking Pidgin and Nonso going on and on with his usual mix of street Ibo and strongly accented English.
You mean am? I asked
I am telling you,he replied so eager to do so.
When I go meet am now?
"Chelu, make Man U win this game this Friday we go turn up now" he bragged
"Mtchew..na one tiny girl wey Pimple and tribal marks scatter her face o.."quipped Emeka,from one corner busy on his phone engrossed with flash score,evident from the incessant shrills and whistling coming from,the site.
"You dey craze,Nonso swore
You think say I be you wey dey lash Olosho. Come dey call am your babe "Nonso fired. Borrowing from one of my favourite Yoruba slangs which I had not wasted time In Dishing out since my arrival from Ife.
"See who dey talk,at least she dey give me.free puna anytime wey I want.
Ask am if e don even kiss this Grace.,talkess of to touch pant..
When Men wey dey nack babe dey talk you sef dey talk.
"Gerrout, Moses, abeg check that Man u score he charged on, in a subdued tone obviously avoiding the question about his non sexual relationship with Grace.
Na tru say you never touch am? I prodded eager to get to the root of this gist
"E concern you he thundered
Am in a meaningful relationship with a mature woman,you think say na every woman dey like to dey nack every time"
He went on this time foaming at the mouth,obviously I had touched a sore subject..
Let sleeping dogs lie, I thought
"When you and Vivian dey nack una self up and down for here you no let us hear word o"..I thought to myself
Oboi Na 2-1
Who dey win? He asked,
" e be like say Swansea don add anoda one o!"
"Mtchewwwwww..useless Man u. "He cursed.
As he tore his bet slip into pieces.

My first story here on nairaland.Enjoy.useful criticisms.

Bet

Nice storytelling.

I hope you would be able to monetize dis.

ihustler:
Nice storytelling.

I hope you would be able to monetize dis.

That is the dream Bro.Thanks

All right reserved
This is purely fictional no resemblance to any person dead or alive. Not a promotional feature for the aforementioned betting site or the act itself.

Complaints:07038713841(Text only)

Quotes

Money won is twice as sweet as money earned[/i].”

Chapter 1-VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY

The store was jampacked with people and many more still thronged in. A Las Vegas of some sort here in Onistha, wonders shall never end!!!
We had just entered what appeared to be the biggest bet store in Onistha. Emeka,Nonso and I. they weren't numerous then, hence the usual crowd. And this was my first time here.

It was fascinating and intriguing at the same time. A mix of emotions, it was easy to see who the winners were as everyone had their feelings etched on their faces the eager to win stakers , the morose looking losers, and the indifferent attendants.

Okada riders,Truck pushers, secondary school students, conductors,Touts, keke men even the usual street pastors all were well represented here.A meeting ground of all sorts.A sampling of the crowd would show that people here had one goal in mind. To get richer

Large display screens hung on the wall where everywhere..horse races, dog races,colored balls with numbers, and the virtual soccer which seemed to garner the most of attention.

Each of this display screens had a good number of people paper slips in hand, waiting patiently for the outcome on the screen .

We moved towards where most of the crowd seemed to focus on. Virtual Soccer .pronounced [i]Vishual[b][/b]

English premier league teams where arranged displaying current fixtures,previous matches, records, odds and current scores.with the weeks fixtures simulated and the outcome staked on.

Back then,I was a novice to all of this, so it meant nothing more than a sea of words and numbers divided with colours.

Although, I was familiar with English teams so I could make out what was going on. I was lost to The rest .

"See 3 to7 goal goal" exclaimed Nonso
"If to say we come early I for done chop like 5k"his expression like that of someone who had lost a once in a lifetime opportunity of immense wealth.

"Na true o "I added, although a novice about the entire business. I didn't want to display my naivety and fall my hand definitely not. Here in public .

"Make we go play game now"..Emeka asked anxiously
Or na here we wan.stay make our money?
The usual animosity between them crept to the surface.

"How much are you even with that you are shouting queried" Nonso raising his voice. Typical Nonso to speak good English in public and shout while doing so. oddly, he seemed so at ease with all that was going on and taking it all in without the appearance of being In a new situation .

"this was definitely not his first time here"..I thought to myself

"No be say you even sabi play "added Emeka.
Nonso looked back at him and hissed loudly obviously at a loss of what a suitable reply would be.

"That 6 odd go play o" pointed out a boy.Thin black lips and Afro punk. With a small purse tied to his waist and fiddling with a bunch of keys strapped to his trousers. He was putting on a huge coarse jacket which made you wonder how he could cope. Under such weather

He looked eager to make his prediction come true. Just like the others he looked heavily focused on the game. Okada man definitely.

"How you take know? " queried another pot bellied person, it was hard to tell if he was a boy or a man, thick lips fenced with bushy moustache ,and a jersey inscribed Yokohama tires.he had tears tattoed on his face very close to the eyes, he was wearing eyeliner painted glaringly .

He had the facial expression of someone who would get angry if he caught me looking so I avoided eye contact with him..
"Agbero" I thought to myself

"You know see say big odd never play since we come here "replied Mr Afro punk.
Na so you talk am last time o!

Few seconds later

"Ifu go nnu,I know tell you"..Mr Afro punk, queried looking from face to face to get a confirmation of his earlier remark
"If say I put am 1k now no be 7k be that ?
FREE MONEY!!!." He exclaimed stressing the money part in heavily accented Igbo.

"Na so o" agreed Mr bushy Lips

Nna eh,Make I try play small game,said Mr black lips eager to put his prediction skills to test.

we followed the expectant duo as they moved towards the counter where numerous ladies sat with computers in front of them. Surrounded by customers who were eager to make their stake.

We choose one of them, the least surrounded attendant

Fair skinned,gap toothed,dimple faced with pixie hairdo,Polo shirt opened at the chest to reveal a cross pendant cushioned on both sides by eager to pop boobs. She looked like she belonged to a desk in a modern banking hall not his house of chaos.

Interestingly enough,She reminded me of that song pino pino by phyno.
Fair and Busty. My type

I looked at her, and the moment her eyeball held mine she looked away,I had seen her look towards me earlier maybe she fancied me. She pretended to be busy on the system clicking continuously

I looked on,I needed her to notice me.

"Please play game for me", Nonso charged forwards..unaware of the body language game at play.
Typical Nonso.
Play 1.Home win
4.over 1.5
6.under 2.5
Play 6" he paused,staring at the screen for some.assurance of any sort to verify his chances of winning

"Guyman meee osiso" other customers queried

"Oya play 6, goal goal"
"How much? she asked,with her sing song voice as she pleadingly looked at Nonso looking away,as our eyes caught each other again before she looked away sharply. Shy I guess.

'150.play 150"..Nonso responded

''Collect" she said as she handed the printout to Nonso .this time steeling herself to make eye contact with a subtle grin.

Alright!!! Game on!
I mentally highfived myself

"Oya play me 1.home win "
Someone else charged forward
Game don start. She responded, indifferent.


Okada-Motorcycle
Keke-Tricycle
Agbero- Tout
Ifu go nnu- Have you seen
Nna - My friend
Meee osiso - Be fast