One Million, My Mom and Bet9ja

One hot Sunday afternoon, I was at my mum’s shop praying for customers to come and buy some drinks from us. My siblings have gone out and I was the only one in the shop when someone walked in.

At first I thought it was a customer. But When I saw that it was my mom’s friend, Mrs. One Million, and not a customer, my face changed.

The look on my face must have told her something was wrong, because she asked if I was okay . Of course, I replied positively.

“Your mama dey house abi? Go tell am sey e sister dey here”. She said afterward.

I left her to inform my mum about her presence. My house happens to be in the same compound with the shop, making it easy for me. I quickly went straight to my mum’s room. She had already taken her bath and was preparing to come join me at the shop.

“Mummy, One Million dey look for you”. I told her.

She frowned and hissed “Ooooh, why you no tell am sey I no dey or I dey sleep? You know sey as she don come here na gossip she carry come. Go tell am sey I dey sleep and I no need any disturbance”. My mum instructed.

I went to tell One Million that my mother was sleeping. I thought after I told her she would leave but I was wrong.

“Okay, I will wait for her”. She said and sat down comfortably.

One Million was a nickname my entire household had given her. Actually, it was my mum who had nicknamed her because of how boastful the woman was. When we first heard the name, we all thought she was good as she was from my mum’s village.

But later on, she started telling us how much millions she had in her bank account and how much millions her goods were worth. Mind you, this woman claiming to have millions of naira is living in a one-room apartment with her two daughters,12 and 9 years old, respectively.

Back to the present. I decided the best I could do was keep her company, and so we started to gist. She didn’t fail to tell me how her millions of goods were destroyed in a shipwreck.

My jaws dropped and I nodded like agama lizard.

We were still in the middle of our gist when a man came into the shop and requested for a bottle of beer. I gave it to him. He sat down and started drinking. A minute later, he swiped out a Bet Naija slip from his pocket and stared at it for awhile, talking to himself “If I win this money eh, God help me make I win this money you know sey I dey in big problem”.

One Million and I, we stared at him.

“Broda, wetin happen wey make you dey talk like this?” You can guess it’s One Million that asked.

The man shook his head and told her “Nothing, I just hope sey this game go work”.

I then asked him to give me the slip. Yup! I was once upon a time a regular player at bet9ja before the spirit left me. If you don’t know, bet9ja has a spirit. That would be a story for another day.

The man gave it to me and I checked it. The game was well forecast. I told him that if he won he should give me my own share that I believe that he will win. I gave the slip back to him. He requested for another bottle. After he had finished, he got up and left my shop, crossing over to the other side of the road where bet9ja shop was.

One million was still with me waiting for my mum to come outside, by fire by force o.

About 20 or 30 minutes after he left, we suddenly heard shouts of celebration from bet9ja. The man rushed inside my shop and shouted that he had just won the game. His win was 280,000, minus the bonuses.

He brought a create of bear from me to share with the guys in the bet9ja shop. One million started flirting with him but he ignored her and focused on the drinks he came to buy. When he came back to my shop and sat down, he requested for another beer and that was when he told us why he needed the money.

“My four children dem don flog and chase them for school since this week. My wife get accident wey make am no fit walk. Na me kon dey cater for my children and na brick layer na him I dey do take dey feed them. On Friday when dey come house dem show me the cane mark wey their headmaster flog dem. On Saturday I no go work because one of my little daughters kon sick. So as I wake up this Sunday morning, I rush make I play this game and now God don bless me today. Tomorrow I go use the money take clear all my pikin dem school fees. I dey happy oooo”.

Before he left, he gave us N1000 each.

I rushed to inform my mum about what had happened and told her how God used bet9ja to help this man. My mother in haste to hear more amebo rushed out too.

It was only when she saw One million she remembered that she was trying to stay away from her.

She had no choice than to sit with her.