But you don't need to worry. I'm handling our upkeep and I'm not complaining." "Your salary can't be enough for our feeding and your personal needs." "That's true but we need to work things out gradually." "I've heard you." "That reminds me, now that you have something doing, I think we should continue with the process of acquiring the land with our savings." Kachi became silent. "Hope there's no problem." "Not at all, we will continue the process." Kachi became worried. He was afraid of checking the balance of their savings' account but he had to do it. They had 5.2 million naira in the account when they were planning to acquire land with it. Kachi checked the balance of the account and it was at 3.1 million naira. He was terrified. Sleep eluded him that night, he didn't want his wife to be aware of the balance. "I must get back this money before she discovers this. It should be at least 5 million naira or even more. I know what to do," he thought. The following morning, he got up early and prepared for work. He didn't care for breakfast. "Honey no breakfast today?" "Yes, I have a very important business deal to catch up with." "Ok." "Concerning what we discussed last night on the land acquisition, worry less, in less than a week, we will complete the process." "Wow! thank you Honey!" she shouted in excitement and gave him a passionate hug. "Good luck on your business deal, my sweetheart," his wife said as he opened the door to leave. "Thank you." With so much confidence, he left the house. Kachi got to one of his favourite betting outlets. Fortunately for him, one of his bettor friends he looked up to, was already there. "Kachi my guy, how far?" "I'm fine." "Why so early today," You dey go somewhere?" "No. I'm in trouble, I need to pay a debt. How can I bet for maximum win?" "Hmm, who you owe." "The debtor is out of this discussion. I just need big wins." "I ask because that kind of bet na for big men, not for people like us." "How?" "Na big money dem dey use play am." "Like how much?" "From 200,000 naira upwards." "I have the money." "You have money? Use am pay the debt na." "You will not understand, just show me how to do it." "Ok." They discussed for a while and moved close to one of the desktop computers on the long counter. After checking through the site on display, they made some input and collected printed receipts. Afterwards, they went and sat down and continued discussing. "I don calculate am finish, if this thing click, u go rich pass dangote." "Abi, but I'm scared," Kachi said looking tense. "That's why I said it's for big men, big man no go complain like this." "Ok." They staked ten different games which altogether worth 3 million naira. Two hours later, they went back and started crosschecking the receipt with the output on the desktop. It was a sad one, he made only one win out of the ten games they played. Kachi was sad and speechless. "At least you win one, 800,000 naira," his friend said, trying to be optimistic. "But it's not encouraging, let me withdraw and play again." He withdrew the money into his e-wallet and staked more games with it. A few minutes later, they rushed to check the computer. "Which kind of bad luck is this," his friend said as both were engrossed in the displayed outcome of the bet. Kachi suddenly slumped. "Kachi!! Kachi!!," his friend calling shaking him. People around gathered and poured water on him to resuscitate him. In no time he was rushed to the hospital. His wife was busy in the salesroom, arranging pastries for sales when her phone began to ring. "Sonia your phone is ringing," her colleague said from the reception. "Ok, I'm coming right away." Sonia went and picked up the call. "Hello, yes. What!! Where!! Which hospital? I'm coming." The caller ended the call. "What is it, Sonia," her colleague asked. "My husband..," she said panicking and searching for her bag. "Calm down, what happened?" "I don't know, the caller said I should come to Saviour Hospital." "Nothing will happen to him dear, go quickly." Sonia picked up her bag and left for the hospital. Sonia got to the hospital as quickly as possible, the hospital was just a 20-minute drive from her workplace. She went to the reception and she was directed to the room where Kachi was. When she entered, she saw her husband lying on the bed. He was alone in the room. She rushed and held his hand. "Oh Jesus what happened to my husband?" she said shedding tears. The doctor then walked in. "Are you his wife?" "Yes doctor, please what happened to him?" The doctor was quiet for some time and then spoke. "He lost consciousness due to shock." "Shock! How?" "I learnt he lost a bet." "Bet? Which bet? Who did he bet with?" "Not that, I mean gambling. His friends would have explained better but they left immediately after calling you." "All these sound strange to me, I don't understand what you are talking about." "Thank goodness he has regained consciousness, he will explain better when he wakes up. For now, he needs to rest." "Ok." The doctor then left Sonia was bewildered and unable to think clearly. She was still trying to connect what the doctor told him to what she knew about her husband when Kachi woke up. When he saw his wife beside him, he started shedding tears. "Thank God you are awake, what happened please." He refused to talk and was groaning. "Honey stop the suspense and tell me what happened." "Please forgive me, please.." "Tell me what I need to know." "Our savings are gone. I used the money on a bet, please forgive me." Sonia was still not convinced about what she was thinking. "How was that possible." "I am not employed anywhere as I have claimed. I was a full-time gambler, I thought I would make it big through betting. I never knew it would end like this." Sonia was speechless. "Please forgive me, I did it for us. Please forgive me." He continued groaning. Sonia got up and angrily left the room. She went and sat on a bench in the corridor. She was confused and lost in thought. "My husband, not working but a gambler, full-time gambler. Our savings are all gone, just like that. My sweats." Then her phone began to ring. She brought it out, it was her colleague, Ijeoma. Sonia picked up the call but wasn't responding well, so Ijeoma told her that she would come over to the hospital after dismissal from work. She then ended the call. Sonia refused to go back to the room where get husband was. Later on, Ijeoma came and met her seated in the corridor. "My sister, what happened?" "My husband has been lying to me." "Lying, how? Is he not in this hospital?" "He's in that room over there," pointing towards one end. "So what is happening?" "My husband fainted because he lost a bet." "Bet kwa, how?" Sonia explained to her all that her husband told her. "What kind of story is this one now?" "I'm just tired." "My sister, use your head. It may not even be all these things he told you. Insist he pays you back your money! What nonsense! You can not build a home with a chronic gambler, you better find your way o. Like I said earlier use your head." Sonia was looking sober as her colleague poured out her mind. After discussing with her, Ijeoma left without even going to see how Sonia's husband was doing. Sonia was devastated and was thinking of what next to do. Sonia refused to go back to the room because she was still annoyed. She had to sleep on a bench at the reception. The following morning, the doctor and a nurse came to check on him and to discharge him. "Where is your wife?" the doctor asked. "One of the nurses told me she was at the reception." The doctor sent the nurse that came with him to call Sonia. A few minutes later, the nurse came back with her. "Madam your husband has been discharged. If you can pay his bills, you people can leave anytime after." "Ok, Dr. Thank you." The doctor and the nurse left. Kachi was so ashamed of himself. He perfectly understood his wife's reaction. He looked sober even as he avoided eye contact with Sonia. Sonia then reached for a small purse in her bag and left immediately for the hospital's revenue office. In no time, she paid the bills and went back to the room. "Let's go," she said wearing a long face as she carried her bag. That was the first time she spoke to Kachi since he broke the bad news to her. Kachi gently got down from the bed and both of them left. They got into a taxi that would take them to their house. Throughout the period they were on transit to their house, they never spoke to each other. A few minutes later, they got home. Immediately they entered their living room, kachi knelt in front of Sonia. "Please forgive me, I know how you feel right now." "How could you do such a thing?" "It was all my fault, I was greedy. I wish I could turn back the hand of time. I will never go back to it in my entire life, I lost everything," he said in tears. Sonia was mute "Find a place in your heart to forgive me." She still refused to talk. He got up and went into the bedroom sobbing like a child. Sonia had never seen him weep in such a manner, she couldn't hold back her tears. She followed him. She hugged him and they both wept. Sonia didn't go to work that day. She stayed with him. Later in the day, they both sat in the living room and were discussing. "I'm sorry about what happened but to be honest with you, it hurt me so bad." "I'm so ashamed of myself right now, I don't know that I could be that dumb. Imagine those I called friends, none of them has called to know how I'm doing. I will never go back to betting. God forbid." "Thank God it's coming from you. The doctor said your so-called friends left after calling me on the phone." "So what's your plan now, you need to get busy with something else so you don't go back to it." "I have made up my mind to become a labourer. From tomorrow, I'll join them at their stand at Chuka Bustop." "Impressive!" "Thank you for your support. I wanted to end it all." "God forbid, I'll stand by you any time any day." "Thank you so much." They talked about other things and later went to bed. The following day, both of them prepared and left together. They both went to a building material shop and bought a head pan and a shovel. Kachi took them to the labourers' stand which is just a few poles away from their place and Sonia left for her workplace. When she got to her workplace, she met Ijeoma, her colleague. They exchanged pleasantries. "How far with the situation?" "We will talk about it during lunchtime." "Ok." They both went to their duty posts and later on, met around noon outside their workplace. "So how far?" Sonia told her everything that had happened. "I admire your courage but I can't do that for any man. Anyway, if he's willing, I know a company that needs cleaners." "Where? please." "That manufacturing company at FKC road. At least, it will be easier for him to see other employment opportunities as a cleaner there than working as a labourer." "Thanks my friend, I'll tell him." With the help of Sonia's colleague, Kachi started working as a cleaner at the manufacturing company. Kachi started afresh, and he never forgot his wife's support during that challenging period. Gambling is like seductive temptation, it's never easy to break out from it especially when you get addicted to it. It is almost certain that you will lose your money, regardless of your betting strategy. If you genuinely want to stop gambling, cut off from friends that bet, stop visiting the outlets, delete the apps and stop visiting the sites. Most importantly, keep yourself busy with other things so you don't go back to it. If a couple must save in one account for future purposes, they must use a joint account. No single person should have full control of the account no matter the trust you have for each other. Couples should love and support one another regardless. THE END. @Ayogu Oluchi Eze
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