Chapter 2: Raising the Stakes

Him face change, teeth grip, no expect me to challenge am. He talk with mock, “My guy, if I lose BMW, e no pain me. But if you lose, how your family go survive next five years?”

E wan shake me with fear, but I just hold chest, act like e no touch me. My babe grip my hand under table, squeeze am small.

I shake head. “No wahala. We go survive. Besides, no be you and your wife talk for dinner say I no get liver?”

The clapback loud. People chuckle, shift for seat. My cousin eyes narrow, him wife dey look floor.

My cousin face just dey fall, old man wey don suffer, now dey swallow insult because of card game.

Him mouth bend, pride dey wound am, but e no wan show am for public.

I never do am anything, but just now for dinner, because I no dey earn reach am, e dey talk say I dey fear risk, unlike am—big boss.

The talk still dey ring for my ear. 'E get where person go reach, if you no fit take risk, you no go chop big thing.' E pain me.

As he dey talk, my papa hand am cigarette, even help am light am, but my cousin no even bother to shield the flame—a big disrespect for our village.

Everybody notice, but bone. For here, if elder do you that thing, you suppose respect.

City people and girls fit no know, but for village, if elder light your cigarette and you no cover flame, na insult. My cousin just disgrace my papa front everybody.

Na taboo. If you no cover flame, na as if you dey insult the whole family. Some dey laugh, but na heavy thing.

All eyes dey wait, if my cousin go show him card. He breathe deep, then say, “If we wan play, make we play well. Na that one dey sweet me.”

He puff smoke, adjust shirt, dey act king. Him pride dey run table.

He put cards face down, cover am with plate, waka comot.

As he stand, chair drag for floor. All eyes follow am, tension rise.

We watch am waka go him BMW boot, bring small wooden box. He set am for table, open am. Na cash full everywhere.

Money choke box—bundle upon bundle. Some dey count with eye, others dey bite finger. Air dey heavy with envy.

My cousin just announce, “Three hundred thousand naira. Who fit match am?”

Na wah. People begin murmur. Some dey whisper, some dey press phone dey calculate.

Noise don reach elders.

Even elders wey dey back compound, dey play ayo, begin turn head, dey eye us through window. Family wahala dey always pull crowd.

My uncle see the thing, panic, shout, “You dey craze? That money na your New Year advance!”

He jump, slap knee. 'Tobe, no do like this o!' But my cousin just dey smile like say na him dey control life.

He just laugh, no send. “No worry, I fit run am. Make we see if this my brother fit follow.”

He chest out. Na show. Some dey hail, some dey shake head.

I sharply understand the game.

For my mind, I dey reason, 'This guy wan finish me. If I fall, na my own wahala.'

For Golden Flower, them dey usually put limit so bet no go mad. But from start, my cousin insist, no limit—he wan raise till person fall.

Na him dey referee match wey e bring ball come.

As expected, he taunt me, “No talk say you no fit bring money o. If you no fit, you no fit collect your own stake back.”

He dey throw shade. Small pikin fit cry for this kain talk.

My uncle just waka go join elders, no even look my side. E no wan get hand if wahala go burst. Some parents dey like that. As far as e no touch them, dem bone.

I clench fist, keep quiet. Where I wan see three hundred thousand cash?

Palm dey sweat. Brain dey calculate. I dey wish say money go just drop from sky.

Na then, my babe talk: “No wahala, make we use our wedding apartment bet.”

Her voice strong, stand up, no fear. All the women open mouth.

Everybody face her, shock. Even small pikin for mat wake up. The thing don pass card, don reach family pride.

My uncle bite cigarette, forget ayo. My cousin dey look us, no sure if na vex or fear—him hand dey shake.

E no expect say woman fit risk am like that. The thing touch am deep.

Now, elders stop their game, rush come, dey beg make we stop to raise stake.

Elders dey beg, 'Abeg, make una no bring shame. If una lose, na so so gist go fly for village.'

My papa rush me, hit my shoulder, dey vex. “You dey craze? You wan make we lose everything?”

He grip me, eye red. Another day, slap for land.

As he dey shout, he try look my card, but I hold am tight. If he see, e fit spoil everything.

Anybody wey sabi Golden Flower know: no ever let person see your card—dem fit cast you with eye.

I get three Kings. Na only three Aces fit beat am.

I dey pray make my hand no shake. If dem see say I sure, dem fit fold.

Na my cousin start this wahala. Any Golden Flower player know—if you get three Kings, na all or nothing.

The confidence fit make person lose sense. But this one, I dey steady.

My babe tell my cousin, “Our wedding apartment na five hundred thousand. We don already add two hundred thousand pass your own. You wan match?”

Her voice calm but e carry fire. Everybody dey measure value for head.

My uncle shout, “All of una dey craze?”

He grab my hand, like wan drag me comot. 'Na play we dey play, una wan use am kill una self?'

He bend, dey try push our stake back, dey shout, “Stop to dey provoke your cousin! Na big man him be, he no get your time. Beg am now, or you no want make him help you for future?”

He dey talk as if future dey my cousin pocket. I squeeze face.

I press uncle hand down, shout, “Make una leave everything as e be!”

My voice sharp, shock everybody. Aunty Rita cover mouth, dey fear fight go burst.

He shock, even him eye dey shine.

I grit teeth. “When him bet five hundred, nobody talk. When him dey brag for dinner, una tell my papa make e light cigarette for am. Today, na him first put car key. I go follow am reach end.”

I dey shake, but na anger dey carry me. My voice loud, my papa just dey look ground.

My uncle just dey look me, shock. “You dey mad to dey talk to elder like this?”

E pain am say I get mouth now. For my mind, I dey tell am—sometimes, man gats fight for respect.

I look my cousin cold. “Either you add two hundred thousand and show card, or you leave everything you don bet. Or we fit both collect our stake back and you go kneel down beg my papa.”

Na final warning. You fit hear pin drop. All eyes on my cousin.

Nobody talk.

Even breeze no blow. Tension thick like village ogbono.

Everybody remember say my cousin no shield flame when my papa light cigarette. But nobody talk.

Everybody get memory, but na who get mind go talk am for public.

I even see my uncle dey smile small—inside e dey happy.

He no talk, but you fit see am for eye. Sometimes, family wahala dey sweet elders if e no touch them.

My cousin laugh, vex. “Na so you stubborn reach for family?”

He try laugh am off, but e voice dey shake. The pride dey wound am.

I shake head. “From when you drop your car key, we no be family again.”

My chest dey rise, the thing touch me deep. If na play, make we play. If na war, na war.

He quiet small, then sneer, “No blame me if you dey fear. You wan follow, abi?”

He dey try find my weak point, but I stone face. My babe squeeze my hand again.

He pick him card, show two—na two Queens.

He flip am like magician. People gasp. My heart skip, but I no show.

As I see am, my mind calm, but my face still hard.

Inside my chest, na dance dey go, but outside, na stone.

My cousin say, “You fit guess if my last card make am three?”

He dey play mind game. I just look am steady.

To dey show half card na Golden Flower style—na to scare opponent, dey read reaction.

Na mind dey win game. If you shake, you fit lose all.

But me, I no shake. Even if na three of a kind, my three Kings pass him Queens. Na only three Aces I dey fear, but now, I sure.

I dey count card for head, remember how many don go.

My cousin don enter wahala.

If e no get better hand, na everything dey go.

But I grit teeth, say, “I believe say you dey bluff. You go match or you dey run?”

I dey stare am. Even my own heart dey run. For my mind, na God hand all dey.

He look me for eye, dey try read mind.

Silence everywhere. Everybody dey hope say e go fold make peace return.

Golden Flower na game of mind and acting.

Na so person fit win millions if him face strong. No be for small pikin.

That moment, he no sure again. My uncle warn am, “Stop now. You no see say him no dey fear your card?”

He try advise as papa. But my cousin pride strong.

My cousin frown, “If I fold now, my BMW and three hundred thousand go. He dey bluff.”

E dey weigh shame and pride. Na money dey talk, ego dey drive am.

Normally, family go talk put, but now, nobody talk.

Everybody dey fear say dem own wahala go surface. Na so family be.

Because for Golden Flower, until card show, nobody sure who dey bluff.

Na final tension. You no fit trust anybody. Even dog wey dey house no bark again.

My cousin dey scan faces. Na him dey raise bet since—if he no fit follow now, na shame go catch am.

E no wan make dem talk for family meeting say na so e chicken out.

Finally, he call him wife. “Come here.”

He voice low, like beg for help. She come, tie wrapper, adjust blouse.

She waka come table, adjust seat. All eyes land her neck—her own gold heavy well.

He tell am make she put her ‘three golds’—her wedding gold jewelry, wey heavy pass my babe own.

The gold dey shine under light. E be like sun for neck.

But this time, she press her hand for chest, shake head, tears dey her eye. E no easy to risk wedding gold. My cousin dey panic, quick show her his cards. As she see am, her face brighten, she remove all her gold, put am for table.

She turn, smile, remove everything—like say na rehearsal. People shock say na gold she go bet like that.

She even smile for me, “Make we play am finish. If you lose, no regret. Family people dey here, anybody wey go back on him word, curse go follow am.”

Her voice carry warning. Na so elders dey talk when matter serious.

I ask, “So, una wan show card?”

My voice soft, but I dey try set trap. Room lean closer.

She happy, “Why show? Make we reach end.”

She dey form big woman, dey act sure.

Her greed dey show, but now, nobody get more stake.

You fit see am for eye. She wan win all. Even her smile dey shake.

Suddenly, she remove diamond ring, put am for table. “This ring na fifty thousand.”

She twist finger, drop ring with style. Some women hiss for back.

I shake head. “No diamond ring. That one no reach hundred.”

I act like e no move me. Dem need know say no be every shine get value.

She vex, point me, “You know anything? Na DR brand o!”

She wan form posh. Some dey snicker. For village, brand no save you.

I just smile, “Sister-in-law, I no send brand. For my eye, e no pass hundred.”

I dey calm, no let her wahala shake me. My babe squeeze my hand again.

She wan curse, but my cousin talk, “I go put my house join.”

Him voice loud, scatter everybody. Some jump from seat.

All the family shout.

Noise scatter roof. Some dey pray, some dey curse. The thing don pass play.

My uncle shout, “No try am! That house for city, na one and half million!”

He dey sweat, dey shake. Na big property—e no wan hear story.

My cousin sneer, “Papa, I no dey play. Anything I bet, he must match. Golden Flower rule—each round bet no fit less than last one. My guy, you fit match?”

E dey throw challenge like lion. Some dey tap phone, dey call friend for update.

I quiet. Where I wan see that kind money?

I dey count all my life—NYSC, salary, even Christmas rice.

My cousin just see say I no fit match, he laugh, pat my shoulder.

His palm heavy for my back. E be like e dey tap my poverty.

He say, “Some things pass your level. I dey bully you because you no fit match me. Wetin you wan do? I fit raise tire, but even if you risk your life, you no fit follow.”

His voice dey ring for my head. Na mockery, but I no fit show pain.

His wife sneer, “You dey follow or you dey fold? If you no fit, leave table.”

Her nose high, like say I be market woman. My babe grip my hand tight.

Na so card game be—the rich fit just throw anything, the poor, no matter how, no fit reach.

You fit get courage, but if money no dey, you go just dey look.

So anytime poor man follow, the pressure double.

Na truth. If you no get, e go be like say you dey drag with lion for jungle.

Just like my cousin talk, na bullying.

This one pass play, na war of ego and pocket.