Chapter 3: The Coded Deal

I get one sharp info about one guy wey wan sell quick. The guy put money for one celebrity suya franchise, open three shops once. Everybody know say to enter celebrity suya no be beans—he drop 25 million for three shops.

Suya business na big boys run am. If you sabi how money dey waka, you go know say na only people wey get mind dey enter franchise. The guy try, drop big money, even spray staff with uniform. Omo, he believe say everywhere go soft.

Then pandemic land, everywhere lock, business wan die. When dem finally open, he fit work but money no dey flow again. After all the investment, as lockdown clear, he no wan just throw away 25 million like that.

As pandemic spoil everywhere, he dey struggle pay rent. Even dem staff no dey come work. All the fridge for shop just dey off, goat meat dey spoil. Big man become small man overnight. E dey pain.

So he wan sell one old flat wey he get. The house old, but na top school district—Unity Primary School. Even though e no get generator, dem value am seven million.

If you dey Lagos, you go know say anywhere near Unity Primary na gold. Even if house dey old, parents dey rush am. Generator no dey, but na small thing—person fit fix later.

He ask me how much he fit get if he wan sell sharp sharp. I tell am straight: this pandemic don finish plenty people, money no dey flow. If he wan sell quick, na five million sure pass, and he go see money full ground in few days.

I no even try sweet mouth am. I reason am say na now or never. If him dey find sharp cash, e better collect wetin dey ground, use am recover small.

He gree. Business stress don nearly wound am.

As he agree, e just sigh, say he no get strength argue again. Wahala too much. Man dey see shege for Naija.

Me, my body dey shake. I be broke guy with just 700,000 from the demolition money, but my guy talk say he go join. He go drop 1.3 million, I drop 700,000, we go run am for him name, then when money show, we go share—he take 60%, I take 40%.

I dey do maths for head like JAMB question—40% fit change my life.

I reason say, make I no dull, opportunity no dey come two times. Even if I no trust my guy die, but this street na survive first before anything. As I see say he gree bring him own money, I say make we try.

I know say if he run me street, I go suffer, but I trust am. Na my padi be that.

For this our line, trust na big thing. If you lose guard, na your money dem go use flex. But me and my guy get history. We dey chop suya together, drink small stout after work, so I reason am say he no go fit run me.

We waka go buy the house, put am for him name. I beg my manager, Uncle Dayo, make he help us link mortgage people for my guy new house. Manager shock—he know say my guy na the sharpest speculator for our branch, e no expect say I fit run this kind thing.

Na so Uncle Dayo look me from head to toe. He dey like, "You sure say you sabi wetin you dey do?" But as I yarn am sharp, he see say I don hustle am reach. Him smile, clap my back, say make I no worry, he go set everything.

As God go do am, me and manager dey cool, so he gree sharp sharp. He call mortgage company people and bank credit officer, settle everybody small.

Na so the coded runs start. Everybody collect their own small change, no wahala. For Lagos, e no get as you go run mortgage wey you no settle people. If you like, get all document—no settlement, no approval.

At the end, everybody dey alright. My guy need pay mortgage for at least six months make e look real, then everything go smooth. My guy no even think am, he gree.

We calculate everything—six months of small payment, after that, he go fit drop key, say he no fit pay again. E sure for am. As e dey like that, me sef dey pray say nothing go spoil.

All the connections set, dem send paper go mortgage company head office, loan approve. After all the settlement and chop money for manager, I pocket 350,000, my guy collect 550,000.

Omo, as I see the alert, I just dey look phone, dey smile like mumu. Manager dey shake my hand, say I try. My guy dey hail me. Na so I carry small money go buy turkey suya, dey flex.

The difference be say, my own money land sharp sharp, but my guy need wait six months before he fit talk say him no fit pay again, but that one na sure cash.

The thing wey dey pain my guy be say I don chop finish, but him go still dey pay small small before him own go show. But as e be, we dey alright.

Omo…

No be small thing. Na so I see 350,000 for just one month. E be like film trick.

I make 350,000 for just one month.

For my mind, I dey reason say if this game easy like this, why I no dey chop am before? Small capital, you fit turn to big money if you get correct plug.

Na this be real estate speculation. Na leverage be this. E no be like wetin people dey think—no be to dey buy whole building dey push price. The game dey everywhere, and the speed wey money dey move fit make person craze. Normal people no fit understand the sharpness and how money dey waka for this business.

If you hear how dem dey move money for back, you go shock. Before you blink, another deal go land. Normal people dey think say na only Alhaji or Chief fit run am, but coded boys dey run the street.

When I see the money, my body dey shake, heart dey pound, I dey gasp, dey look my guy wey dey excited too, dey grab my hand up and down.

E be like say we win jackpot. We dey laugh, dey shout, dey slap table. My guy even dey dance small Azonto for office, people dey look us like say we craze.

Money na bastard. E dey make person craze, dey make you lose your mind.

No be lie. When you never see am, you fit dey reason am, but once e enter your hand, na another level. The way e dey move for this Naija, if you no wise, e fit finish you.

This pandemic spoil plenty people, but people like us cash out. Now I sabi say plenty people dey find money to save their business, once in a while, cheap property go show.

I dey reason say, as I don dey inside, I fit dey see coded deals wey other people no dey see. My eye dey shine every morning, dey find new gist, dey wait for next jackpot.