“Guy, don't worry, once this money drops we will flex. You know that new restaurant, we'll go and order food there. Then I'll go shopping for new clothes and shoes. it's a promise, just continue praying for me.``
I kept nodding and listening Intently, at the same time tapping hard at my PC with a mocking smile on my face as my kid brother, Emma kept on daydreaming about what he'd do with the money he was expecting.
For the past few minutes I've been trying to get my already old PC to work but all to no avail.
“You see this your Laptop, that keeps giving you issues. That has turned you into a ‘clicks’ man, I'll change it for you. ” he joked.
It wasn't the first time I listened to Emma talk about what he would do with the money he was expecting from ‘God knows where’. But In all his daydreaming, I was happy with the fact that somehow he put me in his plans. It gives me a glimpse of how he values his relationship with me and my family.
“But Emma wait o, last week you were expecting money that didn't drop. The week before that you were also expecting money and all of a sudden you stopped talking about it. Whether it dropped or not I can't tell. I just want to know this new week's own, where are you expecting this money that you have been daydreaming about? And I hope this one will drop?.” I asked, trying so hard not to spoil his mood.
“Oh ye men of little faith” Emma replied, standing up from the couch he was sitting on and pacing the room in a gentle manner like he was a pastor on the pulpit about to unleash some life-changing sermon. “If only ye will have faith as tiny as the mustard seed brother, ye will say to this mountain depart from here…”
“And it will move” I cut him short. “I know that verse. It just doesn't answer my question. Where are you expecting money from?” I asked again, reclining on the dining chair I was sitting on with arms wrapped around each other.
I guess that cut his acting skills as he squeezed his face and sat down. Then with a smirk on his face, he said
“Remember that football game I bet on?”
I shook my head and truthfully, I didn't remember.
“That online bet na”
I nodded. I finally recalled he told me about some football bet he booked online some days back.
“Bro, it's going well,” he said, laughing heartily.
I unfolded my arms and went back to clicking my PC keyboard. “I've warned you severally about gambling. But you've clearly chosen your path. Anyways, I'll be happy if it works out fine and you get me a new PC as you just promised." I replied without looking at his face.
“Seriously, you're a mood killer. But don't worry, I still have you and your PC in mind when my money comes because I'm not a mood killer like you 'click's man’. Keep clicking the keyboard ” he mocked me and stood up, tapped my back and walked out of the sitting room.
A few days later I was on an evening stroll with Emma. The weather was warm but somehow cooler than it was in the afternoon. The sky was clear and you could hear the sounds of music blasting from the speakers of roadside retail shops advertising their products. The smell of roadside food filled the air.
As we walked past a shop with computers on display in its glass showroom, my mind quickly flashed back to the conversation I had with Emma days ago. I quickly tapped him pointing in the direction of the shop
“Guy, what's up? That's a computer shop o” I reminded him.
“So?” He asked, clearly ignorant of why I said that. I didn't blame him, he must have forgotten.
“You promised to get me one few days ago, remember? When the money drops” I replied, intentionally stressing the last word.
“Focus bro” Emma said trying to avoid my question and walking faster to get past the shop.
“What happened? The money didn't drop again?” I asked laughing, I wasn't going to let the matter end.
“Just one game spoiled my ticket. If you know how much I lost from staking that bet you won't make fun of it or me” his mood changed by now. He was regretting. “I know what I had planned to do with that money”.
“You daydreamed about it, I remember. It's a sad one bro” I jokingly mocked him, while sharing in his pain. “So now, are you going to take my gambling advice,” I asked, looking him straight in the face.
“You don't need to ask twice. I'm done with that life” he answered. "No more gambling or online betting"
I tapped his back "That's what I love to hear. Don't worry you'll be fine".
The rest of the stroll was spent eating roadside foods like roasted plantain and suya plus conversations about anything we saw, heard or could remember.