Chapter 3: All or Nothing

I look my babe and my papa. My papa face don white. He no believe say card game fit reach this level.

E dey hold chair, sweat dey drip. My babe eyes red, but hand steady.

But my babe just talk, “My parents get house for me. E no dey city, but na about five hundred thousand.”

She dey try boost our own, but I dey fear for her future.

I grab her hand, emotional. “No. The wedding house na my own, the ‘three golds’ na my own. If I lose, we fit break up—your family no go suffer. But if you put your family house and I lose, na big wahala.”

Tears dey my eye. I no want drag her people. For my mind, I dey pray make she no insist.

She just cold, “Make we no fear this guy. If we back down today, we no go fit raise head again. I trust you, you no go do wetin you no sure of.”

Her voice low but strong. I know say she no go leave me. My love double.

I dey shake—not from fear, but happiness.

Inside, I dey thank God. Some men dey beg for this kain woman.

I know say I go win. All na acting for my cousin, make e think say I dey panic.

Na strategy. If I show say I sure, dem go fold.

But for my babe mind, e different. She no know my card, but still ready to bet all.

E pain me say she dey risk am, but e sweet me say she believe me.

My cousin laugh, “The house no reach. You still dey short one million—how you wan take balance? If you no fit match, commot for table.”

He dey try push me out. Na so bully dey do.

I take deep breath. “Our village go soon demolish. My papa, my mama, my babe—four of us. Any compensation, all go your side.”

I dey offer all. Na now or never. People dey shift, dey murmur.

My cousin wife laugh, “You think say na Abuja here? Na poor village. Four people compensation, sixty thousand at most. Still short forty thousand.”

Her mouth sharp. Shade dey fly.

She turn to my cousin, “No be say I dey look down your people, but them don use everything, still no reach.”

She dey mock my papa for public. My mind dey boil.

My cousin shrug, “The way you dey find stake dey shameful. Sometimes, na people dey give you face, sometimes, you lose am yourself. If you no fit match, fold.”

He raise nose, dey act king. My hand dey sweat.

My uncle see say I no fit match, relax, begin lecture my papa, “Your pikin no get sense. See am now, he no fit match, so everything don go.”

E act like say na wisdom dey talk. For my mind, na fake advice.

My papa just stand, face pale, swallow. “Why you dey do like this? Wetin remain to bet? You wan finish everything?”

E pain am. E no want see me lose head for pride.

I just dey press phone, dey apply for loan everywhere online.

I dey search Opay, Kuda, Palmpay—anywhere. My hand dey shake.

Finally, I put my phone for my cousin front. The balance show four hundred thousand.

Everybody eyes open. People shock. Even my cousin quiet.

He shock. “How your credit high like this?”

He dey try check if na fake.

I tell am say I borrow from eight platforms, put all my vehicle info. Na wedding I wan use am for, but now, e dey useful.

Some dey nod head. 'Na big risk,' dem dey whisper.

My cousin laugh, bite cigarette. “You get mind, borrow online come gamble. You know say if you no fit pay, your life don finish?”

He dey try scare me. For my mind, I dey say, 'Risk na risk.'

I say, “I know. But I dey here to play you till the end.”

I raise my chin. If I go down, na with dignity.

He ask, “You really wan fall with me?”

He dey try read my mind. E dey hope say I go beg.

I ask, “When my papa light your cigarette, why you no shield the flame?”

My voice cut through room. Silence strong. Everybody dey watch my papa.

My papa panic, rush hold my arm. “Your cousin na big man—na mistake. Abeg, stop, no need to reach like this. He no mean am.”

E dey beg. Pride and pain dey mix for him voice.

My cousin suddenly shout, “I mean am!”

E voice loud, people jump. Pride don carry am go.

My papa face turn white. “People full here today, abeg, give your uncle respect…”

Him voice dey crack. E no want fight spoil family name.

But my cousin just tire, point my papa, shout, “Na your son start am today. Which face you get? If my papa no be your brother, I for dey follow poor people like una? I no shield flame on purpose. You suppose thank me say you light my cigarette. Poor people.”

He spit the last word. The insult loud. Some dey shift seat.

As he dey talk, my papa face just dey fall. Old man wey don suffer, now dey swallow insult because of card game.

My uncle just sigh, pretend say him dey scold, “How you go talk to elder like that? No mind am, na drink dey worry am. He too dey show, just because he get money.”

E act like e dey correct him pikin, but e dey smile for inside. Hypocrisy everywhere.

I look my uncle. He dey form like e dey scold, but na to dey boast.

For my mind, I dey talk, 'Na una raise am so.'

My cousin bang table, glare me, “You really wan play everything with me? Oya, make we show card.”

Him eye red, hand dey shake. Pressure don reach boiling point.

He reach for him card, but I ask, “When I talk say I wan show card?”

My voice low, but na final move. Everybody freeze.

He freeze. Everybody freeze. E like say time stop. Even generator wey dey hum, off.

He dey look me. “You still no wan show?”

He dey doubt himself now. Pride dey war with fear.

I shake head. “I no dey show.”

My voice cold. If you wan win, match me.

Na this be the fear for Golden Flower. Who no fit hold pressure and ask to show card first, must put another bet. And e no fit less than last round.

Everybody dey reason for head. Na so the game go. If you shake, you lose more.

We don bet too much. Who wan show, must add another one and half million.

Na heavy money. Na only big man go fit run am without thinking twice.

I shrug. “If e too much for you, show card. Just add your stake first.”

I dey try push am to edge. My babe squeeze my hand.

My cousin glare me, vex. “You just wan set me up for another bet. Even if I match now, you no fit follow next round. You just wan make I show and fold.”

Silence hang. One phone drop for tile, even baby for back room cry. Everybody dey hold breath.

I just answer, “Think wetin you like. I just dey tell you, I no dey show. If you no fit match, you don fold.”

Na so the game dey go. If you no fit follow, just leave am.

My cousin wife don dey shout, “How you go dey do like this? Just show card! Why you wan make us add more?”

Her voice dey break. She dey fear say everything go finish.

I just look her, no talk.

My silence dey pain her pass insult. Some dey smile for back.

For everybody front, the more she vex, the more shame.

E dey shameful to beg for table after you don show pride.

My cousin dey breathe hard, vex.

He dey sweat, vein dey pop for forehead. Na pride dey hold am.

Finally, he grit teeth, “Oya, I go put my factory. E worth one and half million, abi?”

He voice low, but na final stake. Some dey cry for back.

His wife rush try stop am, almost cry, “Why you still dey bet? He just dey use style set you up!”

Her voice dey break. She dey pull him shirt, but he no hear.

My cousin snap, “If I back down now, everything don go.”

E dey stubborn. For am, pride pass sense.

His wife don dey mad, slap table. “If na three Kings or three Aces he get nko?”

She dey cry. Her eye red. She dey regret everything.

He fire back, “And if I fold, come see say na bluff he dey bluff?”

He dey shout, voice dey shake. He no know which side to lean.

She break down, “You think say person go risk everything just to bluff?”

Tears dey her face. The matter don pass card. Na marriage dey shake.

He shake head. “You no sabi Golden Flower. Abeg, quiet.”

He hush am, face me again. E dey ready to fall or win.

I look my cousin. E true—Golden Flower na so. Sometimes, person fit go all in with nothing, just to scare opponent.

But the real people wey get heart, na dem dey win. Today, I sure say my own heart no go fail me.

But he forget one thing: I never bluff am. Na him first put car key, na him raise bet reach this level.

If na pride bring us here, na pride go settle am. The family go remember this day. I grip my card tight—today, na my Kings or nothing. All eyes dey wait. Who go fall first?