• Online betting is the same thing as those dark joints designed to have no sunlight
• You can gamble all night and not realise that the sun has come up
Image: FILE
I’m always a proponent of taking what people say at face value. People always tell you who they are, if you just listen. But Simon is different. You toss out a few rude statements here and there, and you can see the genuine hurt on his face. I suspect his ‘I don‘t have a heart’ cries are really more of ‘Don’t break my heart.’ Well, it’s either that or he really is a crazy knife-wielding heartless ass who WILL cut off my nose.
I make it home early for once and finally have time to think about Alan. I really do miss him. Alan is the opposite of Simon. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s not about bad accents or weird shit. He’s just really a nice guy.
We sext, yes, but we also talk a lot. About life, about family, about hopes, dreams. I like him. I miss him. Where could he be? I go on to my WhatsApp and see that he’s online. I send him a message with an upside-down smiley face, a private joke we have for frustrated resignation.
Me: Hey, stranger. I hope you’re ok.
No response. Screw him. If he’s gone, he’s gone. Don’t force people who don’t want to be in your life to be there. I get my laptop and check the latest news stories.
Some guy who won some cash betting on sports is now bankrupt. Well, that’s not surprising. Do people wonder why casinos never go out of business?
Online betting is the same thing as those dark joints that are designed to have no sunlight so you can gamble all night and not realise that the sun has come up.
Even if you somehow win, the dark hole will still follow and swallow up all the millions because gamblers don’t just walk away, they keep going back. Eventually, the house always wins.
In my inbox, there’s an email from marketing. One of the leading betting houses wants to do a spread in the magazine. They are paying millions in advertising in return. I won’t turn it down, obviously, my boss would have a fit and probably fire me. But I think these guys need to be reined in. The people gambling in Kenya are young adults. Students in university.
How many stories have we read about young men betting their school fees on a game? It’s an addiction just as dangerous as alcohol or drugs.
A text comes in from Simon. Crap, I thought it was Alan. When someone ignores you, the only recourse is to stalk them on social media. I go to his page and there are pics of him living his best life. He’s on the beach somewhere. Great.
I turn back to my email and respond to marketing. We will take the 30 pieces of silver from the gambling house. But we will also betray them with a kiss. I want us to find everyone who has ever won and lost a fortune because of this gambling illness. I want those who have lost jobs, marriages and in some instances, taken their lives.
I will give these guys the spread they want. But I will also tell the other side of the gruesome story.
Happy with my good deed for the month, I turn back to my phone to respond to Simon. He is still being rude. From semen in my eye to cutting off my nose, here is his latest demand.
Simon: I need you to lose 4 kilos.
Me: What???
Simon: You heard me. It’s important.
Me: Why?
Simon: I need to be able to lift you up against a wall. I’m not sure I can manage that at your present weight.