One of the gambling houses in Detroit city was really booming this evening, it was filled with lots of people playing card gambling. And you know what? The 25 years old Leonard wasn't excluded from their midst, he had become a regular customer of this gambling house. Not only that he was a regular customer of this gambling house, he was also a customer of three more gambling houses along the boulevard.
But the worst part of it was that he loved gambling so much but he wasn't good at it. You know how bad that is, right? The more he gambles, the more he loses, the more he keeps on borrowing money, the more his debts pile up. His older brother had warned him severally about his gambling habits, but Leonard turn a deaf ear to all his warnings. His older brother would always tell him,
"Why don't you use the time you use in gambling to look for a job and make yourself useful? You are just lazing around gambling. You'll regret it in the future".
His mum was also worried about his gambling habits, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. There was no dad to worry about his gambling habits, he died a long time ago. He resides with one of his college friends who chased his dream until he achieved it...or let's say, he squats with him.
This evening, Leonard had lost another card gambling losing an amount of 16 dollars. Normally, he gambles 'cause he loved it and it was one of his greatest hobbies. But at this point, he was gambling to see if he could win a huge amount of money to settle his debts. He had borrowed money from the so-called rich men to engage in gambling. And when he loses all the money gambling, he'll borrow another one to see if he could win back the money he lost, but ends up losing that one also.
That's how his debts had been piling up for some time now. He had won some card gambling, but just a few times. The number of times he had lost was way more than the times he had won, but he doesn't learn, he keeps gambling.
"Ah! you lost again, fool". The man in front of him said as he packed all the money on the table.
"Shit!". Leonard uttered running his palms through his hair.
Some of the men watching couldn't help but laugh, this wasn't the first time they were seeing him lose...it had become like a normal routine. The ones that didn't laugh were the ones that were visiting this gambling house for the first time. One of the young men tapped Leonard on the back and uttered,
"You've lost, why are you still sitting there? Stand up so another person can drop money and play some card games".
Leonard wasn't willing to stand up, he uttered, "Can anyone borrow me money so I could win back the money I lost? I promise not to lose. I'll pay the person back with interest".
The men laughed louder than how they did before, they took him for a joke. One of the men even pointed at him and voiced out,
"It's only a fool that would loan you money. You, win? That happens only once in a Blue Moon".
After making that statement, they all laughed once again. Then one of the men uttered, "I'll loan you money, how much do you need?".
All the men standing there focused their gaze on the man that offered to lend Leonard money. But then, they noticed that he wasn't a familiar face in this gambling house, seems like it was his first time being here...no wonder he offered to lend Leonard money. The man that offered to loan him money was hefty.
One of the men placed his palms on the man's shoulder and said,
"If I were you, I wouldn't lend this guy money to continue with the gambling, he barely wins. Just a piece of my advice, don't lend him money".
Leonard's face lightened up as he held the palms of the man that offered to loan him money and pleaded,
"Please, do, lend me some money. I promise you, I'll win and I'll pay you back with interest".
That sentence alone, 'I'll pay you back with interest' made the man lend Leonard the money. Leonard told him how much he wanted, and he gave them to him. They betted money once again, then the card game began. At first, it seemed like Leonard was winning, but then, it changed, it seemed like the man was winning.
While everyone had already taken it like the man was gonna keep winning until he wins completely, it changed once again, it seemed like Leonard was winning. But then, close to the end of the game, it changed for good, the man won the card game and packed all the money once again. And do you know what followed right after that? Laughter.
They were laughing at two people. First, they were laughing at Leonard for losing as usual. And secondly, they were laughing at the man that lent him money. The man was already boiling with anger, it was evident in his face. Leonard had already discerned that the man was boiling with anger, so he glanced at him with a facial expression that screams, 'Am I dead?'.
The man walked closer to him and inquired, "Where is my money and the interest you were gonna add to it?".
Leonard was a bit confused by that question, didn't he see what happened? But he retorted anyway with a bit of fright on his face, the man's hefty body was intimidating.
"This guy over here won them all, I lost".
"But you promised that you were gonna win, that's one of the main reasons why I gave you the money". The man stated.
All Leonard could say was, "Am sorry". There was nothing more he could say apart from that. Someone else had won the money, there was nothing he could do about it.
The man voiced out with anger in his tone of voice, "Sorry won't do, I hate it when people owe me".
With that, he jerked Leonard from his collar shirt and raised him as Leonard's feet kept swinging. By now, the scene had grabbed the attention of other people in the gambling house. The man kept holding Leonard by his collar shirt, he wasn't ready to drop him any time soon.
********
Leonard walked on the street that night with no shoes on and a shirtless body, he was only putting on singlet. The hefty man took his canvas shoes and his designer shirt, he took them in place of the money he lost. At least, the shirt was a designer one, it wouldn't be that cheap. And the canvas shoes were one of the latest, it's definitely gonna be expensive, selling them wouldn't be a bad idea.
At least, when he sells them, he could make back the money he lent Leonard or close to it. Leonard scattered his hair with his palms as he sauntered on the street, he was frustrated. Walking some minutes more, a black jeep drove in front of him shining the headlamps light across his face and eyes.
Leonard immediately recognized the black jeep, it was the car of one of the rich men he was owing. The doors to the car opened as men in suits started coming out of it, one out of the men was the main boss. Leonard knelt on the ground as they got closer to him, he was really afraid of the boss and his guards...they intimidate him also. They arrived at the spot he was kneeling, then the boss uttered,
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? One of my debtors. Well, do you have my money? I don't want 'no' for an answer".
"No, I don't have it". Leonard responded not minding what he said about not wanting 'No' for an answer, "Am still gathering money".
The man slapped him slightly on the cheek and voiced out, "Well, better be fast about it 'cause I'm already losing my patience. If you don't give me my money next week, lots of things you wouldn't expect would happen", He then raised his voice, "Understood!".
"Yes, I understand, I'll find a way to pay you back". Leonard responded looking at the ground, he couldn't even look at the man's face.
"You better".
After that last utterance from the man, he and his guards walked straight to the jeep, opened the doors, entered it, and drove off. Leonard sighed deeply when they drove off, then he stood up from the ground and thought about what he said about finding a way to pay the money he was owing next week. How was he gonna do that?
Worst of all, there were still other wealthy men he needed to settle. And he doesn't have enough money to settle even one of them...what was he gonna do?