I sat with balikis as she said her aunty was not around. Balikis has always been a wonder, smart and intelligent girl. She was in SS 2 and should be 15 years (my guess) of age. Each time there was no food in the house, me and other guys would try to beg and persuade she and her aunty to give us rice and other food stuffs to cook. They do give to us and most especially when her aunty is not around.
That Saturday I was hungry, I went to her own and she said her aunty had gone to major bush market to get tomatoes and other vegetables. Na so I seat down for there shop come start to dey gist. And Balikis dey very friendly. We talked about so many things from Funaab to what she plans on becoming when she grows up. As we were gisting, some guys sharing flyers came to us and gave us. It was about internet business and forex trade training. They started explaining how someone can make huge amount of money by trading forex and going into other internet online business. The guy talking to us was so convincing. “I had always wanted to go into online business. Not the Yahoo yahoo Uchenna and Abisoko were into. Na genuine one me wan go into but I didn’t know how to go about it. The guy said his name was bayo. He said it was an opportunity for students like us to come for the training and learn more. At least before graduating, if we are serious about forex, we go don build houses, buy cars.
I had been hearing about the forex trading for a long time. How people have been making serious cash from it. And even a guy I heard who was the richest student in Funaab was said to be into the forex trading. Them say the guy don buy houses, get landed properties. Sometimes when I see the guy coming to school. He comes with convoy sef, he and his friends. I even heard he bought his girlfriend a very sophisticated car. That was why Abisoko would always argue with people whether it was truly the guy was into forex or he was adding another thing. Because the was not just adding, he just dey multiply. He buys cars and houses and they call him the king of forex on campus.
I asked the bayo a couple of questions which he answered in his own way. He even talked about liberty reserves, E-gold, sales and buying. He told me the seminar was free for students if we have valid ID cards, and it would be taking place in camp the coming Saturday. Na so I happy ooo.
In the evening, I was seating in the parlour when Abisoko and uchenna returned from Mapoly. Na so dem begin narrate wetin happen and how they were given $1000 dollar each by one of their friends you dey who was a yahoo boy. “$1000!” I screamed. “Dey there, shebi I tell you make you follow us. You just dey dey do like odoyo,” Abisoko said. “How come dem come dey dash una money like this,” I asked. “Dat one na stupid question you dey ask,” uchenna replied. That was where the two guys began narrating how there friend duped a British woman of over N64m. As I hear “N64m” na so e be like say electric shock move for my body. I felt it wasn’t possible. She the oyibo woman na fool wey dem go just dupe am dat kind money. “Shey you never hear of wetin them dey call Yahoo plus plus?” uche said to me. Me keh, I have heard of it but I don’t know about it. I told them I don’t know about it. Na so them begin laugh me. They said they won’t tell me, I should go and find out myself. Na so these guys spread dollars for table.
The next week, these my guys don go buy new wears ooo, new phones. Na so uchenna give me him old Blackberry phone make I dey use. Infact all those days, they were not going to school. Dem don buy new modem. The kind people sef wey dey come dat house sef na die. Sometimes when I come back from school, I would see cars parked in the compound. Them wan turn the house to Yahoo yahoo villa. All man with him laptop and modem. Generator dey on. Them go call balikis if she don come back from school, she go go camp go chatter food for them. Sometimes balikis will even cook. Even this guys sef dey sleep over for the house. The generator sef dey run for 24 hours non stop.
On Friday I came back from school, I found that they got another Generator. After using one, they would drop it to rest and switch to the other one for some hours, then back to the first Generator. Dem no even send PHCN.
The next day which was a Saturday. Na so me dress up come waka go the seminar wey dem invite me. The seminar was so great that I enjoyed it. The facilitator whose name was folarin said he helps people to trade in forex. For those who don’t have laptop and other resources to trade. He helps them to trade. I felt it was an advantage for me because I no get laptop. I didn’t even have some few resource they talked about. We all were encouraged to invest as minimum of N3,000 if we want them to trade for us. After the program, I still went to meet the folarin and collected his mobile numbers. I asked him couple of questions. He further explained to me about their investment program. That they have traded for so many people and made profits. Even commissioners, and top Government officials sef rush to them. Main looking at the man sef, the suit wey he wear. I immediately believed him because he doesn’t seem to me that he would be lying. The way the program was even organized sef, making it free. Na so I feel say they know what they are doing. Folarin said that once I put my money into the program, ‘say I put N2,000 it would be multiplying every week.’ He gave an instance where they traded for one honourable commissioner with just N100,000. “The N100,000 multiplied to N1m in just one month.” As this man talk this thing, na so my head bang, gbagaun. Chaiiiii, as the man dey talk, I dey happy. I began feeling inspired and motivated. Maybe this was where God will use to uplift my family. This would actually be a breaking point for me. Na so folarin talk say I can even get profits and still reinvest the money back into the forex market and get more money. “He said infact, many people had even started calling him from other states. Even so many people who came to the seminar had started dropping money into the investment program.” At that point, I wished I had up to N5000 at that moment with me, so I could invest. But shishi, shingbyn I no get. Folarin also gave me some other investment sites that I could trade with E-gold, buy and sell the online currency. Na so I rush back home feeling happy.
When I got home, all the yahoo boys, including my room makes were asleep with Generator on. And PHCN don bring light. I changed over from Gen to PHCN and switched off the Generator. I woke Uchenna and asked him to borrow me N5,000. He asked me what I want to use the money for, I told him. He said he doesn’t have money. I asked Abisoko and he said the same thing too. I vex ooo. I felt they were wicked and don’t want to help me. They want to run me down and that was why they always encourage me to join their Yahoo business. They don’t want me to do a genuine business. I felt they have money but don’t want to give to me.
Later in the evening, they were all laughing at me. One of the yahoo boy, his name was John, said that the business seminar I went for, the organizers and there works, is the same business Yahoo boys are into. He said they were just defrauding our minds. He argued that “how can they just double money in just one week.” “That its not just possible in forex and that he had done forex before.” He advised that I shouldn’t give to people my money. “Me, no be wetin I wan hear be that.” I was just feeling betrayed. This people no wan give me money. I felt they were just trying to decieve me. Me sef come dey argue say those guys are genuine. Na so dem dey laugh me. Abisoko say make I go find money from somewhere else, say he no fit give me money make I put for 419 people hand.
The next day which was a Sunday, it was a new week and a day before our examination. The 3 Yahoo guys that came from Mapoly were leaving, John gave me N3000. Abisoko and Uchenna no tell me how much he give them, but I was sure it would be more than N10,000 since I heard he maga-d one big oyibo woman of about $10,000. Na so I save the money make I take do investment. Abisoko and uchenna had still adamant in giving me any money. Na just small small money to go school and feed na im dem go just give me. Dem no wan give me up to N500 because they feel I would go invest it.
I tried as much as possible to meet up with some little money my two friends were given to me, in terms of saving. I just want to invest at least N5000 before going on break so when we resume, my money go don reach N100k. Abisoko and uchenna were still complaining that they were not able to make head way in there yahoo yahoo business. Dem never see better customer. I sometimes laughed at them. I told them that Yahoo yahoo doesn’t pay. “Make them leave the business come join folarin investment forex trading. But dem no wan gree.”
After the exam, In which I, Abisoko and Uchenna were nearly put into trouble. We sat together throughout the exam. Thank God it was an e-exam and objective questions. If I click “a” them go click “a.” If I put “b” them too will go for “b.” Them no read. Na only me dey read. We were nearly caught. Thank God the invigilator had to stay there and watch three of us.
Well the exam finished and I arranged my things to go home. I still had the N3000 john gave to me. My two guys said they were not going that week but the next. Them wan carry girls from FCE osiele and Mapoly come the house. They asked me to wait but I told them I wasn’t. But uchenna said if I can wait till Sunday, he would give me N5000. “Uchenna had no problem with money. His uncle sends him money regularly and his mapoly yahoo Uchenna sends do, because he normally hooks them up with Fce osiele girls. Sometimes his uncle sends him N20k weekly. So he could afford to just give me N5000.” Na so I think about wetin Uchenna talk. At least I fit still throw in the money for folarin investment if I waited till Sunday. And I waited.
To be continued……