Reasons you shouldn't bet while in campus

A couple of years ago, on one balmy evening, having no deadlines for assignments on my schedule to meet, I decided to take a walk to the market which we sometimes referred to as stage. Along the academic highway, couples were holding hands while going either direction. However, those who took the opposite direction-most of them-had heavy yellow paper bags.

On reaching the stage, I took the route to the supermarket. I was shocked to see hordes at the entrance. I thought there was something interesting and because eyes have no curtains, I moved closer. What I had seen as a throng turned out to be queues. I have seen students line up at the offices, cafeteria, for hugs but this was just as unique as I had not expected it. Those exiting this only on campus supermarket had large yellow paper bags full of stuff. Others had cartons. Considering what I had gone to buy and connecting this to the queues, I decided to take a stroll about the market. I called on a friend who worked at a chips cafe. He was startlingly occupied. Orders of chicken/chips were all over the square room. I just waved in the air and left. Going past the ATM house, the queues could not be compared to those at the supermarket. It was then that I realized that HELB had been disbursed a week and half ago. I had complications with my details and was not awarded. I had to wait. By the way, I had to buy my salt at a kiosk because the supermarket closed due to shortages.

Back at the hostel, the odor of chicken, beef, pork being fried filled the atmosphere. As I walked into my own room, the air was all beef fry, courtesy of my roommate and his HELB. I felt so much intimidated such that I fried my kales while he was catching some sleep.

A couple of weeks later, I started noting certain changes, beginning with my roommate. In the previous fortnight, he never ate any greens; he changed ladies like pants and hardly attended his lectures. Couples who were enrolled in the same course I was taking also bunked lectures and only talked of parties and drinking sprees in WhatsApp groups. The queue at the only university supermarket slowly disappeared.

My roommate began eating two eggs and greens, and later an egg and greens. He began taking his lectures seriously and hardly did I see a lady in our room thereafter.

When one evening I stopped by to greet my chips cafe friend, he was free for most of the time, and he told me that Chicken was not selling. Only chips.

A week to end of semester exams, my roommate joined me in my diet of sukuma wiki ya five bob na nyanya ya five bob.

At least at this point, I could freely prepare my meals without feeling intimidated. Students went to the supermarket to buy ten bob pens which were fifteen shillings in shops near the hostels.  One only went to the bank to check on the second disbursement only to be disappointed finding the account read coins.

Now, the pattern may be on its ruin because of the football betting on sportpesa, elitebet and the ilk. Some comrades easily win and can accommodate change of diet throughout the semester. Otherwise when HELB drops into bank accounts, chicken is eaten, a fortnight later, it is chicken products and lastly like chicken.