While Leroy thought luck would keep company when times became hard this was not the case as the great Taliep Petersen noted, “life’s a gamble” and sometimes “luck just turns away”. What am I going to do Ali is going to come for my neck, he says. I’m too reg to go to jail. No blankets … Sus Showers… and some bra wanting to give me cake. I need kroon and suma fast otherwise I’m as good as wyfie material.
His breathing completely on autopilot, Leroy brainstorms ways to finesse his way to get easy money. Days go by and month end is approaching, LOCK YOU ONE TIME, Ali’s voice beckons Leroy’s mind. He has yet to devise a plan to get the money in time. Leroy decides to take a walk to the hoek, known for its “extra-curricular” and supposed “recreational activities”. Smoke everywhere forming artificial clouds, and more bank bags on the floor than stones. It is in the midst of these fragranced clouds that Leroy sees his saving grace or so he thought. He locks eyes with the most notorious loan shark in the skeem, Boeta Balie, known for his giving-hand yet cutthroat personality.
Leroy works up the courage and approaches Boeta Balie, speaking under his breath he greets him. Salute salaam Boeta Balie, to which Balie replies, yes yes ou klong, wanne las gewanne las, jys skaas. Leroy gets straight to the point, I need a favour boeta balie, I need R1000, I will pay as soon as I can. As soon as you can, Balie repeats, jy maak my lag, niks later dan nex mand, met R500 interest. En niks laat paymentsie, anneste is jy witbene ou klong, he says with a golden smile.
Leroy takes the money with a lump in his throat and makes his way to the bhai to repay his debt. Before he gets there, he suddenly has a change of heart and goes to a different shop he buys R1000 Betway voucher and darts off home. Not leaving a second for thought he logs into his account and spreads his bets in quarters. Round 1 begins once more his plane takes off landing safely, he bags his first profit. Rounds 2, 3 and 4 follow suit, he makes a whopping R2000, double the amount he started with. Yoh yoh, I did it, I got the kroon, R500 for Ali, R1500 for Boeta Balie… and… an… nothing left for me… ARE YOU MAD ALL THAT AND I GET NIKS, he exclaims. Driven by the feeling of injustice and greed he bets the entire pot of R2000. His plane flies and it appears to be a fruitful round, until Lady Luck decided to take her charm and kick his hopes and financial freedom to the curb. History repeats itself. In an instant. He loses everything.
Completely distraught Leroy shuts himself off, ignoring everyone and everything. He stares at his gattie collection, back where it all began. Worth nothing… just like me, he says. The days become weeks and Boeta Balie is already lurking outside Leroy’s house. Leroy still in denial rots away as the deadline draws closer. The day finally arrives, and as expected Balie sits idly on the lectric box outside. Leroy peeps out the window and decides to make a run for it through the backdoor. Much to Leroy’s surprise Boeta Balie set a few insurance policies in place. By the time Leroy reaches the vibe wall Balie’s manskappe waits with no haste at all, they force him into their car. Bra what do I do, I can’t shout, I can’t run, I can’t even poep, he contemplates as he is held hostage in a speeding vehicle, he knows all too well that he has no cards left to play, no way to finesse himself out of this situation. Balie sees the car take and returns to the hoek, as he never gets his hands dirty on klein miggies.
The car stops at the infamous canal, by day a place where innocent laughter is heard by night when grown men quake in their boots. The manskappe takes Leroy out of the car and sits him in the canal. They receive a call from Boeta Balie saying, maak kla met hom, to which they oblige with no remorse. In seconds a gunshot goes off, a bullet shell on the cemented floor. Leroy is no more, no rounds left to play. The years of Leroy’s life add up to an ironic 21. Blackjack no more. Death no bust at all.
