The Ghost Trick

THE GHOST TRICK

From the dusty town streets of saburi rose a boy named Joseph. a boy who refused to let poverty decide his future. His family had little to eat and even less to spare, but Joseph’s determination to be educated was stronger than any hunger he ever felt.

Joseph was always eager and willing to go to school. He kept begging his parents to send him to school, and they finally managed to enroll him in junior secondary school.

When it was time for his Junior WAEC examination, his parents told him they couldn’t afford the exam fee. Joseph, being a hardworking boy, decided to find something to do to pay for it. He worked in different places as a salesman and was able to raise the money to write the exam.

After the exam, in senior secondary school, he couldn’t continue with the sales job because it took too much of his time. He needed a job that would allow him to attend school every day, so he started pushing a wheelbarrow in the market. Every morning, Joseph went to the market to carry people’s loads to earn money for food and save for his school fees.

Despite the pain and suffering, Joseph still appeared happy and fresh. Nobody noticed what he was doing until he reached SS3. One of his classmates, Samuel, saw him one morning at the market pushing a wheelbarrow for someone. Samuel was shocked because Joseph always looked neat and intelligent, not like someone who did such hard work.

That was the first time anyone had talked about Joseph’s secret. Samuel couldn’t go closer to confirm what he saw because he was with his parents. At school, Joseph continued to pay his own fees through his hard work.

Joseph usually arrived at school before most of his classmates. Later that day, after carrying loads for people, he went to school as usual. Samuel, who also came to school that morning, saw Joseph there and became confused. He wondered if Joseph had a twin brother who looked exactly like him.

Samuel said to himself, “It was him I saw.” He was surprised because it didn’t make sense. Samuel loved joking and teasing people, and he even thought of telling the class that Joseph worked as a barrow pusher. But he didn’t, because he wasn’t completely sure of what he had seen. So, he decided to go back to the market the next day to confirm.

The following day, Joseph went out for his usual work. After some hours, he heard someone call his name, “Joseph!” It was Samuel, who had come to the market to find out if it was really him. When Joseph heard Samuel’s voice, he quickly moved away so that Samuel wouldn’t see him clearly and pretended not to hear.

Samuel tried to catch up and see Joseph’s face. While running, Joseph crossed the road that divided the first lane of the market from the second. At that moment, a trailer carrying heavy goods passed by, and Samuel stopped to let it go first. When the trailer finally passed, Joseph had already disappeared.

Samuel looked around but couldn’t find him anywhere. Joseph had quickly gone to the small place where he usually took his bath and dressed before going to school. After freshening up, he got ready and rushed to school again. Meanwhile, Samuel left the market and went straight to school. When he entered the class, he saw Joseph already sitting at his desk. Shocked, he quickly asked loudly:

"Weren’t you the one I saw just now in the market? How did you get here so fast?”

His loud voice caught everyone’s attention, and the whole class looked at them.

Joseph, feeling nervous, replied:

"Me? In the market? No! I haven’t been there for a long time.”

Samuel insisted:

"But I saw you! You were pushing a barrow. I even called you, but a trailer passed and blocked my view.”

Joseph felt embarrassed as everyone stared at him. Trying to defend himself, he shouted:

"Are you okay? Maybe you saw a ghost, not me!”

He quickly sat down at his desk. Samuel stood there confused. He was sure of what he saw but had no proof, so he quietly went back to his seat.

During the break period, Samuel didn’t go out because he noticed Joseph usually stayed in class. Joseph remained at his desk doing his homework. Samuel walked over to him and asked,

"Joseph, why are you doing your homework now?”

Joseph looked at him and replied,

"Why are you asking? Are you the teacher who will mark it?”

From that reply, Joseph realized that Samuel was becoming suspicious and wanted to know his secret. So, he decided to be more careful.

Even though Joseph never meant to hide his identity, Samuel was determined to find out the truth by all means. That made Joseph want to hide it even more, so he decided to make the game fun, and frustrating for Samuel.

The next day, Joseph went to a different part of the market. After work that day, he was about to go to his usual place to freshen up when he suddenly remembered his classmate. He went to the same spot where he had seen Samuel before and found him searching for him again.

So, Joseph made sure Samuel saw him from a distance. As soon as Samuel noticed him, Joseph quickly turned and ran to his usual place, took his bath, and rushed to school. When Samuel got to the spot, Joseph was already gone.

Samuel said to himself, “Could it really be a ghost?” He hurried to school, and when he saw Joseph there again, he became scared. But because of his curious nature, he wanted to find out the truth.

Joseph noticed Samuel’s curious face and quietly laughed to himself. During break time, Joseph was sleeping at his desk. Samuel quietly bent close to him to check if Joseph’s clothes smelled like the market, but instead, he smelled fresh soap.

Just as Samuel was about to stand up, Joseph suddenly woke up and shouted,

"What are you doing?”

Samuel quickly apologized, saying he was only trying to pick up a piece of paper beside Joseph. Joseph decided to let it go, knowing Samuel was just trying to find proof.

Later, Samuel asked Joseph to be his friend. But Joseph refused, saying,

"I don’t need any distractions. I’m fine the way I am. But you’re free to ask me anything.”

Hearing that, Samuel quickly asked,

"Josh, do you have a brother who looks exactly like you, maybe younger or older?”

Joseph smiled to himself and thought, “Here comes the time for the ghost trick.

”Then he replied,

"I had a twin brother, but he’s late. He died in the market when he went to buy foodstuffs. A barrow pusher who had stolen someone’s goods was being chased, and the stick meant to hit the thief mistakenly struck my brother. When they rushed him to the hospital, he was already dead.”

There was silence between them. Joseph noticed how frightened Samuel’s face looked, so he broke the silence and asked,

"Why are you asking, Samuel?”

Samuel didn’t know what to say, so he just replied, “Nothing,” and left the class.

He went to sit under a tree, thinking deeply. Then he remembered a story his grandmother once told him,that ghosts sometimes go to the market to either buy or sell, sometimes during the day but mostly at night.

Samuel said to himself, “Why is his twin appearing to me? Maybe he wants to distract me, but I’ll find out the truth myself.”

Being a lover of gossip, Samuel decided to be careful next time so he could catch Joseph and tell the class that he was a barrow pusher.

The next day, Samuel went to the market very early before Joseph arrived. When Joseph finally came, he was about to start work when he saw Samuel searching for him again. Angry, Joseph decided to scare him off.

He hid behind some clothes in a section of the market and, using a deep voice, called out,

"Samuueeeel… Samuuueeeel…”

Samuel turned toward the direction of the voice but couldn’t see anyone. Joseph quickly moved to another spot near a big vehicle and called again,

"Saaamuuueeelll…”

Samuel went around the vehicle but couldn’t find anyone. Terrified, he ran off. Joseph laughed quietly, satisfied that his ghost trick had worked again.

He quickly returned to his changing spot, dressed up, and rushed to school. When he got to class, he kept thinking how quiet and calm Samuel would be when he arrived. Smiling to himself, he wished he could do it again.

As soon as Samuel entered the class and saw Joseph, he screamed,

"Ghost ooo! Ghost!”

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Embarrassed, Samuel said, “Don’t mind me, I’m just joking,” and went to his seat.

Joseph pretended as if nothing had happened, laughing quietly to himself. For the first time, Samuel was silent and calm in class.

A few minutes later, Joseph went to ask him,

"What kind of expensive joke is that,calling me a ghost? Are you normal?”

Samuel quickly apologized, and Joseph forgave him. Just then, their teacher entered the class and announced that a letter had arrived inviting their school to a competition. The winner would receive free education up to graduation in any higher institution and course, along with a monthly allowance of ₦10,000.

After the announcement, Samuel asked Joseph if they could go home together, but Joseph lied, saying his mother sent him to his aunt’s place. During break, Joseph kept thinking about the competition and decided to play his final ghost trick.

After school, he ran home, took some powder, a cane, and his white jalabiya (a long white garment). He went to a spot near a big tree where Samuel usually passed after school. When Samuel reached that spot, he looked back and saw Joseph covered in white powder and holding a cane. The moment Samuel saw him, he screamed and ran away in fear. Joseph chased him, shouting that he should stay away from his brother.

The next day, Samuel avoided Joseph completely.

As the competition day approached, excitement filled the school. Joseph kept thinking of what to present but was too shy to face the crowd. “I can’t do this,” he said to himself. But just before registration closed, something whispered to him, “Go and fill the form. Even if you say meaningless words, it’s better than not trying.”

He ran to the teacher in charge, who almost refused, but finally allowed him to register just before the system closed.

Later, Joseph told the teacher he didn’t know what to present. She scolded him, saying,

"You should have prepared by now to be perfect in your speech and sentences!” the teacher shouted, her voice echoing through the room. “Get out of my office now! Go and think about your life! She angrily added. “I regret allowing you to fill that form.”

Joseph left angrily, but later smiled as he reflected on her words. “Yes,” he said, “I will tell the story of my life , "the Ghost Trick.”

On the day of the competition, when it was Joseph’s turn, he refused to go and said,

"I will present last.”

The teacher agreed. When his turn finally came, he held the microphone and said,

"Good day, everybody.”

Then he introduced his topic, “The Story of the Ghost Trick.”

He told the story of his life. By the time he finished, the only person who did not weep was Joseph himself. His story no longer made him weak,it made him strong.

As he came down from the stage, the professor who organized the event stood up and embraced him. That was when Joseph finally broke down in tears.

He won the first scholarship of the day and he was very excited.

The next day in class, Samuel hugged him and said jokingly,

"You really are a ghost ,you disappeared and reappeared with victory!”

They both laughed and became good friends. Their teacher entered the class, walked up to Joseph, and apologized for her harsh words.

Joseph smiled and said,

"If not for those words, ‘Go and think about your life,’ I wouldn’t have found my story.”

They all smiled and embraced one another.

The End.