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Edder
Student @ University of Abuja
Student @ University of Abuja
THE BOY WHO WANTED A SCHOOL BAG: Part Five
<p style="text-align: justify; "><strong style="background-color: transparent;">Part Five: The School Bag</strong></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa never became a teacher.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He never became the man his younger self imagined he would become.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He simply became someone who understood the value of a chance.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Years later, he had a small shop of his own.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">It wasn't much, but it was his.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">One rainy afternoon, a boy walked into the shop.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He was carrying a torn plastic bag.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Inside it were two notebooks and a pencil without an eraser.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Uncle,” the boy said, “do you have work for me?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa looked at him.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Work?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Yes. My mother said I should find something to do after school.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa paused.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“After school?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The boy nodded.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“I go to school in the morning.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Something about those words made Musa smile.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He remembered standing by a window many years ago, watching children leave for school.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He remembered the old paper beneath his pillow.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">And he remembered the school bag he never got.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“What class are you in?” Musa asked.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Primary five.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“What do you want to become?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The boy shrugged.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“I don't know yet.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa laughed.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“That's okay.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He reached beneath the counter and brought out a new school bag.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The boy stared at it.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“How much?”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa shook his head.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Nothing.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The boy hesitated before taking it.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Then he smiled.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">It was such a small thing.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">A school bag.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">But Musa knew better.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Sometimes what looks small in a child's hands is actually a door.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Before the boy left, he turned around.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Thank you, Uncle.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa nodded.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">“Go and learn.”</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The boy ran into the rain.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Musa remained at the doorway, watching him disappear down the street.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">For a moment, he saw himself in that little boy.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Same curiosity.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Same hunger.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Different ending.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He went back inside and opened the old drawer.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The faded paper was still there.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">A.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">B.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">C.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He looked at it one last time.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Then he smiled.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Maybe some dreams don't come back to us in the form we expected.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Maybe sometimes...</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">they come back wearing another child's face.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The End.</p>
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