NOT FOR ME!(maame akosua birago owusu ababio) NOT FOR ME!


Tim was forever talking about his ‘secret’. Before school, in school, after school he would whisper in Mark’s ear that he had something in his pocket that would really get him excited if he could only see it.

At first Mark took no notice. For one thing he had never liked Tim very much, and for another he never believed Tim had any ‘secret’ at all. But the more Mark tried to leave Tim alone, the more Tim talked about his ‘secret’ and continued talking mysteriously to his pocket.

One afternoon during class, when the teacher’s back was turned, Tim leaned over and whispered in Mark’s ear. It was the same old story, except that this time he said, ‘Come with me behind the hedge on the way home. I will really show you something.’

This was repeated many times as the teacher continued to write on the board. At last Mark began to think that perhaps, after all, he would do what Tim wanted. His curiosity was aroused. What could be it that Tim had to show him that was so wonderful? Why did it have to be shown in secret, where nobody else could see?

So, at the end of school, Mark followed Tim down the path, wondering what he was going to see. When they had gone some distance Tim suddenly jumped behind the hedge. He called Mark to follow. Mark stopped. ‘Now I will show you,’ said Tim. ‘But it’s a secret, just between you and me.’ ‘What is it?’ said Mark. ‘It must be something very wonderful to call for all this secrecy.’

‘Yuk!’ cried Mark. ‘So that’s the wonderful secret! Just a dirty cigarette! ‘it isn’t dirty and it isn’t old,’ said Tim. ‘What’s more, there is something wonderful about this one. The man who gave it to me said so. He said that if you smoke some it will give you marvelous dreams.’

‘Now look here, Tim,’ said Mark. ‘I don’t know what’s happened to you, but let me tell you right now that I’m not interested in your secret. It’s just a big fake.’

‘Oh, come on,’ wheedled Tim, seeming to take no notice of what Mark had said. ‘I have got two of them before here. One for me and one for you.’

‘One for me!? Not for me! I don’t smoke and I don’t want to smoke. Smoking is a filthy habit, and nobody can do his best in life if he uses marijuana or tobacco. They are full of poisons. So you can keep your old cigarettes or better still, throw them away.’

‘Oh, Mark,’ coaxed Tim. ‘it can’t be as bad as that. And think of those dreams.’

‘Rubbish!’ said Mark!. ‘I don’t want those kind of dreams. I would rather be awake. I want to live a decent, clean life. So that’s that, Tim. Goodbye, and no more of your secrets for me, thanks!

‘Mark!! Mark!’ called Tim. But Mark was gone. Tim was all alone with his ‘secret’.

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