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At first Onitsha looked very strange to Chike He could not say as a thief or kidnapper and as not In Umuofia every thief was known, but here even people who lived under the saers to one another Chike was told by his uncle’s servant that sohbor in the next rooe

But as the an to feel at home in Onitsha Hethem His best friend was called Sae

Saood at football [2] He could dribble past any opponent Whenever he played particularly well his admirers clapped and shouted, “SMOG! SMOG!”

SMOG was Saave himself His full name was Samuel Maduka Obi; so his initials were SMO Then one day he saw that if he added a “G” to his initials he would become SMOG He immediately did so In Onitsha the letters SMOG were said to bring good luck because they stood for Save Me O God

Chike was also pretty good at football and very soon his friends gave him a nickname too They called him “Chiks The Boy” Chike liked the name very much and wrote it in his new reader

It was from Samuel that Chike first heard how easy it was to cross the River Niger and coain

“I have done it many times on the ferryboat,” Sao over and sixpence to return Finish”

“But I have no sixpence,” said Chike

“What?” said Sa boy like you has no sixpence Don’t let people hear it It is too shameful”

Chike was really ashamed and so he told a lie to cover his shame He said, “It’s not that I don’t have money I have plenty but my uncle keeps it for me”

“Then tell your uncle to give you one shilling out of it,” said Sa money that you cannot spend?”