foreign JUJU MAN

“Antonio has been my friend for a long time now, and the best roommate I’ve ever had ... sorry, what was the question again? “

“I'm asking of your name.”

“My name is Adeleke but I like to be called Blake.”

“And what will you be doing for us today?”

I’ve been watching Simon Cowell ask many contestants this question and I’ve dreamt severely that he asked me the same question. Now, hearing the question from him increases my heartbeat …. I was having blacking out but as a strong man that I am I regain consciousness only to hear Simon ask the question the third time.

“what will you like to show us today …”

“I’m a magician.”

“Just calm down, okay. Relax and do your thing.” The lady sitting by the other guy said. *(She seem nice.)*

There are four judges but I don’t know their names and I am myopic. So, I will give them names I can easily remember. Sam was Sally, the next person is Kate, I will call the nice lady Nike (pronounced like nickel but with no /l/) and the last guy will be Billy.

“Thanks ma. I will apologize in advance to everyone whom my performance may give nightmares.” I could hear some of audience cursing me in silence.

“It will be a lot harder to sleep if you are scared before I even start the performance.” Giggling “just joking.”

“No, I’m not …” the whole light in the theatre went of and when it was back, I was right in front of the Judges desk. Kate almost ran into one of the audience but I think my laughter halted her search for peace.

“I will all your help in this performance, but I will need to give you names. You are Sally, you Kate and you will be Nike. Sir, you are my best friend named Billy.”

“Your best friend Billy, hmm? Okay!”

“Nike, I need your phone.”

“For what? I can’t do that.”

“Please, nothing will happen to it and I can’t see through electronic devices, your information are save.”

“Nike,” I was now heeding back to the stage “on your way here today you were thinking of the next phone that will be made. Well, that thought was right but you were asking it wrongly …”

Her phone fell from my hand as I was about taking the last step up and I didn’t pick it up.

“Where is it” Kate suddenly said

“Where is my phone”

“sorry, it fell and I can’t seem to find it.”

“This isn’t right” Sally was now ready to buzz me out of the stage.

“Hold it there Sally. Nike check your purse.”

“I don’t see my phone here”

“and which phone do you see?” I asked her

“An iPhone that isn’t mine and doesn’t look like any phone I’ve seen before.” She said as she raised it up for everyone to see.

“okay, great.” I bowed my head and I said some prayers whispering (what I mean is, I chanted some incantations with the mic off.

Whoosh; in a flash I was at the other side of the theatre like I was coming from the back stage. “how did you do that?” Sally, seemed surprised but not terrified.

“Nike, yes you. Give the phone to Sally.”

“okay, sir.” She said with fear and it was funny.

“Now, check your purse.”

She dropped off the purse like she was dropping off a wicker basket that has snakes in it. “What is it?” Billy picked the purse and brought out the phone while his mouth was doing a wow.

“Sally, I know my time is almost up but there is need for me to do the final juju touch but before that I want you to throw that phone to me.”

I stretched my hand and the phone that should have fallen to the ground turned to a butterfly, as the fly touches my palm it smoked and became ashes which I brew into the wind.

“As my last magic performance I will like to tell my story… Sally, how am I doing?”

Sally gawped at Kelly. “What is it?” Kelly snapped a question.

“He’s in my head, I can hear him in my head.”

“I’m sorry for that, Sally. I want the camera to be well focused on me now.” I snapped my finger and the light was off. It lighten up to me hovering right at the front of the Judges’ desk. They all dashed away from the desk.

“I’m one of the million Nigerians that legged the journey to this country and was lucky to make it here alive. On arriving I met a Mexican good Samaritan who took me in as a friend. Please, have your seat.” Billy, sat first and then the others joined him. I was still floating but with shirt left only my ofi and now far away from them. “Antonio love to watch animation movies, love eating my jollof rice while watching his movie. I walked in on him watching a doctor strange movie one time: a scene where strange met sorcerer supreme whom he thought was standing only to later realize that the man was suspended in the all the time. Weeks later I watched Sherlock homes and the human version of doctor strange and it was the same person, then did I know I could make it in this country as a Nigeria magician.”

Every eye was now glued to me without blinking, I was at the seat f20 and back at the stage in a flash.

“Seat f20, is there anything on your lap?” She wowed and showed my business card.

“I will be flying to the back through the finest path on this roof, I want the camera on me.” I jumped like I was really trying to do the children from of flying. “how I wish it was possible .” everyone laughed for a minute and then I was at the back in a blink.

“No worries, I made it.” The camera found me sitting on the floor at the last aisle.” I stood up and everyone clapped so loud that I could hear the echoes in my bones.

“No clapping please.” Walking to the stage, I made every chair in the aisle I passed by clap.

“Thanks”   *I took a bow and say my name in full* Adebalogun adeleke.
        

                                END

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Author's Note:

You can leave us a comment and you can also write us a story you'd like us to rewrite in fiction on samielelleh@gmail.com

It is beautiful to imagine things,
It is more suiting to be able to predict them right.
T'was but an inevitable possibility of change,
At the end, it’s a win win for all.