SUMMARY OF THE COSTLY MISTAKE BY CHINELO IFEZULIKE

SUMMARY OF THE COSTLY MISTAKE 
Chinelo Ifezulike

Plot summary

Udoh visits Daniel and they discuss the results of their common Entrance Examination which is yet to be released. Udoh is a bit sceptical but Daniel is optimistic. As Daniel escorts Udoh back, they run into Micheal who tells them that the common Entrance result is out and the Headmaster wants them to come for it on Monday. The result turns out to be very good and they are all happy about it but they are disappointed because they are posted to different secondary schools. Udoh, Uchenna and Daniel are posted to Metropolitan Grammar School, Obosi, Michael is posted to Ogbunike Boys’ High School while Obah is posted to St. Charles Special Science School, Onitsha.

Daniel’s father is happy about the result. He starts and completes the whole registration process in no time. Before Daniel leaves for his school which is boarding, his parents advised him to be good and remember his background. Daniel promises his parents to be good and serious with academics. In school Daniel feels lonely and terrible until he meets Udoh. On their way they are confronted by some senior students. Daniel’s replies anger the senior students but they were quickly appealed to by JSS 2 boys. They later educate Daniel and Udoh on the need to fear and respect the senior students.

Life in secondary school seems quite different from what Daniel and Udoh expected and anticipated. The senior students treat them harshly such that the zeal they had for secondary school while they were in Little Star Nursery and Primary School Obosi, disappeared. When the ill treatment becomes unbearable for the freshers and some junior students, a suggestion is raised among victims to report the whole matter to the school authority. Emmanuel Obadi, a JSS3 student volunteered to champion this course. Several attempts were made and finally, sanity returns to the school through Mr Nwokedi, the House Master for Dele Giwa House. This is after the authority discovers the claims of the junior students to be true.

This is after the authority discovers the claims of the junior students to be true. After this, junior students become safe. 

Sanity fully returns to the school as the principal takes appropriate steps to curtail the excesses of the senior students on the Junior ones. 

All the students become engaged in different club activities in the school. Daniel, Udoh and Uchenna join the social club where students entertain themselves. They pay full attention in class and ask question where necessary. Wilson Okeke finds the three serious academically and join them in studies. Their hard work pays off as Udo comes first, Daniel second while Uchenna and Wilson come fourth and sixth position respectively. 

The good news of Daniel's seriousness spread so fast such that the guidance counselor of the school invites Daniel and his friends to encourage them on the need to continue in their good work. She tells them to continue to he academically serious so they can become great people in the future. Daniel and his friends thank the guidance counselor. Daniel and his friends did not relent in their studies. They perform well in school such they they are chosen to represent the school in an interschool competition and they emerged the winner to the surprise of all. This makes the school to become more popular. Apart from this,  Daniel also takes part in essay competition where he comes out first and receives a gift of #2000. He was really appreciated by the principal for creating a good image of the school. 

Daniel is serious with his studies when Tony cones to distract him. Daniel tries to send him away but unserious Tony refuses to go. Tony tell  Daniel that his cousin, Stephanie is falling in love for him. Daniel considers it a joke and tires to send Tony away but Tony tells him that it is true. Tony hands over a love letter written by Stephanie to Daniel. Daniel reads the letter but angrily asks Tony to leave. 

Later, Daniel explains his encounter with Tony to his friends and they all take turns to advise Daniel on the need to keep away from someone line Tony who is never serious. They gave e an example of Maine Okudo who was intelligent from the start but bad company led him astray and he started performing very poorly until his SSCE result was siezed due to malpractice. He later took to drugs out of frustration and this same drug damaged his brain  and turned him into a madman. 

Meanwhile, Tony does not stop persuading Daniel. He brings different gifts from Stephanie and persuades Daniel to accept them. Eventually, Daniel accepts the gifts and decides to join Tony and his group hoping that he can manage it with education. With Tony and his group, Daniel gives excuses why he cannot study with them. One day, Daniel takes such excuses only to follow Tony to Girls Secondary School just to see Stephanie. Daniel falls in love with Stephanie immediately he sees her. They both express their love for each other. 

As time progress, Daniel continues to give excuses not to study with his friends. Then suddenly, it is time for promotion examination and Daniel realizes that he has not read well enough for it. He panics but Tony assures him of a shortcut to success outside reading. Daniel is pleased to hear this. 

After the examination, Daniel comes out fourth position and not the usual first and this was through cheating in the examination. Daniel's old friends make several attempts to advise him having seen the sudden change in his way of life but Daniel looks down on them and sends them away each time they come close to him. This really surprises his friends how Daniel has changed within such a short period of time. There was a day Daniel follows Tony and his group to a night party and on their way back some armed robbers stops them and beat them up when they are unable to get anything from them. At school, Daniel sustains serious injury when je attempts to jump the fence but this or the robber attack attack down not stop him from going out with Tony and his group. 

As time progresses, Daniel and Stephanie become more and more in love at the detriment of Daniel's academics. When it is time for yet another examination, Tony and his group bribe their ways through. Daniel has to steal his parent money to be able to do the same. However, during the actual examination, Tony is caught cheating and later expelled from school. This makes Daniel to be scared. Victor and Stanley also become scared such they they are unable to continue with the malpractices. They all decided to do a last minute study which they all use to manage to pass the examination. Daniel's performance cones like a shock to many teachers who knew him to be intelligent. They make attempts to find out reasons for his sudden poor performance but Daniel refuses to reveal any information. Daniel refuses to heed to warning and advice coming from his old friends. One day, Daniel follows Tony to a night party if a rich boy who made it South Africa. Soon,  the party becomes violent and dangerous weapons are freely used. Daniel and his friends narrowly escaped the police raiding that follows afterwards. 

As SSCE approaches, the principal addresses the students and warns them against examination malpractices. Later, the principal advises teachers on the same matter and earn them never to make any attempt to assist students in the examination hall as this will have grave consequences. Mr Jideofor and Chimwetalu who always engage in examination malpractices do not take the principal's  warning serious but promise to go ahead and make money by assisting students who are ready to pay for the service. Mr Offia, one of the accomplices joins them to submit #20,000 already given by one of their clients but warns them of the terrible dreams he had in which they were sentence to prison for examination malpractices. The two teachers shun him over such dream. As the three of them continues to discuss, Mr Obaze, Victor's father cones to pay #25,000 for Victor to be assisted in the SSCE. The teachers collect the sum without hesitation and promise to do their parts. 

On Daniels part, he manages to steal #14,000 from his parents and the balance of #6,000 is jointly supplied by Victor and his friends to show their love and support for him. 

As the examination begins, the teachers go to assist the students but Daniel is caught and taken away. The police is secretly invited to help in the monitoring of the examination. The unsuspecting teachers continue to help students in the examination hall until they are eventually spotted and arrested by the police. The teachers beg for mercy but they are handcuffed and taken to the police station. 

A staff meeting is held after the examination and the principal expresses his displeasure  of the event. The SSCE result for that year turns out to be very poor while many are canceled. Daniel’s result and his friends are cancelled. Daniel decides to register for GCE having seen all his old friends gaining admission into higher institutions but the results always turn out very bad. Having made several attempts without success, he decides to start a business. However, his low level of education affects the business and it crumbles in no time. His attempt to get a job do not pay off because of his low level of education so he decided to settle for a bus conductor. 

One day at the park, Daniel accidentally runs into Uchenna, his old friend at school. Uchenna is already a graduate and owns a car. Daniel is surprised and ashamed to see him. Uchenna ask after Daniel's friends and all tje stories about them were negative. He tells Uchenna how Victor does from armed robbery and his other groups all ended badly. Uchenna tells Daniel about Udoh and Wilson who are both doing very well. Daniel regrets his past life and begins to cry. Uchenna hands him his card so that they can see later at his office. 

Daniel visits Uchenna at his office and laments even more when he sees Uchenna's big company. He regret that he didn’t face his studies when he should but okayed with his life forgetting that one cannot eat his cake and have it. Uchenna encourages him to go back to school. Daniel feels terrible at the suggestion but Uchenna tells him the brief story of an eighty year old man who went to the University when some of his mate were already in the grave. 

THEMES

1. Bad Company Corrupts Good Manners: Daniel is presented as a serious minded person. He associates with people that are equally serious and study always. He is spoken well off by fellow students,  teachers and principal. He made the school proud when he represents the school in outside competition ob different occasions. His decision to follow Tony turns out to be the  biggest mistake of how s life because because that is the main reason of his downfall. Daniel is unable to stand his grounds and decides to go Tony's way. This detaches Daniel from his studies and from his good friends and before long, he has started acting up badly and looking for shortcut to success just like Tony and his group usually do. Tony so much influences Daniel that he starts to steal from his parents to pay for answers in examination.

2. Good Parental care versus Irresponsible Parenting: Daniel’s parents are examples of the good parents. When Daniel first gains admission into the Secondary school, they advise him to shin bad friends and gangs unlike Mr Obaze who bribes some corrupt teachers for his child to pass with flying colours at all cost. 

3. Societal Decadence: Mr Jideofor, Mr Offia and Mr Chiwetalu are engaged in examination malpractices. They are teachers that are supposed to mould future leaders but they simply do is to collect money from students during examination. These teachers bring shame to the teaching profession. Mr Nwokedi, Mr Okonkwo, Mrs Joy Like and so on are presented as responsible and principled teachers who will  not condone any undisciplined behaviour. 

4. Wrong Decision Versus Good Decision: Daniel's wrong decision to be negatively influenced by Tony has ruined his life. Uchenna, Udoh and Wilson have determined to maintain good morals and focus on their studies. Their good decisions have yielded positive fruits in life. They are all fulfilled in their various life endeavours. 

5. Importance of Being Patient: Daniel is jot patient enough to wait for the right time before going into a relationship. He allows himself to be deceived into thinking that he is in love with Stephanie when he is too young for a relationship. He forgets that his priority should he his studies and not go into an unfruitful and useless relationship in the name of love. Daniel is not patient like other friends. He is so much in hurry to enjoy life. He is enticed by the type of life style Tony and his group are living and so want to get a feel of it at the detriment of his studies. Uchenna and others are patient to wait and when the time is right, they enjoyed life in their respective occupation. 

CHARACTERIZATION 

Daniel: He is the protagonist in the story. He is from a good family and behaves as such initially. Daniel allows Tony and Stephanie into his life. Daniel follows Tony and Stephanie and forgets the reason he is into Metropolitan Grammar School. He falls in love with Stephanie while he follows Tony to Night parties. He eventually ends up a bus conductor while his old friends from the same primary school excelled. By the time he realizes his mistakes, it was too late. 

Udoh, Uchenna and Wilson: They are all Daniel’s friends at Metropolitan Grammar school. They started off together with Daniel as serious minded students. They tried their best when they notice the change if attitude in Daniel, they tried their best to advise him but he refuses to yield. Udo, Uchenna and Wilson eventually made it in life but Daniel did not. 

Tony: He is the  unserious student who lures Daniel into becoming unserious in life. Tony is lazy academically and will rather spend his time in parties. He depends solely on malpractices to pass his examination. He makes Daniel believe that there is a shortcut to pass examination other than reading hard. He is Stephanie's cousin and he introduces Daniel to Stephanie and makes him start a love relationship with her . Toby is eventually expelled from school  having caught cheating. He later died as an armed robber as reported by Daniel to Uchenna.

Stephanie: She is Tony's cousin from Girls' Secondary School. She falls in live with Daniel and sends him gifts through Tony to show her love for him. She falls in live with Daniel because he is intelligent. Stephanie is from wealthy family and does not stop disturbing Daniel until he eventually falls in her arms. 

Mr Jideofor, Mr Chimwetalu and Mr Offia: They are the three teachers who collect money from students to assist them in their examination. They are eventually arrested when they make attempts to help their clients in the  school's SSCE.