THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SHADOW - PART 3

After Obi got him name back small small, Emeka and Obi became close again. Dem dey hawk pure water together for traffic every day, dey laugh, dey suffer together, but dem get peace.

One night, rain was falling for Lagos. No car for road. Emeka and Obi were under bridge, dey wait for rain to stop.

Then dem hear am. _Vrooom._

The same big black jeep. The same man in suit. Dark glasses for night, even though rain dey fall.

This time, the man did not look at Obi. He looked straight at Emeka and smiled like person wey don miss him friend.

Man: "Emeka, my old customer. I see say you don suffer again. Pure water again? Under bridge again?"

Emeka: "Oga, I no want your money again. Abeg, leave me."

Man: "No, no, no. This time I no come for small thing like shadow or name. I come for something bigger. I want your TOMORROW."

Obi shouted: "Emeka, no! No gree!"

Emeka: "My tomorrow? Wetin be that?"

Man: "Simple. I go give you 1 BILLION naira. You go live today like king. Eat, drink, enjoy, buy everything. But you will never see tomorrow. You will sleep tonight, and you will never wake up to see tomorrow. All your tomorrows belong to me."

Emeka kept quiet.

For one minute, everywhere was silent. Only rain dey fall.

Emeka was thinking: 1 billion. He fit give him mama house. He fit give Obi money. He fit give all the pure water sellers for Lagos money. One day of enjoyment for one life of suffering? E go worth am?

Then Emeka looked at Obi. Obi was crying. Obi held his hand tight.

Emeka looked at the rain. He remembered how sweet e be to wake up in the morning and see sun. He remembered how his mama dey pray for am every morning. He remembered how he and Obi dey laugh for traffic even when dem no sell anything.

Emeka smiled and said: "Oga, you don fail this time."

Man: "Why?"

Emeka: "When I sold my shadow, I learned say my peace get value. When Obi sold his name, we learned say our identity get value. Now you want my tomorrow? My tomorrow na the only thing wey poor man still get. Rich man fit buy yesterday, but nobody fit buy tomorrow. Tomorrow na hope. And hope you no fit buy with 1 billion."

The man in suit was angry for the first time. His dark glasses fell down. And for the first time, Emeka and Obi saw his face.

He had no face. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. Just empty black skin.

He screamed and entered his jeep and drove away. And as he drove away, the jeep disappeared inside the rain, like e never existed.

That night, Emeka and Obi slept under the bridge. The next morning, dem woke up. Sun came out. Dem saw their shadows. People called them by their names. And dem had tomorrow.

Emeka looked at Obi and said: "Obi, you see? The devil no dey fear prayer pass. E dey fear person wey know wetin him get."

Moral: A poor man with tomorrow is richer than a rich man with no tomorrow. Never sell your hope.