THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SHADOW - PART 4

After Emeka saw say the man in suit no get face, the man was very angry and very ashamed.

For many years, he had been using dark glasses to hide am. But now, two poor pure water sellers don see his secret. He needed a face by force.

So he drove his black jeep go another town. Far from Lagos. He went to a small village where people still dey use well water and dem no know Lagos wahala.

For that village, there was a girl called Adaeze. Adaeze was very beautiful, but she hated her face.

Every day, people dey tell am: "Adaeze, you too fine. You go marry rich man." But Adaeze dey cry for night because she felt say her face na curse. Men dey disturb her, women dey jealous her, nobody dey see her heart, everybody dey see only her face.

One market day, the black jeep stopped for village square. The man in suit came down, with new dark glasses.

Man: "Adaeze, I have been watching you. You hate your face, abi?"

Adaeze: "Yes. I hate am. I wish I no get face at all."

Man: "Perfect. I will give you 200 million naira. In return, give me your face."

Adaeze did not even think. She said: "Take am!"

The man brought out his small black bag. He told Adaeze to look inside one small mirror. Adaeze looked. She saw her face inside the mirror. The man folded the mirror like cloth, put am inside bag, and gave Adaeze Ghana-must-go bag full of money.

Adaeze became rich. But when she got home, she ran to look for mirror.

She had no face. Just smooth skin like the man in suit. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. She could not see, she could not talk, she could not eat, she could not cry.

But she could hear people. And people were now saying: "Ah, that rich woman with no face, she get money but she no fit chop am. She no fit see her money."

Meanwhile, the man in suit finally got a face. He wore Adaeze face like mask and went back to Lagos, feeling like big man. He went to club, he went to party, everybody dey hail am: "Fine boy! Fine boy!"

But at midnight, the face started to cry by itself. Because Adaeze face was still remembering Adaeze pain. The face was crying for the girl wey no get face again.

The man ran back to the village. He found Adaeze sitting for ground, with no face, but she was smiling.

He shouted: "Take your face back! Your face dey cry too much! I no want am again!"

Adaeze said, without mouth, but her voice came from her heart: "You see? You thought my face was just beauty. But my face na my tears, my smile, my pain. You cannot wear another person face and expect peace."

The man threw the face on the ground. The face crawled back to Adaeze like small pikin wey lost him mama. Adaeze got her face back. She looked for mirror and saw herself crying, but this time, she smiled.

She said: "I no go hate my face again. My face na my story."

The man in suit ran away, with no face again. And from that day, people for that village dey say: If you see a man wearing dark glasses for night, no look am for face. E fit be say e dey look for your face.

Moral: Your face is not just beauty. Na your tears, your smile, your history. No give am to anybody.