How Night Began to Sell Suya

Nobody knew where Night came from. He was just there.

Every day by 6pm, Night would wheel his suya stand to the junction at Sapele Road. He was very tall, very dark, and he never talked. His suya was the best in all Edo State - the pepper just entered your soul.

One thing was strange: Night only sold to people who were alone.

If you came with your friend, he would shake his head. "Come alone tomorrow."

People complained. "This Night get pride oh."

But those who ate his suya alone said something happened. After eating, they could hear things they couldn't hear before.

A bus driver ate Night's suya alone on a Wednesday. After that, he could hear his bus engine saying "I'm tired."

A mother ate it alone after her children slept. She could hear her house whispering, "Thank you for sweeping today."

Soon, everybody wanted to be alone just to eat Night's suya.

One boy, Chima, was scared of being alone. He always walked with his cousins, slept with his brother, ate with his sister. He had never been alone since he was born.

He wanted Night's suya badly.

One night, he gathered courage and walked to the stand alone. His hands were shaking.

Night looked at him and, for the first time, spoke.

"You don finally come?"

Chima nodded.

Night cut the suya, wrapped it, and gave it to him. "Chop here. No carry am go house."

Chima ate it there, standing alone under the streetlight.

And for the first time in 17 years, he heard himself.

Not his mother's voice in his head. Not his friend's jokes. Just him. Quiet, small, but there.

He started crying, because he realized he liked the sound.

Night packed his stand. "I go come tomorrow?"

Chima wiped his eyes and smiled. "Yes. But tomorrow I fit come with my brother?"

Night laughed - a deep sound like midnight. "Now you can come with anybody. Once you hear yourself, you never lose am again."

From that day, Night started selling to everybody, even crowds.

But Chima still comes alone every Friday. Just to check if he's still there.