THE MAN IN MY HEAD!

"Good morning, please can I get a very strong rope?" I asked

The shopkeeper looked and me and smiled

Why was he smiling? I hissed inwardly and stomped my feet, waiting impatiently.

"Which one would you prefer?" He asked with a smile

I was angered by this smile of his. I'm not a comedian, neither do i look funny.

"Do I look funny? Why do you keep smiling?" I spoke out

"You don't look funny." He laughed "Does my smile make you upset?"

I ignored his words and asked him how much the rope costs

"That'll be two thousand naira" he said and smiled again

"Can you just stop smiling??" I groaned

"I'm really sorry but I can't. Not even the devil can take my smile away from me" he chuckled and shook his head

I brought out the money without counting and gave it to him. I took the rope and went away. Into the bushes.

I was in so much pain. This man wouldn't let me rest. Not the man I got these ropes from. There was another man in my head.

I got these ropes to get rid of him!

I walked as fast as I could. I needed to get this done with. I can't bear it anymore.

"Mr!!!" I heard the voice of a girl

I turned around. Is she calling me?

I looked at the girl waving and asking me to stop. I couldn't recognize her. I turned and kept going

"Please stop!" She shouted again

I stopped and turned again.

She got to me and bent down, trying to catch her breath.

I frowned looking down at her.

"Do I know you?" I asked her

She shook her head and took a deep, long breathe. "No, you certainly do not!" She said and exhaled

"So? What do you want?" I asked impatiently

She put her hand in her pocket and brought out a hundred naira.

"My dad said you paid more than the rope costs. He asked me to give this to you."

The shopkeeper again? I remembered his smile and scoffed

I looked at the girl again and saw the same smile on her face

"What is so beautiful about life that makes you smile all the time? The same annoying smile your father gave me, I can see it on your face!" I barked

"Annoying smile?" She asked

"Yes. Not everybody's life is perfect! The fact that you people live a perfect and interesting life doesn't mean you should torment everyone with your smiles" I said

"How can a smile torment?" She asked and chuckled

"It is torment for me!"

"Then smile!" She answered back

"What is there to smile about? There is nothing beautiful in this life" I retorted

"That's where you're wrong. There is JESUS! And he's beautiful. If your life is without beauty, then there is no JESUS in it. You cannot have JESUS and get tormented by anything" she folded her arms

Jesus?

I scoffed

"How old are you?" I asked her

"I'm sixteen"

"Sixteen? You don't know anything about life!"

"I don't need to know anything about life. Jesus will guide me"

"Jesus can't save me from this pain I'm in! Death can save me! Jesus can't do nothing!" I barked

"Don't shout at me. And FYI Death would only take you to a greater place of suffering without Jesus in your life" she said and walked away

I watched her go....

A greater place of suffering??

"A greater place of suffering?" I asked her

She turned to look at me "Hell."

I laughed. I can take fire.

She chuckled and walked back to me.

"Sure you can take fire. I know that. Just that hell isn't fire. HELL IS ABSENCE OF GOD."

"I've been without God all my life"

"If you've been without God you should be dead by now." She scoffed and ran off

The absence of God. That sounds worse than hell.

I walked back home after dumping the rope.