BEAUTY
- One shade of colour lost in Translation
By Mazuba Mwiinga
We all hear stories,
don’t we? Stories of sadness so are stories of laughter. But hasn’t stories of
sweat and endurance been said to be the most intriguing of all? No prizes for
guessing where I am dragging you to.
We
have heard stories of love and hate too. Haven’t we? The very highly typical
and stimulating stories ever told.
One
of the kinds is told of a couple that wedded in a day, and woke up as divorcees
- Reason? The Bride woke up with her typically natural face, apparently so
strange to the Groom. During their courtship extravaganza, the Bride-to-be
always wore one shade of colour that ended up being the reason for the Groom to
fall one knee down with grace, asking for her to be led to the altar. But
behold! No sooner had the dregs of the aftermath of the dictates of the altar
were presented, after peeling off the roasted potato, than the Bride’s facial cat
was let out of the make-up bag.
Like
MKV’s line ‘Nicicani ici’ in the song “Chikondi Chamumadizi”, the Groom flew
off the bed with shock, knelt before the matrimonial court and got marriage
dissolution. What an end!! - A shade of facial colour could not stand the test
of conjugal sweat that soaked the bed-sheets over-night.
Colour
- a figment of the skin? Some would say. Reading between the lines of history
however, hasn’t colour spoken more than the appearance of the owner?
Like
a symbol of identity, colour has seduced Kings into bed with slaves, exploited
natives to realms of invaders in their own land; colour has demoralised the
intelligent into inferiority complexities; most of all, colour has reduced the
confidence and pride in those who are already beautiful; those with souls that
cry to appear in another colour because theirs makes them feel ugly and
unwanted.
Haven’t
we seen them? With brushes, primer, eyebrow pencil, contour and powder, they
dye their looks to appear lighter than their pigment; because to appear in
their own, is regarded obnoxious and repellent. Appearing in their replica-self
signifies beauty and splendour.
Born
with their own make-up – intelligence; they have enrolled in the school of miss-translation;
defining beauty as lying in their make-up bag; in lipstick tube, mascara wand
and blush brush. Lost in their translation, they forgot their originality that makes
them more gorgeous.
Where
have they taken their passions? Is it not a sign of dullness for one to live
without passion? Isn’t it true that one, who enjoys all that life has to offer,
is the one everyone admires? Because passion is contagious; when one watches
someone pursuing their dreams is just about the most beautiful experience anyone
can ever have?
Don’t
these make-up bag beauty-oriented fellas know that compassion beautifies souls?
That a cold-hearted person may love themselves, but who loves them back? That
if they can’t feel for others, who will feel for them?
Have
the blush face-brushers disremembered that a person who doesn’t take time to
cultivate their mind is like a writer who never reads books? That the pursuit
of knowledge and truth is not only attractive, but essential to our being? That
knowledge is empowerment and empowerment is sexy?
Where
have they taken their fun-loving spirit? That stint of sharing the same space with
a positive Peggie? Don’t they know that it’s such a hard time to share same
space with a Negative Nancy? Because no one loves a mope!
Doesn’t
beauty lie in resilience? Realising that nothing is more beautiful than a
person who refuses to give up? Don’t they know that the world loves fighters?
Believing that life can never defeat them unless they allow themselves to be
defeated?
The
lipstick beauties miss it. Don’t they? Redefining beauty in mascara; where did
they hide confidence? That proud feelings of how they look, speak, think, or
act? Don’t they know that a person who doesn’t need other people’s reassurance
to help them feel this pride in them is infinitely more appealing than those
who incessantly seek others’ approval?
Beauty
they have forgotten lies in their energy; knowing that a person with an
unmatchable vitality for life is admired. Doors of new schools are open;
learning that when one follows their passion, shows compassion, pursues their
intellect, keeps a sense of adventure, refuses to give up and believes to be
worthy, their energy becomes the spark that lights up everyone and everything
around them.
Isn’t
that a deeper shade of colour and true translation of beauty?
