Unholy Love
TWoyoung people, Labake and Ogidan were very fond of each other. Indeed, they were lovers. In the African tradition, particularly the Yoruba culture, such a relationship is wrong and abominable, because they were stepsister and stepbrother, respectively.
The two lovers were unmindful of what neighbours might say, as they were deep in their amorous affair. They were ready to even dare the gods in this ungodly relationship. Cupid’s arrow had struck their hearts; they didn’t mind the fact that tongues had started wagging in the neighbourhood regarding their relationship.
Labake was in her early 20s, while Ogidan was in his mid 20s. Ogidan’s dad, Mr. Okikiola, got married to Labake’s mother after his former wife left him unceremoniously. Okikiola already had six children from his former wife.
The Okikiolas lived in a one- room apartment in Agege on the outskirts of Lagos. Labake was a factory worker, while Ogidan was a technician. Truly, Labake was beautiful, with a charming and enchanting frame. And she was loose, so loose it seemed the word was created because of her promiscuous lifestyle.
Ogidan led a rugged, raw, bawdy and contemptuous way of life. He was a hemp smoker and drug addict. Woe betide anybody that falls for his ruse and gives him a job. He had an unrepentant habit of duping his customers of their hard- earned money. In fact, he was all things bad.
Okikiola was aware of the existing love relationship between his son and his stepdaughter, but he pretended as if nothing bad was happening, ditto for Labake’s mother, who turned deaf ears to rumours of the love affair.
Labake dated other men despite her love relationship with Ogidan, and this always made him ( Ogidan) angry and he always complained of such blatant betrayal of love. It was a crazy, frenzied and infatuated kind of love with dangerous and gloomy cloud looming. Ogidan, most times monitored Labake when he became suspicious that she was dating other men. A Yoruba proverb says Apani ki fe ki won mu ida ko ja ni ori ohun, meaning a killer is always wary and careful when he sees someone holding a sword. This aptly describes Ogidan’s nature and suspicion.
Okikiola was a chronic drunkard who had been befuddled and besotted with drinks for the past 30 years. This was one of the reasons his former wife left him and eloped with another man. Sincerely, not everybody can cope with the stench and extreme alcoholic reactions of a drunkard. It was a plain and open fact that all the young men, and even older men in the neighbourhood, had tasted Labake’s forbidden apple to further confirm her legendary status in the world of prostitution.
One particular Friday evening, Labake came back from her place of work and a bizarre drama ensued. Ogidan was fuming with uncontrolled, electrifying “And where are you coming from around this time?” he asked, with a scowl, spoiling for a fight. “From my place of work, of course, or where else could I be coming from?” she snapped with boldness.