Biodun Stephen's

THE GREEN EYED MONSTER!

I was about 6 years old when Mama Olaolu moved into our house. we were the landlords and she our tenant. mama olaolu was a sweet and warm woman, whose husband didn’t live with her because she was the concubine who became a wife. she had triplets, three boys all of them handsome to stupor. i think mama olaolu had some foreign blood in her because her boys were exceptionally good looking as she herself was a beautiful women. One of those women who didn’t really know how beautiful she actually is. Blessed with everything on a woman’s body and in exact proportions. i had spent years, staring at her from our flat and when her boys and i became friends( i was a few years older), i spent every available time in their house, just to see mama olaolu. i was fascinated by her and she could do no wrong in my eyes and amazingly in the eyes of a lot of people, including my father.

mama olaolu and my mum along the line became more than neighbours, they became friends. she and mum did everything together; went for all the parties and formed club and things. she saw mummy as a celebrity and especially when thing got bad between her and daddy olaolu, mummy was her rock.
Eventually, daddy olaolu declared he was done, by then the triplets were just about to enter UNI so mama olaolu had free time. i was already in UNIversity, almost to the end of my program.

it was one of those vacations, i had come home and noticed things were stiff between the women- my mum and mama olaolu. mummy never said what happened, but she took the war to heart, she couldn’t stand the sight of the woman, she launched this campaign against her and told people horrible things about her. mama olaolu was then seeing this new man, who had refurbished her flat and paid 2 years in advance in rent. mummy tried endlessly to get daddy to eject mama olaolu, but you see everyone loved mama olaolu including my dad. i guess that further infuriated mum.
i went back to school and was called that mummy was in the police station, she had vandalised mama olaolu’s new car just because she parked in her space.
i saw my mum, that day that the station and i saw that glint of envy. i discarded it, i just thought whatever mama olaolu did she should move on.
Then one day, mama olaolu screamed out in the middle of the night, we rushed to her flat, her body was suddenly covered in sores, smelly ones.
everyone rallied to help her, they began moving her from church, to mosque to babalawo , all sorts. daddy olaolu came back, he joined forced with the new man in her life and both men took her from place to place.
all these while, i was serving in Enugu, so i couldn’t really follow the story.
biodun, na when i come house after, the breeze blow and the foul yansh open.

it had been a year since mama olaolu’s mysterious sickness, she had moved out of the house, sold all her things in a bid to get back to good health. the house was quiet, a new tenant had even just moved in.
then this afternoon, dad, mum and i were discussing job opportunities, when we heard a knock. the door opens and in comes mama olaolu healed and fresh. i hugged her happily. she came in and greeted us
mother turns around and she suddenly froze, let our a loud scream and fainted. in the midst of the chaos, I noticed mama olaolu smiling, unmoved , starring at us as we struggled to revive her.
eventually mother came to, mama olaolu sat , starring at her with a steely gaze.
all she said was, i think what can save you now is if you confess. we all starred at mum, in confusion and expectantly, she opened her mouth and the words poured out…

She spoke about how she was driven by envy, how all her friends wanted to befriend mama olaolu, how they will spray her money at parties, more than herself who invited her; she talked about her beauty and how she began to irritate her, and how she wanted to her husband to send her packing just so she doesn’t see her again, and how she went with another friend and told horrible lies about mama olaolu been after her husband and how she was the one who poured something on mama olaolu’s drum of water and how she was told never to see mama olaolu until the charm took effect.
she talked for almost 2 hours, details of which i can’t even remember, but the koko was that she was responsible for mama olaolu’s sickness.

we all starred in shock at this woman i called mummy vomit all these. it was like me watching or acting in a yoruba blockbuster with a title like : OWU or OTE… i don’t which fits.

as she spoke, i no dey lie you, right in our very before, i saw her the sores grow on her feet, she began to plead with mama olaolu, who just sat smiling victoriously. mama olaolu dangled a little red bottle before us and called it ERO- meaning the antidote.
i remember her saying, for the sake of your husband and your son, i will give you the antidote of your evil portion. she threw at us, you wan try as we fly catch am, my father and i jamming our head.
mama olaolu walked out and we never saw again, till this day. mummy got better after 9 horrendous days. she and dad never really recovered. she moved to another of dad’s place, i stayed with dad.
it been years, we talk occasionally. its not a matter of forgiveness, because i think she’s learned her lesson.
the secret stayed within us. mama olaolu never told anybody in the area.
recently mum came to see me and we were both in the car when you shared the story about the guy/lady whose life was ruined because of polygamy.
mum, actually encouraged that i share it.
i called you and the rest is history. thanks for listening. hopefully you will share this story soon.