Sunday, January 06, 2019

"Oju ri" by Kola Oni

Ògúngbèmí has 8 children and is poor. He loses his arm in a paper machine accident at work. His rich friend Iná-ń-jó wants to introduce him to money rituals. Agbọ́tikúyọ̀, the herbalist, asks him to come for the rituals within 15 days or he will die.

Bakare is Ògúngbèmí's friend. (Ògún-àjọbọ, another of Ògúngbèmí's friends,etc is caught in robbery and killed by a mob). Bakare's vehicle has killed an old woman, Ìyá Àlàkẹ́, who crossed the road without looking. He has had to flee.

Ògúngbèmí's first son, Ogunlabi, impregnates Bose (a fellow student) and they bear Kọ́nkọ́ọ̀dù. The couple live by fraud.

Ògúngbèmí lures Bakare to Agbọ́tikúyọ̀ with the promise that they will both become rich. However, only one of them will be rich while the other will run mad. When Ògúngbèmí gets home, he laughs wildly and runs out naked. Ogunlabi poisons his mad father to remove the family stigma but he survives.

Kọ́nkọ́ọ̀dù gains admission to OAU, Ife to study Law. He is named Dele by his fellow students. He is unable to get a job after graduation.

Bakare and Ruth take Ògúngbèmí to Baba Fadipe, who cures him. But Bakare's wealth will then dwindle.

Ogunlabi ends up in court for robbery but Kọ́nkọ́ọ̀dù defends him well in court. Kọ́nkọ́ọ̀dù becomes a famous lawyer, gets rich and marries Kemi. However, Ogunlabi is sent to the gallows and Bose runs away. Bakare loses all his money in the Ìyá Àlàkẹ́ murder case. However, Ògúngbèmí accepts Bakare and his family into the house given him by his grandson, Kọ́nkọ́ọ̀dù.

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