"Ọgbọ́n Ọlọ́gbọ́n" by Kẹ́hìndé Adépégba

Àpínkẹ́, a spinster in Ìrírídọgbọ́n village, goes to Ìyá Ìrètí (a hairdresser) to make her hair. She also seeks advice on who to marry between single Fìtílà and married Adéṣeun. Ìyá Ìrètí tells her her own experience with polygamy.

Adétutù is warned by her father, Orísunwọ̀n, against marrying Àkànbí (from Àgbábú Village) because the oracle says he is likely to take a second wife. Her mother (Olúfúnkẹ́), impressed by Àkànbí's wealth, tells her to get pregnant for him to force Orísunwọ̀n to consent to the marriage. She obeys her mother and becomes Àkànbí's first wife. She bears 3 children (Adéṣẹwà , Adépéjú and Adéolú) before he marries Ọmọ́ṣọlá. One day , while their husband is away, Ọmọ́ṣọlá fights Adétutù and accuses her of being behind her 5-year childlessness. After chasing Adétutù into her room, she later admits (in a soliloquy) : (a) being naturally childless ; (b) being behind the deaths of Adéṣẹwà and Adépéjú; (c) her readiness to kill 6-year-old  Adéolú too, in order to make Adétutù ("the favourite wife") childless like her. Adétutù overhears her, quickly packs her belongings and flees with her only remaining child. On her way to her parents' house at Ìrírídọgbọ́n, night falls and she spreads a mat to sleep with her son by the roadside. When she wakes up the next day, Adéolú is nowhere to be found! When she gets to her parents'   house and tells them, they send Tàlàbí (her younger brother) to summon Àkànbí. Tàlàbí comes back to report Àkànbí's death in his sleep.

Adétutù remains single because: (a) no bachelor will want to marry a mother of 3 ; (b)she doesn't want to marry a married man and face the problems of polygamy again. Her hope of finding Adéolú makes the people around her nickname her "Ìyá Ìrètí" (= Hope's mother).

14 years later, Agbọmọlà (who inscribed Adéolú's traditional facial marks in childhood at Àgbábú village) sees him working on a farm in Onírèké village. After noticing the marks and asking for his name, Agbọmọlà asks to see his parents. His adoptive parents, Akínbámi and Ìbídùn, admit seeing him wandering about as a 6-year-old and remembering nothing else except his name, Adéolú. They follow Agbọmọlà to hand him over to his mother at her village. Adéolú takes good care of his mother and doesn't even want her to work for money but she doesn't want to be idle.

Even though nobody is contesting Àkànbí's property with her, Ọmọ́ṣọlá decides to eliminate  Adéolú. While reciting the incantations over a pot of charms, the charms boomerang on her and she runs mad. She confesses her atrocities (including killing  Àkànbí) before she is stoned to death by a crowd.

Àpínkẹ́ now decides against a polygamous marriage. Let's hope  the bachelor she marries won't marry a second wife after her. After all,  Adétutù too married a bachelor.

"Ìsújú ọ̀sanyìn" by Olú Owólabí

THE CAST

* Adéjọbí and his wife Àdùkẹ́ (Kúnlé's parents)
* Fẹ̀hìntọlá and Adébísí (Àdùkẹ́'s friends)
* Sẹ̀gilọlá : Adéjọbí's girlfriend.
* Sùnnbọ̀  : Sẹ̀gilọlá's housegirl.
* Ifádìran and Bángbádé : spiritualists.
* Kàsálí, Àdìgún and Babátúnde : Adéjọbí's friends.
* Àníkẹ́ and Jọláadé: Sẹ̀gilọlá's friends.
* Èjìrẹ́ : a businessman at the bank.
* Dòkunmú: Prosecution counsel.
* Àdìó: Defence counsel.

THE PLOT OF THE PLAY

Adéjọbí complains about his poor financial status despite being educated and working for the government for over 28 years. His wife, Àdùkẹ́, urges him to take things easy and not rush into trouble. His girlfriend, Sẹ̀gilọlá, tells him to find "ìsújú  ọ̀sanyìn" (a charm that will make them invisible while committing robbery). Only twins will be able to see and expose them.

Ifádìran is too principled to give Adéjọbí the charm so he gets it from Bangbade. Sẹ̀gilọlá's spiritualist "polishes" the charm . Adéjọbí finds 3 men (Kàsálí, Àdìgún and Babátúnde), who insist on their all swearing a blood oath to punish betrayers. Adéjọbí and Sẹ̀gilọlá try the charm at a supermarket and it works for them. When Àdùkẹ́ cautions Adéjọbí against keeping late nights, he beats her up. Sẹ̀gilọlá's friends, who are also married women, blame Àdùkẹ́ for being nosy and beg Adéjọbí to forgive her. She then decides to mind her own business.

On the D-day, Adéjọbí wears the charm on his head and goes into the bank's vault naked. The other men stand armed at the bank's entrance while he hands over the money to Sẹ̀gilọlá outside the bank. Suddenly, Èjìrẹ́(a twin) sees Adéjọbí and raises an alarm. The others now see Adéjọbí and get him arrested. The 3 armed men are also arrested after Kàsálí has shot dead the policeman at the entrance. Sẹ̀gilọlá runs home with the whole loot.

While in police custody, Kàsálí mentions Sẹ̀gilọlá's name and address. Sẹ̀gilọlá initially denies her involvement but later bribes the policemen when confronted with indisputable evidence [ (a)the bank notes found in her purse bearing the numbers on the notes stolen from the bank ; (b)Sùnnbọ̀'s testimony about Adéjọbí being Sẹ̀gilọlá's regular visitor and her going out with the 4 detained men on the date of the robbery before returning alone]. The police make Sẹ̀gilọlá the prosecution witness against the 4 men and teach her what to say in court. The men (with Adéjọbí being the only one married) are executed publicly.

Sẹ̀gilọlá does not go scotfree. She sees the four men trying to kill her in her sleep and even when awake. She is forced to confess her involvement in the robbery before her friends and Ifádìran (whose efforts to save her fail). She then faints and dies. 

Don't seek money through crooked means.