*EPISODE 8*
((CHANGE OF RULES))
Abeni drove to Oye’s pharmacy, where she asked for a quick chat with Oye in her car. Since Oye had seen Abeni once at Bayo’s house and Bayo had once told her that Abeni was his sister, she didn’t think twice before agreeing to get in Abeni’s car.
In the car, Abeni began:
“I’m sure you already know who I am.” She said.
“Yes. You are Bayo’s sister, as he told me,” Oye said, smiling at Abeni, whose face was frowned.
“Good,” Abeni said. “So, has Bayo ever told you anything about what he does for a living?” Abeni asked.
“Well, he once told me he works in a pharmaceutical company where they deal with manufacturing, exporting, and importing drugs. And that he is a distributor of those drugs.” Oye said innocently.
“Well, that’s not far from the truth. But have you ever asked what kind of drugs he distributes?” Abeni said.
“Why? Is there something I need to know?” Oye asked with curiosity and confusion written all over her face.
“I thought as a nurse you were smart about things related to your job. But I think I was wrong after all. You’re just as dumb as Bayo,” Abeni said placing her palm on her forehead.
“Excuse me? Why the insult? What are you trying to tell me?” Oye asked, totally confused.
“Hey, relax, okay?. It hasn’t gotten to the point where you’re expected to raise your voice” Abeni said.
Hearing this, Oye sighed deeply and calmed down.
“Do you love Bayo?” Abeni suddenly asked out of the blue.
Hearing this, Oye shot a quick look at Abeni with a lot of curiosity on her face.
“What’s wrong?.” Abeni asked shrugging. “Don’t you love my brother?” She asked.
“Alright, I do. But what’s the problem? Why all these unnecessary questions, if I may ask?” Oye questioned.
“It’s because I want you to stay away from Bayo. That is if you love yourself and your poor grandmother.” Abeni finally spoke up.
“Pardon? Are you for real?” Oye asked, staring at her in disbelief.
“Yeah Oye. If you value your life and that of your grandmother, then I advise you just avoid Bayo.” Abeni said.
“Are you being serious right now? I thought Bayo was supposed to be your brother. So why are you saying all these against him?.” Oye asked totally confused.
“That’s because this is the only way to protect him from dying at the hands of my father,” Abeni said.
“What are you even saying?.” Oye asked, almost going insane.
“Bayo isn’t who you think he is. The truth is that Bayo is a drug dealer who supplies and distributes illegal drugs. And he works for my father chief Afolabi the drug lord.” Abeni revealed.
When Oye heard this, she was shocked beyond words. And her jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Bayo specializes in seducing and cheating the daughters of rich men out of their father’s fortune. Oye, you can’t imagine the dirty things he does for a living. And more importantly, your meeting with him was not fated. He was actually sent to check if you recognized his face from the night he accidentally shot an undercover policeman at the course of delivery in this area. But then, he found out that you had night blindness. And so he felt sorry for you. And that was how he developed pity for you. And I’m sorry to let you know, that everything he has been doing for you and your grandmother, was all out of pity. Apparently, if you had recognized his face, then he wouldn’t have thought twice about blowing your brains up long before now” Abeni revealed.
Abeni’s words made Oye think back to the first day she met Bayo in the hospital. She could clearly remember how he kept asking if she recognized him. And as he had said, he was there to satisfy his curiosity. And immediately Oye’s heart tore apart. She felt betrayed and heartbroken. Her heart was so heavy with pain that she didn’t realize when tears started running down her cheeks.
“As a matter of fact, my father has begun to question his closeness to your family. And I’m sure you know what it means when a drug lord takes action against you and your loved ones. So I will advise you to stay away from Bayo. If possible, cut all ties with him. Because this is the only way you can save yourself and your grandmother from being killed unnecessarily.” Abeni said.
When Oye got out of her car, Abeni felt bad.
“I’m sorry Oye. I had to do this because I love Bayo. And I wouldn’t want him to get into trouble from being around you.” She said in her heart.
Oye went to bed that night, soaking her pillow in tears. She was completely heartbroken by everything she heard from Abeni. Meanwhile, Bayo was also going through his share of the pain at his home. While he kept thinking about ways to protect Oye and his feelings for her.
Early the next morning, Bayo, who was unable to visit Oye the previous night because of the drama that had happened between him and his boss, decided to stop by her store in the morning to check on her before leaving for work. But unfortunately, he met another version of Oye.
“Good morning.” He greeted with a beaming smile.
But shockingly, Oye’s response came with a slap on his face.
“Oye?” Bayo called out in disbelief as he placed his palm on his cheek. “What was the slap for?” he asked totally confused.
“Get away from me, you are nothing but a murderer, thief, extortionist, and a liar… get out of my sight!” Oye yelled at him.
“What? What are you talking about?.” Bayo asked trying to hold her hands.
But she angrily slapped his hands away and pushed him away.
“Oye, what’s going on?. What did I do wrong?.” Bayo asked completely confused.
“You actually thought I was an easy catch right?. You came into our lives pretending to be a good man. But in reality, you were nothing but a fraud. You know, I was skeptical and suspicious of how you singlehandedly fought off Baba Tunde’s men. It was weird how you managed to do that all by yourself. But now I know better. But what I still can’t believe, is the fact that you were a murderer sent to kill me. You actually came into my life to confirm if I saw your face at the crime scene. As if that was not enough, you hid the fact that you were a drug lord. And dared to get close to me and my poor grandma. You knew we were just surviving, but you wanted to put us in greater danger by staying close to us. Bayo, you lied to me. You fooled us into believing that you were good when you are not. So Bayo please I beg you in the name of whatever God you worship. Please leave our lives and never come back.” Oye cried out in tears and anger.
Bayo was at a loss for words. He felt guilty and weak. He couldn’t find the right thing to say to Oye. He just stood there like a thief caught in the act.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?. So it’s true Bayo? So it’s true that you’re a drug dealer, a murderer, and an extortionist?” Oye asked staring at him in disbelief.
“Oye please…” Bayo tried to calm her anger. But Oye pushed him.
“Don’t you dare touch me. All I want is a yes or no answer. Bayo, is it true that the very first day we met at the hospital, you came to confirm if I recognized your face as the perpetrator who shot a police officer in this area?” she asked tearfully.
“Oye please…” Bayo tried to defend himself. But oye angrily interrupted him with a serious tone.
“Answer me Bayo. Is it yes or no?” She screamed like a crazy woman.
“Yes,” Bayo reluctantly replied, with his head bowed in shame and tears in his eyes.
Hearing his answer, Oye took a few steps back shaking her head in disbelief. “So it’s true?” she asked him in disbelief.
“But Oye, I can explain everything to you. if you listen to me Please.” Bayo pleaded amidst tears.
“Bayo,” Oye called out in a weak and sad tone. “Is it true that you would have shot me if I had recognized your face that night?” she asked.
“Oye…” Bayo called out pleadingly.
“Answer me Bayo. It’s just a yes or no question,” Oye said heartbrokenly.
“Yes…” Bayo answered reluctantly and tears rolled down his eyes.
Oye scoffed in disbelief and asked. “Did you come into our lives because you feel sorry for us?”
“Oye, that’s not the whole truth. It was in the beginning. But not anymore.” Bayo said defensively.
“Now I understand. It was all just an act of self-pity. Bayo, just do me the favor of getting out of our lives forever. Cause, right now I hate you with everything inside me. And if you ever come near me or my grandmother, I’ll have no hesitation in reporting you to the police. So you can spend the rest of your life in prison with your fellow killers.” Oye said, glaring at him.
When Bayo left, Oye who was acting very strongly, burst into tears. She hated herself for developing feelings for a horrible guy like Bayo.
Bayo, on the other hand, couldn’t contain the pain his heart felt at that moment. He felt like the worst sinner in the whole world. He was so ashamed. But most of all, he felt heartbroken. He drove at full speed to his place of work, where he burst into Abeni’s office, scattering everything on her office desk.
“Bayo, what’s this supposed to mean?” Abeni shouted.
“Why?. Just tell me why did you tell her all those terrible things about me?. Abeni, why did you do something like this to me?” Bayo yelled at her.
“I did it for you, Bayo. That was the only way I could protect you from harm. I did it because I love you.” Abeni said, raising her voice at Bayo, who slammed his clenched fist on her table, scaring her.
“Are you happy now? Are you happy to have finally ruined everything me and Oye share?” Bayo exclaimed.
“There was nothing to ruin Bayo. You both lived in lies. I did nothing wrong to deserve this from you. Besides, what does she have anyway? What’s so special about her?” Abeni said with tears in her eyes.
Bayo leaned forward and stared deep into her eyes, then he said:
“Did I forget to tell you how much she means to me? You asked what’s so special about her?. In case you don’t know, Oye is more than special to me. She is my peace and happiness. I can’t trade her for anything. So stop trying to get between us because I’m not willing to give her up for anything.” Bayo yelled in her face.
Abeni couldn’t believe Bayo could do what he just did. Shocked and confused, she stood still as he stormed out of her office.
As soon as he left, she slowly leaned back in her seat and tried to process what had just happened.
A few moments later, she received a call that Bayo was involved in a car accident.
“What?.” Abeni cried out in disbelief.
