THE WICKED STEP MOTHER
Once upon a time, there lived a rich man whose name was Bade. He had two wives who were always at each other’s throats. The younger wife was named Bisola while the elder was called Usong and they both had two children each, a male and female. Usong was very accommodating, sincere and friendly with everyone who came her way but Bisola was not only selfish but jealous of Usong whom she tried by all means to displace in the polygamous family of seven. She felt she had the grace and support of their husband to do whatever she wanted. In fact, she dictated what Bade should do and what he should not, what he should give Usong and what he must not give. He was at her beck and call. People in the vicinity came to believe that Bisola must have charmed their husband.
Bisola sought all possible means to exterminate Usong and her children but on each occasion, the latter escaped unhurt, most herbalists in the town knew Bisola because she had consulted them on one occasion or another with a devilish mission.
The last straw which broke the camel’s back was when Bisola went to a neighbouring village and collected a very potent food poison to kill Usong and her children so that her husband and the home would be hers alone. “Just a little portion is enough to do the deed,” the herbalist had told her. “But make sure there is no grain of the powder left on y our palm”, he concluded. “Thank you Papa”, she retorted. “Have this money and I will report back to you in two days time”, Bisola said as she left the herbalist’s hut.
The next day, the children had all gone to school when Bisola executed her deadly plan. She prepared two different pots of porridge. The first stuff was spiced with several condiments while the second was a dry whitish dish with no ingredients. Having served the different meals, she put some of the poisonous powder in the delicious dish meant for Usong’s children so that they could eat it and die instantly. The white porridge, she reserved for her own children whom she knew always arrived home late.
Unfortunately, Bisola’s plan did not work out. On her children’s arrival from the school, they were enticed by the aroma of the poisoned porridge which was not kept for them. Minutes after they took the meal, they were enticed by the aroma of the poisoned porridge which was not kept for them. Minutes after they took the meal, they started vomiting and stooping until they died without any help from anybody. When Usong’s children came back from school, they took the white porridge which was free of any poison. Having been satisfied, they went to the field to play football. Bisola wept bitterly when she found out that her trap had caught her children.
She confessed her evil deeds. Angry sympathizers beat her mercilessly, tore her clothes and even attempted to lynch the wicked step-mother. Many on-lookers and passersby concluded that she reaped what she sowed.
Written By Taiwo Samuel Oluwasegun
Edited By Usman Blessing and Damilola Kayode
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