By Sunmola Olowookere

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The heart of man is desperately wicked, who indeed can tell of it?
A man is currently at the verge of death following a debilitating disease believed to have been inflicted on him by his concubine’s husband.
We had been watching their unnatural and bizarre relationship from afar and we knew that it would eventually end up in “story that touches the heart” in the long run.
Kasimawo, the currently afflicted man was one of the wealthy men in our neighbourhood. He carried himself with an air of authority which can only be brought about by money. He is a building contractor with many clients patronising him.
His fall into obscurity began when he began to covet the wife of his neighbour. The woman was beautiful, smart and charming. She was in her 40s. But dresses like someone in her twenties. Her children were grown with the youngest one already in the secondary school. The oldest daughter was through with college and might soon get married.
The husband of the woman this contractor coveted was a poor carpenter whom he often engaged in his building contracts. Hence he was able to seduce her with gifts and attention which her husband could not give her, sometimes he would send foodstuff to her through her husband.
The poor unsuspecting man and his whole family saw him as their benefactor, not knowing that he had a design on his wife.
When the rich contractor made his advances towards the wife of the carpenter, she fell like a ripe plum into his ready palms and a heady affair ensued.
It was scandalous to say the least as residents watched the affair between the duo behind the poor carpenter’s back.
When concerned neighbours could take it no more, they called the carpenter aside and told him of the hidden romance between his wife and the contractor.
He refused to believe them and told them off while warning them to stop spreading rumours that might chase away his family’s benefactor.
He became an object of pity as the lovers carried on shamelessly, not caring who was observing them. The contractor would spend long hours at the house coupled up with the wife while her husband was at work.
Sometimes, the husband will come home to meet them together inside the house, but the fireworks that their neighbours expected to erupt never came.
People began to rumour that the man had been bewitched by his wife. How could a man meet another man at home with his wife yet feel no suspicion or anger? Definitely, he must be under a spell.
We thought that the contractor already had free access to his wife and would continue to enjoy her favours with no challenge from her husband. We were soon proved wrong.
Suddenly, the attacks on the contractor began to come one after the other. The first son of the contractor’s family died from a boat mishap during his youth service. His business nosedived. After a while, he began to grow lean. He was diagnosed with a strange illness.
Now, he is almost unrecognizable as he became a ghost of himself. Residents were shocked by the unfolding events. They suspect the carpenter of afflicting the contractor with all the misfortunes that befell him but no one was bold enough to intervene. The love affair died a natural death as the attraction between them simply fizzled out. Although the woman was no longer interested in the contractor due to his state the husband continue to check on the man on his sick bed.
Residents no longer know what to believe but our suspicions are strong. The woman’s husband has a hand in the affliction upon the contractor.