“Indeed… And yet, it doesn’t seem he’ll take it anytime soon.” Adigun mocked her
“That’s not your business!” Labake snapped.
“Anyway, it’s your choice to live in self-denial all you want!” Adigun said, returning the charm to his skin bag. “I have no time trying to convince a conceited woman who can’t even see past her nose.”
“So you won’t help me, Adigun.” Labake asked, trying to hide her anxiety.
“Nothing goes for nothing, Labake.” Adigun shrugged a shoulder. “All you have to do is help me to help you. It’s as simple as that.”
“But what you are asking of me is impossible!” Labake bemoaned. “Don’t you have a heart? Let me pay instead. I could even convince Kabiyesi to give you a large land as compensation.”
“It’s not impossible, Labake, and I definitely don’t want a land. My family has enough land as inheritance already and giving me any will be insignificant.”Adigun countered.
“Why are you this adamant and selfish, Adigun? Don’t you know that my family’s name will be shamed if my husband comes to find out that I’ve been defiled by another man? Do you know that it can cause us to be exiled?! We will be a laughing stock all our lives and it will be because of me!”
“Please don’t try to emotionally blackmail me with such an excuse. A lot of maidens meet with their lovers in secluded places and yet they have not been banned. You are just too paranoid. You need to loosen up a bit, Labake. The past truth is that the king might not even touch you for months to come, which means that you would have tightened up once again. Besides, all I’m asking is just for you to let me in there this once. Just once and I’ll never speak of it again!”
“Adigun, a deflowered woman can never regain her virginity. Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. The king will surely find out that I’ve lain with another man!”
“Which would you prefer, Labake? To lose your crown or to lose your virginity? Which?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Labake asked with a start now.
“It means that if you don’t do anything about what your husband, the king is doing in there…” He pointed at the garden. “…anytime soon, you’ll surely lose your place as Queen and there’s no doubt about that.”
“Ha! Adigun, why not end this thing by giving me that charm?!” She pleaded now. “I don’t want to be a laughing stock to the entire Lagbedu. Just be kind enough and give me the charm, please.”
“The ball is in your court, Labake. What I ask of you is not too much. I think I’m even lenient enough. Just let me lick your honey just once and nobody has to know about it. I give you my word that I shall go with the secret to my grave. Even if you are still skeptical about my request, I could give you a charm that will make you tighten up and appear as if you have never been touched before.” Adigun assured her. “When the king finally lays wirh you, you’ll even bleed.”
“Adigun, I can’t do it.” Labake said, shaking her head with a frown, turning her face away with her arms folded under her chest. “I just can’t do it.”
“Well, I won’t force you.” Adigun replied. “It is obvious that you are ready to lose your place as Queen instead of unravelling this mystery. I won’t linger any longer to mince words with you because the king will soon emerge from the garden. When you have had a rethink, you know what to do, My Queen.” Having said this, he turned and walked away.
Labake watched him go in despair. She turned towards the garden again and deciding that she didn’t want to get caught by her husband, she quietly made her way back to the royal huts in the dark.
By the time her husband returned to the house, he was shocked to find her sitting on the bed, looking upset. “Omolabake, why are you awake?” He asked in concern.
“And where are you just coming from, Kabiyesi.” Labake fired.
“I went out for a walk. Is anything the matter?” The king asked.
“Why must you go out for this so-called walk of yours on specific days of the week, why?!” She demanded. “Are you now communing with the spirits or what? Or are you a wizard who goes about drinking the blood of unfortunate villagers?”
“Ahan! Why the accusations?! And when did it become a crime for the king to take a walk at night in his own palace?! Labake, you should do well to remember that not only am I your husband, I’m also king and you should give me my due respect!”
“Then prove to me that you are my husband!” Labake stood up to confront him now. “Prove it to me and stop shying away from your responsibilities! This is almost the sixth week now and still, nothing! Or are you impotent?! If you are impotent, then be man enough to tell me that you are dead between the legs! Tell me and stop wasting my time!”
In anger, the king suddenly lifted his hand and struck her on the cheek. “What insolence!” He spat.
Stunned, a hand on her cheek, Labake stared at her husband in disbelief. “Olowo orimi, you slapped me?” She asked in a tears-choked voice.
“Yes and I’ll do it again if you don’t tame that tongue of yours! How dare you say such to me?! Do you know the gods could strike you dead this minute for vomiting such atrocity?! How dare you say that I’m dead between the legs!”
Labake suddenly grabbed the king’s wrapper on the waist and pushed her head into his chest. “Kabiyesi, you’ll kill me today o! You must kill me today!” She shook him hard and shook her head against his chin, spoiling for a fight.
“Labake! What is this? Have you lost your mind?! Have you no respect for me anymore, woman?! What has come over you!” The king barked, trying to pry her fingers from his wrapper. “Do you want to join the dead tonight?! Let go of my wrapper now or you’ll regret your actions, woman!”
“Kabiyesi, kill me already! Kill me because I’m fighting for my right! Kill me!” Labake wailed, refusing to let him go. “It’s either you get on that bed now and do what is supposed to be done or you kill me now!”
Angrily, the king shoved her away and as Labake fell to the floor, the king’s wrapper came loose in her hands and there it was again- the semi-flaccid dick leaking semen residue. Labake stared at the king’s member in shock and suddenly barked as she got on her knees. “WHO HAVE YOU BEEN SLEEPING WITH, KABIYESI???”
The king snatched his wrapper from her and quickly wrapped it around his lower body. “Don’t ask me foolish questions, woman!” He evasively answered.
“Oh don’t give me that!” Labake jumped to her feet, blocking his path. “Do you think that I’m foolish?! You sneak out at night to meet your lover and yet you starve me of your body?! Kabiyesi, if you do not tell me who this woman is that you have been sleeping with, I swear, I’ll tell the whole village!” She threatened.
“Go ahead!” The king said, undaunted. “Do go ahead and tell the whole village, but when you are done running your mouth, make sure you go to your father’s house from there because this marriage is over!” He said firmly.
Labake gasped in shock. “So Kabiyesi, you’ll send me packing to my father’s house instead of ending your affair?! You’ll rather annul our marriage instead of making love to your own wife?!”
“Nothing in this world can stop me from what I am doing, Labake, and not even you! If you don’t like it, be gone from the palace!” The king stated. “After all, no one is forcing you to stay put!”
“Then why did you marry me, Kabiyesi?! Did you marry me to save face?! Do you want to disgrace me and my family?! If this lover of yours was so important to you, why didn’t you marry her instead? After all, you are the king! Why do you have to make your Affair discreet if you are so proud of it?!”
“You know nothing, you foolish woman! If I was to choose between you and her, I’ll choose her a thousand times, now, get out of my way and let me sleep! The next time you try this nonsense with me, Labake, I shall have you confined indoors for one month! You should be happy that I chose to marry you amongst the hundreds of maidens in the village. If you are not careful, someone else might just take your place!” The king warned, pushed her aside and angrilly got into bed leaving his wife dumbfounded.
Ha! So Adigun was right. Labake thought, ruefully biting down on her finger. So the king was planning to replace her after all. No, that can’t happen! Never! She won’t just fold her arms, do nothing and watch this happen! Labake didn’t care anymore. Since the king had made it clear that he wasn’t sexually interested in her, what was the use of keeping her virginity any longer then? It was best if she gave it to Adigun to save herself from being thrown out of the palace. Losing her virginity to a man who was willing to help her save her marriage was a lesser risk than losing the crown and being an object of mockery to the entire village. Labake made up her mind that come dawn, she would do the needful and she would do everything possible to maintain her place as Queen, even if it meant going fetish. After dealing with whoever was sleeping with her husband, she would feed her husband with a love charm so that he was only attracted to her and would do all her bidding. Yes! That is what she would do! There was no chance for delay anymore! Five weeks was enough to make any young wife lose her patience! She had been nothing but a faithful and patient wife but the king felt no remorse for sleeping with another woman! Labake concluded that sge would solve this mystery once and for all before next week and get it done with. She promised herself.
To be continued…
© Angela Okoduwa
