Toye Imisiola was a young man in his early 20’s. He was the only child of his parents, and they loved him with unwavering passion. He was the apple of their eyes. They never wanted anything bad or untoward to happen to him. But, the young man was far gone in the habit of smoking all sorts of dangerous weeds, drugs and different types of marijuana.

Toye developed this terrible addiction by mixing and going out with myriads of strange friends, both boys and girls. This very issue was a big concern to his parents, particularly his mother. They were all suspicious of his moves, and always advised him on a daily basis but he wouldn’t listen. They wanted the best for him, good education and bright future for the young handsome man. All these entreaties and admonitions fell on deaf ears. Our people always say that”Aja ti o ba maa sonu ki gbo fere olode,” meaning, ‘A dog destined to get lost would never hear the whistle of the hunter.’

It got to a stage and crescendo that he started talking to himself all alone. His mum watched him one particular day, walked up to him and said: “Toye, did you know that when you start talking to yourself, the next person you talk with is the psychiatrist?”

“That isn’t correct and possible, yeye mi,” he replied with glee and aplomb, ”I can’t land in front of a psychiatrist or mental home, I am just smoking all this stuff for fun, nothing bad can happen to me yeye mi!”

His mum was worried and speechless and she left the tall, cool and handsome dude to himself.

Precisely two months later, Toye started developing some strange habits. He would twist his hair like that of a rastaman and do braid-like twists on his hair. He would also wear torn and ragged jean trousers and nasty tops like chain-smoking rastamen. His mother was worried and accosted him again.

“Toye, what sort of weird and strange dressing is this my son? Why are you doing all these to yourself for God’s sake? Don’t you see how mad men on the streets look, do you want to copy them?” she asked, almost tearful.

“Can’t you all see how my friends dress and twist their hair?” he gently replied instantly, “It’s the fashion in town now and it’s cool and lovely.”

As much as Toye’s parents persisted in warning and admonishing him, he didn’t listen to them at all. He was really incorrigible and hell-bent to continue his peculiar and wayward lifestyle, to the chagrin and frustration of his ever-caring and dotting parents. Toye had chains of girlfriends in town. He had a clever knack of hooking up young ladies in his love bait. They came in different sizes and shapes. Sexy-looking, adorable and charming daughters of Eve, who came to him in droves, swooning and begging for love.

It was a blissful and beautiful Saturday, in the month of March, with no inkling of evil premonition. That very morning, Toye had taken all sorts of drugs and smoked myriads of dangerous weeds and cannabis and he was really high. One of his beautiful girlfriends, Kemi alias ‘lepa Shandy’ was with him smooching and caressing him all over.

Suddenly, like an hungry lion, Toye sprang up to his feet and gave her a quick succession of heavy slaps like lightning and thunder. The young beautiful lady was shocked and dazed. She was overwhelmed and flabbergasted. She fell down instantly, clutching her swollen face and when she recovered her composure she took to her heels, running like a wild dog, out of the room.

Instantly, rumour had spread like wildfire that Toye had gone berserk and mad. All his girlfriends had heard the rumour and none of them came to the young man’s house again. They had all absconded. Toye was rushed to a mental home for psychiatric treatment within a twinkling of an eye. What would happen to this young dude? It became a mystery that only the Omnipotent God could solve.