Where Money Sleeps

Timileyin Fowowe was well-known throughout the Yoruba state and beyond. His fame rested on his twelve wives, cocoa farm, and Ayobola Technical Boys College, established in 2001. Not just famous for his wealth, but also his penchant for women, he gained notoriety across Nigeria by age thirty. Dubbed "Mugunruhu" in the Hausa land and "Okeojoo" among the Igbos, his bid for the Senate presidency in 2005 lost to Chief Olowoadalu, though he later won local government chairmanship in 2006. His controversial stance against educating female children earned him infamy. Tall, slim, with groomed eyebrows and smooth black skin, he had a dimple on his left cheek and a sparse mustache. Marrying twelve wives, he fathered thirty-two children, with Adebimpe, one of his daughters, standing out as a bright prospect.

Adebimpe, a seventeen-year-old graduate of Okeonigbin Secondary School, possessed an oval-shaped face, a pointed nose, and slim, curvy lips that captivated the boys of Yoruba town. Already earning thousands coaching children under a mango tree near their luxurious white house in Owope, Adebimpe financially supported her mother, Sidi, who, with a first-class degree in business management from Polytechnic of Ibadan, once managed a clothing business until Fowowe's polygamous lifestyle led to her depression and a debilitating stroke.

Among Fowowe's sons, only Adigun, the firstborn, chose to enter the cocoa business. His resemblance to his father, with an athlete's physique and strong work ethic, drove him to explore various trades. The family's turmoil escalated when Adebimpe sought enrollment at Bluemary University in Lagos, a decision met with vehement opposition from Fowowe, who adamantly opposed educating his daughters. Despite her resilience, Adebimpe faced rejection, leading her to consider fleeing to Lagos for a better life.

Sunday morning brought discord among Fowowe's wives as Mama Juli clashed with Mama Akeem over church attendance. Fowowe, attempting to mediate, found solace at his friend Engineer Kolawole's, where lottery winnings temporarily alleviated his marital woes. Meanwhile, Adebimpe's persistent attempts to persuade her father ended in expulsion from the family home, forcing her and her mother to seek refuge with relatives.

Years later, Adebimpe graduated top of her class from Bluemary University, establishing the prestigious Timileyin Cosmopolitan Hospital. Fowowe's fortunes dwindled after disastrous investments, culminating in a debilitating stroke. Reconciled with his family, Fowowe learned the value of education, thanks to Adebimpe's success. With his family reunited and his daughter's hospital named in his honor, Fowowe embraced the importance of educating all his children, irrespective of gender, a lesson imparted by Dr. Milton, whose wisdom healed old wounds and paved the way for a harmonious future.