Indeed, love knows no bounds; it sees nothing else but that, which it wants to see and associate with. This aptly describes the union of Bimbo and Abiodun Oluwa, a deaf and dumb couple who tied the knot some years ago.
The life of this couple can only be compared to that of the mythical Romeo and Juliet who remained inseparable even in death; they have vowed to stick together come rain come shine regardless of the intense persecution from some of their family members who feel they are not ideal for each other.
Like a wedlock solemnized by the gods, the union of Abiodun and Bimbo Oluwa can be described as very strange as coincidence of life is vitally playing on them.
Their love found a formidable front in their disability as the lovebirds are both deaf and dumb.
This love story makes true the axiom that love knows no bounds. As you watch them communicate through sign language, you cannot but feel a surge of emotions coursing through your veins.
Another strange thing to their situation is the fact that they were both not born deaf and dumb and for both of them, they had accidents at the same age of 3years old that brought about their disabilities.
For 38 year old Abiodun Oluwa, he fell from his mother and hit his head on something at the age of 3 and after then, he became deaf and dumb. All effort to resuscitate his sense of hearing and speech proved abortive.
On the other hand, Bimbo who is now 35 years old had an accident at age 3 while playing with her peers outside the house. She was rushed to the hospital where she was given an injection. She remained unconscious for two weeks and after regaining consciousness, she could no longer talk, walk or hear. ‘We had to teach her how to walk again. That was how she became deaf and dumb’ recalled her father.
Although, Abiodun was born into a polygamous and royal family from Olodi- Apapa here in Lagos but he was not opportuned to live with his father.
“When I was born, I was taken to my grandmother in Akure Ondo state where I lived till I was about eleven years old. I come to see my father and mother only on holidays except when my mother visits me at Akure. I did not have the opportunity of staying with my father that much” recalled Abiodun.
“Not too long thereafter” continued Abiodun, my father became terribly ill and was flown to London for treatment. He was away for over twenty one years, only for him to come back home and die. He died in 2004.”
Perhaps if Abiodun’s father is alive, he may have been a better person than he is now.
The union has so far been blessed with three lovely children but two surviving. Among them is a set of twins. One of the twins, however, passed on some years ago when he was about a month old. Their children Babalola now 8 years old and Taiwo Oluwa who is now for years old both attend Zion Star School in Oke- ira.
The genesis of Bimbo and Abiodun’s story dates back to 2002 when they met and fell in love. Initially, there were no objections to the affair, and the duo soon became the envy of their peers and family members.
However, he told our correspondent that their travails started as a result of Bimbo’s stubborn stance against an attempt to lure her into prostitution while in Finland by Lola, Abiodun’s elder sister. That, they claim, has further pitched them against some members of the Oluwa family.
The deaf and dumb lovebirds that can hardly defend themselves against external aggressors went through so much threats and harassments from Abiodun’s siblings.
Although the apartment in which they stay at Shogunro estate in Ogba area belongs to Abiodun’s late father now inherited by his mother but there had been serious threats in the past to eject them out of the place. However, a level of tranquility had since returned after several interventions by some people.
Abiodun claimed his late father who was a retired major bought the flat about 30 years ago from the National Orthopedics Hospital Igbobi.
He also claimed that his father owns many landed properties. But he says his mother and siblings are not giving him his share of the estate because of his condition.
Although incapacitated in some ways, however, Abiodun and his wife preferred to learn vocations to help them earn a living like every normal person instead of capitalizing on their disabilities to beg for alms.
“What I hate the most is to be begging for alms and that is why my wife and I learnt many vocations. My wife is a hairdresser while I have learnt how to repair generators, electrical repairs, fashion designing as well as shoe making” scribbled Abiodun
Among the vocation he claimed to do well are generator and electrical repairs.
In spite of all these vocations, Abiodun has not been able to secure a job in years and no assistance seems to be coming their way from any of his family members because of the severity of the relationship between his wife Bimbo and his family members.
Recurring the major course of their travails, Abiodun said the only antidote to his family’s fury is for Bimbo to walk away from his- life forever. “But can the cord of love be easily broken,” asked Abiodun. They have been surviving majorly on whatever the wife brings home from her hair dressing business and whatever he gets from generator or electrical repairs which come in sparingly.
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