Once upon a time, there lived a famous shoe seller whose shop was in the middle of a famous market in Lagos. She was popularly known as Iyabata, which meant the mother of shoes. She was such a friendly woman who was easily loved by people.
She sold extremely cheap shoes and people trooped to her store to buy her shoes. They always left with smiles on their faces, marveling at the quality of shoes that she sold at a ridiculously cheap price. Other shoe sellers in the market grumbled, unable to understand how she managed to sell at such low prices without running at a loss. But Iyabata simply laughed and continued her business as usual. Unknown to everyone, Iyabata had a secret hidden behind her warm smile and kind words. Her shoes were not just ordinary shoes. They did something to each wearer that no one could ever imagine. Let’s Find out iyabata secret from this story.
Chapter One
One day, a man named Dayo brought his pregnant wife to Iyabata’s store to buy some shoes. His wife Simi picked up a fight with him over a text message she saw on his phone from her best friend. Dayo tried to explain to her that the message meant nothing, but Simi was too enraged to listen. Her heart pounded with fury as she stared at him and began to speak. “I don’t care what excuses you have, Dayo,” she snapped. “You’ve been lying to me and now I see it clearly.” Dayo sighed, running a hand through his head. “Simi, can we not do this here? Let’s just buy the shoes and go home.”
Simi scoffed, turning her back on him. The shoes they had picked out sat on the counter forgotten. Iyabata, who was standing next to them, smiled and tried to convince Simi to buy the shoes, but Simi remained adamant, claiming that she was no longer interested in it. Seeing how uninterested the couple was about the shoe, Iyabata decided to play a trick on them to make them buy the shoe that they had picked. She picked up her phone and pretended to be on a call with some customers who seemed interested in the same shoe. “Yes, it’s available,” she spoke into the phone, revealing that a customer just changed her mind about buying the shoe. “But if you come quickly, I will keep it for you.”
She spoke into the phone again and Simi looked at her curious. She glanced back at the shoe and she studied it for a few seconds. She had already decided to let go of it, but something about Iyabata’s words made her assume that if someone else was rushing to buy the shoe, then maybe it was really valuable. So Simi decided to take the shoe for herself. Her husband, Dayo, noticing her hesitation, sighed and pulled out his wallet. “Fine, let’s just buy it and go home,” he said as he paid for the shoe that she had picked, as well as the second shoe that he believed would suit him. Iyabata smiled sweetly as she wrapped the shoe in a brown bag. “You made the right choice, my children,” she said to them as she handed the brown bag to Simi, who simply smiled and walked away.
Chapter Two
The drive home was silent and tense as Simi sat next to her husband in the car, her hands folded as she stared out of the window. Simi was fuming in anger because of the message she saw on Dayo’s phone and the last thing she wanted was to have a conversation with him. Dayo, sensing how moody she was, focused on the road, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drove.
A few minutes later, they arrived at their home and Simi was not in the mood to speak to her husband. She walked into the house, ignoring him completely as she headed straight for their bedroom. Simi dropped the bag of shoes in their wardrobe as she proceeded to grab some food in the kitchen. She spent hours cooking, whipping up something to eat when suddenly she heard a loud scream coming from upstairs.
Simi, holding her pregnant belly, rushed up the stairs in panic. She arrived at the bedroom and met her husband who was fast asleep. Simi could not understand what had just happened. She stared at Dayo, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully on their bed. Simi wondered if it was her imagination. She knew she heard the scream, but seeing Dayo asleep made her question if what she had heard was real.
She returned to the kitchen and continued preparing her meal. Moments later she was done as she set Dayo his food, expecting him to eat after the strange ordeal, but Dayo did not care for her food. He informed her that he wasn’t hungry and Simi could not believe what she was hearing. For all these years, Dayo had never refused her food before. Even when they fought, he still ensured to eat the food that she cooked. Now, seeing him reject her food broke her heart in a way that she never imagined possible. “So you’re not rejecting my food?” she asked her husband, who hissed and continued to sleep.
Simi, reeling in anger, rolled her eyes and left the bedroom. She sat in the dining room, angry, and she stared right at her food. Something about Dayo’s behavior unsettled her. He had never rejected her food before, not even after their worst argument. But tonight, it was as if he had become a different person entirely. Simi tried to shake off the discomfort that she felt, making excuses for him in her head. Maybe he’s just tired, she thought to herself, but deep inside, something did not sit right.
Chapter Three
The next morning, Simi had an appointment with her doctor. She put on her new shoe and headed straight to the hospital. When she arrived, several routine tests were carried out and the doctors could not believe what they were seeing. Her blood level had dropped drastically and the doctors were so concerned about her health. “Are you feeling weak or dizzy?” the doctor asked Simi, who shook her head, wondering why the doctor looked so concerned. She sat there tensed as the doctor ran back and forth, whispering amongst themselves as they occasionally glanced at her with concern. “Simi, this is actually serious,” the doctor finally said to her, his voice grave as he revealed that her blood level was dropping at an alarming rate. “If this continues, it could put you and the baby in danger,” he said as he informed Simi that she had to go in for an emergency surgery.
Simi could feel her world crash before her eyes. She called her husband Dayo on the phone, but he didn’t pick up her calls. Simi sat in the hospital bed, clutching her phone as all her calls went unanswered. Her heart pounded as she wondered why Dayo was ignoring her. Dayo had never ignored her calls before and Simi could not help but worry. She sat there panicking as the doctor walked into the room to talk to her. “Mrs. Simi,” he said gently, “we can’t wait any longer. If we don’t act now, we could lose both you and the baby.” Simi swallowed hard, nodding as she told the doctor that she had to go. Dr. Faye did all he could to stop her, but Simi was hell-bent on ensuring that her husband was fine. After all, she felt fine and could not go in for an unplanned surgery with her heart filled with worry.
She arrived home a few minutes later to find her husband in the arms of her best friend Tife. Simi stood there and watched as she felt a warm liquid trickle down her legs. Her baby was sleeping away in the same moment when she watched her husband wrapped in the arms of another woman. A sharp pain tore through her stomach as she began to cry in extreme pain. Dayo and her best friend Tife sprang up from the chair as they both stared at each other in shock. “Simi,” Dayo rushed forward as he grabbed her by her hand and watched as her vision became blurred. Simi fell to the ground unconscious as Dayo quickly rushed her to the hospital. A few hours later, she woke up in the hospital ward to realize that her baby was gone.
Her best friend Tife was sitting right next to her with her husband Dayo, who did not seem remorseful about all that had happened. Simi could feel her heart race in anger. She laid in bed as Dayo informed her that he was tired of their marriage. “I love your friend Tife and would like to be with her,” he said to Simi, who could not believe what her husband was saying. Simi felt as if her world had crashed on her. She stared at Dayo, searching for an iota of guilt, anything that showed that he understood the pain that he had caused her. But Dayo looked so indifferent.
His face was blank, as though she were a stranger, not the woman he had vowed to love forever. Her best friend Tife was sitting beside him, holding his hand, her expression filled with false. I’m so sorry Simi,” she whispered, but Simi could not see any atom of remorse in her eyes. She clenched the hospital sheet, her entire body trembling as she watched her husband smile, sheepishly at her best friend Tife. Her baby was gone. Her marriage was gone. The life she had once built, the love she had sacrificed for, it had all been ripped away right from under her nose.
Chapter Four
The doctor walked in in that moment to reveal to her that she needed someone to care for her. Simi turned to her husband Dayo, who informed her that he would be so busy. “You can still stay at the house, but don’t bank on me to care for you, as I am so busy,” he said to Simi, who could not believe what she was hearing.
She lay there in pain as she watched Dayo and her best friend Tife walk out of the hospital ward. As Simi lay in the hospital bed, something inside of her shattered completely. The betrayal, the pain, the loss, it all came crashing down at once. With trembling hands, she dialed a number she never thought she would. And after several rings, a familiar voice answered and asked if she was fine. “I need your help, Mother,” Simi said to her stepmother, as she burst out in tears.
Her stepmother, hearing how devastated she sounded, asked where she was, and after a few hours, she arrived at the hospital in search of Simi. For all these years, Simi kept her distance from her stepmother. She believed she was a wicked woman who never truly cared for her well-being. But in that moment, as she lay broken and helpless in the hospital bed, she had no one else to turn to. Her stepmother, Mama Ojo, arrived at the hospital shortly after receiving her call. Her eyes were full of concern as she caught sight of Simi, who burst out in tears on seeing her. “What happened, Simi?” she asked, as Simi narrated the whole story to her. The weight of her loss, the betrayal of her husband and best friend, the emptiness inside of her, it all overwhelmed her.
Her stepmother did not speak immediately. Instead, she sat down and took Simi’s hands into hers. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to break the wall Simi had built around her. Days passed, and Simi was discharged from the hospital. She arrived home with her stepmother, who cared for her and ensured that she regained her strength. Mama Ojo cooked for her, bathed her, and also comforted her in ways that Simi had never expected. For the first time in her life, Simi saw her stepmother in a different light, not as a villain, but as the only person who had truly stood by her when she had no one else.
Chapter Five
But deep inside, a fire burned within Simi. She could not shake off the feeling that her suffering had not been ordinary. It wasn’t just bad luck. It felt like something much darker was at play. She spoke to her stepmother, who advised her to pray fervently for answers. Simi decided to adhere to her stepmother’s advice, and that was how everything escalated in a way that she never imagined.
Her husband, Dayo, developed a deep hatred for her. He no longer had any form of empathy and even went as far as locking her out of their home one night when she returned from a short visit to the hospital. Simi banged on the door, calling his name, but he did not respond. She could hear laughter inside. Tife’s laughter, her former best friend, had now fully taken her place in the house that she had built with her husband, Dayo. Tears streamed down her face as she stood outside, shivering from the cold. The betrayal was like a knife, twisting deeper into her soul.
Her stepmother, Mama Ojo, found her the next morning, curled up on the front porch, her body weak. Without hesitation, she decided to take Simi back to her own home. On their way, they went through the market, as Mama Ojo had something to pick up from someone in the market. As they walked down the market, Simi noticed something unusual that she had never noticed before. Iyabata, the shoe seller, stood in her shop as people trooped in and out to buy shoes. Simi caught sight of a very terrifying demon who was attracting people to the shop. Her breath caught in her throat as she grabbed Mama Ojo’s arm. “Mama, do you see that?” she whispered, pointing towards Iyabata’s shop. But Mama Ojo could not see what she was seeing. Simi stood there terrified as she watched the demon divert people into Iyabata’s shop. She immediately remembered the day that her husband and herself went to the shop to buy some shoes.
It was after that day that everything in her life began to fall apart. Her hands trembled as the realization dawned on her in that moment. Iyabata wasn’t just a shoe seller. She was an evil woman who preyed on the destinies of unsuspecting people. And now, Simi could see what no one else could. She stared down at her feet and realized that she was still wearing the evil shoes.
Simi in that moment narrated all that had happened in Iyabata’s shop to her stepmother, Mama Ojo, could not believe what she was hearing. She took Simi to her pastor who revealed that the evil shoe was behind all the misfortunes that she faced. The evil shoe had the sole goal of ruining happy families by turning love into hatred, trust into betrayal, and joy into sorrow. It was cursed with an evil spirit designed to manipulate emotions, separate marriages, and destroy destinies.
Simi gasped as the pastor continued. This shoe is a cursed object. It was created by an evil woman whose goal was to steal the fortunes of those that wear it. Every time you wore it, it drained your blessings and transferred them to her. In that moment, Simi realized the main reason why Iyabata’s shoes were ridiculously cheap. She did not sell her shoes to make profit. All she was focused on was the destinies of those that bought the shoes, which was far more valuable than profit.
Tears welled up in Simi’s eyes as she finally understood the true extent of what had happened to her. Iyabata had stolen everything from her: Her love, Her marriage, Her baby, And now her peace of mind.
Chapter Six
The pastor revealed to her that she had to destroy the shoe to set herself free. He warned, however, that if the shoes are not properly destroyed, the curse could linger and even wreak more havoc in their lives. The pastor then handed over a bottle of anointing oil to her, which she would use to anoint her feet while praying against every evil covenant that had been placed upon her life. Simi nodded as she gripped the bottle tightly. She was not going to allow Iyabata to win, not after all that she put her through.
Simi did as the pastor instructed and burnt the shoe. A loud and piercing cry was heard as the shoes went up in flames in front of her. However, she knew that her husband Dayo was still under the spell. Simi was so sure that her husband would not listen to her if she told him all that had happened. So Simi decided to devise a brilliant plan which she believed would work. She knew that Dayo never wore the shoes to work, so Simi paid a visit to their home when Dayo had gone to work. She knew that her best friend Tife would also be out, so she decided to act quickly before they returned.
She used her spare key to gain access to the house as she scavenged the entire place for the shoe. Luckily, Simi found the shoe tucked away under their bed. She immediately wrapped it in a plastic bag and headed out of the house. Simi arrived at her stepmother’s house with the shoe. She knew she had to burn it to set her husband free.
However, as she was about burning the shoe, she heard a knock on the door and wondered who it could be. Simi hesitated for a moment as she stared at the door in terror. Her stepmother, on hearing the doorbell, walked out of the room to check who it was. She opened the door and lo and behold, Iyabata, the evil shoe seller, was standing there fuming in anger. “Where is she?” She asked angrily as Mama Ojo asked her what she was doing in her home. “I’m not here for you. I’m here for the girl.” She said with a voice that was so menacing that it sent shivers down her spine. However, Mama Ojo did not budge. She squared her shoulders and stood firm, blocking the doorway. “You have no business here, Iyabata. Leave here before I do something that you will regret.”
Iyabata let out a chilling laughter, her voice echoing through the house like a whisper from the grave. “Do something I’ll regret?” She sneered. “You’re a foolish old woman, standing in the way of something far greater than you can comprehend.” Mama Ojo,unfazed, tightened her grip on the doorframe. “I know who you are now, a thief, a devourer of destinies and happiness. You may have succeeded with others, but not my daughter, not under my watch.”
Iyabata’s face darkened, her warm demeanour vanishing entirely. Her eyes glimmered with something unnatural. The girl has taken something from me, and I have come to reclaim it. Inside, Simi clutched the cursed shoe tightly as her hands trembled. She knew she had to act fast. If Iyabata had come for her, it meant she was afraid. It meant the curse was already weakening.
Simi ran to the fire pit behind the house and grabbed a bottle of anointing oil. She doused the shoe completely in the oil, murmuring the prayers the pastor had given to her. The moment the oil touched the cursed leather, a horrific scream erupted from it. The shoe twisted unnaturally in her hands, as if something inside was fighting to escape.
Outside, Iyabata screamed for Simi to be stopped. Her voice was no longer human, as it was deep and filled with rage. Simi, however, did not stop. She flung the shoe into the fire, and the moment the flames engulfed it, the entire house shook. A dark smoke erupted from the shoe, twisting into an unnatural form. The room turned ice cold as the evil entity that had been living inside the shoe was forced out.
Outside, Iyabata let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching her chest in pain. Her body convulsed as her hands clawed at her skin, as if something was being ripped from her. Simi, her mama Ojo watched in horror as Iyabata’s body began to decay before their eyes. Her once smooth skin turned grey, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground and turned to dust. Just like that, Iyabata was gone.
Chapter Seven
The silence that followed was deafening, as Simi and her stepmother, Mama Ojo, stood there frozen. They stared at the pile of dust where Iyabata’s body had once stood. A cold wind blew past them, scattering the ashes into the air.
Dayo, however, was having dinner with Tife when the curse was broken. His eyes opened in shock as he wondered what he was doing with Tife. “Where’s my wife?” He asked Tife, who sat there confused to hear such a question from him. “What kind of a useless question is that?” She asked.
Dayo, who immediately grabbed his phone to call his wife. Tife had not been this confused in her entire life. She thought Dayo loved her deeply, not knowing that he was under a spell that was now broken.
Dayo’s hands trembled as he dialed Simi’s number. He had no idea why he had abandoned his wife, why he had betrayed her, why he had felt such an unnatural attachment to Tife. It was as though a fog had been lifted from his mind, and suddenly he could see everything clearly.
The phone rang, and Simi, still standing in her stepmother’s living room, stared at the screen of her phone in shock. Her heart pounded as she picked up the phone. Dayo’s shaky voice came through the line. “Simi, Simi,” he said, his words failing him. “I don’t know what’s happened, I swear. I don’t know how I let it happen. Please, just tell me where you are, please.”
Simi closed her eyes. She could hear the desperation in his voice, but was it enough? “You left me,” she said softly. “You left me when I needed you the most.” “I know,” he whispered, “and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you’d let me.”
Tife suddenly snatched the phone from Dayo’s hand. “Dayo, what is the meaning of this? I thought you loved me.” But Dayo did not even look at her. His eyes were filled with regret, his hands shaking as he took the phone back. “Simi, please.” His voice broke. “I need to see you.”
Simi was silent for a long time before she spoke. “You were under a spell, Dayo. The shoe seller, Iyabata, used her cursed shoes to ruin our lives. Everything that happened, your betrayal, my suffering, the loss of our child was all because of her evil skin.”
“What? Iyabata, the shoe seller?”
“Yes,” Simi’s voice was steadied but filled with pain. “I destroyed the cursed shoes, and the moment I did, the spell over you was broken.”
Dayo apologized to Simi for all that he did. He assured her that his feelings for Tife were not real. Tife, on hearing this, broke down in tears. Her face turned, The love she thought was real, the affection she believed Dayo had for her, it was all a lie, a manipulation caused by the cursed shoes. She had betrayed her best friend for nothing. She grabbed Dayo’s hands and pleaded with him not to do this to her. He loved me. We were happy together, she said, desperation dripping from her voice. Dayo slowly pulled his arm away, shaking his head.
I don’t love you, Tife. I don’t even know why I ever thought I did. He said to Tife, who broke down in tears and began to cry. Tife’s knees buckled and she collapsed into a chair and began to sob. She had lost everything: her best friend, the man she thought loved her, and most of all, her dignity.
So Tife packed up her bags and left, knowing that she was fighting a lost battle. Dayo, however, did not expect Simi to take him back immediately. He knew that he had to earn her trust again.
So for weeks, he showed up at Mama Ojo’s house, offering his help, pleading for another chance, proving to her in every possible way that he had regretted everything that had happened. Simi, despite everything, still loved him, but she was no longer the naive woman she had once been. She made Dayo work for her forgiveness, setting clear boundaries.
She needed to see that he was sincere, that he was willing to make things right, not just with words but with actions. And truly, Dayo did so. Months passed and their bond grew stronger. The wounds were still there, but they slowly began to heal. Together, they mourned their lost child and together they found comfort in each other again.
Moral Lesson’s
The lesson to be learned from this story is that not every bargain is a blessing. The allure of cheap, high-quality shoes blinded people to the hidden danger behind them. And this serves as a reminder that when something seems too good to be true, it often is.
Also, the people we least expect can oftentimes become our greatest support system. So, we should learn to give people the benefit of a doubt. Selfishness always results in regret. Tife, blinded by her selfish desires, lost everything: her best friend, her dignity, and her peace of mind.
Betrayal may seem rewarding in the short term, but it always leads to pain in the end. Another key lesson from this story is that evil thrives in ignorance. Iyabata preyed on those who did not know better, using their lack of awareness to manipulate and ruin their lives.
This teaches us to always be vigilant and spiritually discerning about the things that we bring into our homes and lives. Furthermore, the story emphasizes that forgiveness is powerful, but trust must be rebuilt. Simi chose to forgive Dayo, but she did not immediately let him back into her heart.
Instead, she set boundaries and allowed him to prove himself. This is a crucial lesson for anyone who has been hurt. It is okay to forgive, but it is also important to ensure that the person who hurts you takes accountability and genuinely works to make amends.
I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for reading this story.
