The women were on their way home after visiting the new-born. Some of them had to pass near Pabonya’s home. They were still debating what fate awaited Becky.
At that hour, Pabonya was wondering about his garden. He saw the approaching women and overheard their conversation. Stopping in his tracks he listened more keenly, his interest intensifying as he perceived the subject of their discussion. He hastily concealed himself behind the napier-grass.“Do you think she will get away with it?” one of the women asked.“This thing is very serious,” answered another one among them. “Wait and see how this would cost her so dearly. She is at risk of losing her marriage.”Pabonya felt some joy wash over his self. His plan seemed to be rolling into place. He had managed to get people talking and propagating the narrative. He had been determined to bring Becky down but had not anticipated things to start working so fast.Had these news reached Rebecca's ears? He wondered what she made of it and felt the urge to hear from her. Now that he was gaining the ground, he needed to swiftly shift into action and build his argument aimed at convincing her that Becky was indeed bad.He had to see her. It was getting late and would soon be dark. But even that would not deter him. If he could have Rebecca in his side, he could have everyone else. And Becky would soon be leaving the clan.He strolled very fast coming to the river and crossing over to Tirita. The darkness had now set in and he could not see clearly. But even with a blindfold tied around his face, he would still be able to trace his way to Rebecca’s hut.A burning piece of fire wood glowed in her hut and he was glad he had made it in time before his sister-in-law retired to bed. He paced even faster.“Iyo!” he announced his arrival.Startled, Rebecca did not respond immediately. This was no hour to expect guest.“Pomuru,” he called again.“Yoo!” she had now recognized whose voice that was.“Are you there?”“Come on in, I am here.”He stepped in.“You scared me,” Rebecca confessed confirming that it was indeed his brother-in-law.“Oh! Did I? I am sorry.”“It is okay, welcome and have a seat.”He sat down. “I wouldn’t stay for long.”“Why so much hurry? I am cooking some food. And I intend to make it enough for both of us.”“Thanks for that, but still you will excuse me for today. I have come again. We need to talk.”Rebecca settled more comfortably near the fire place, “I am all ears,” she said.“And you will forgive me for bringing this up again, but I think it is important. I believe you have heard the horrific whispers going around about Becky,” He had lowered his voice a bit.Rebecca sighed, “Yeah, I heard them.”“What do you make of them?”“I wouldn’t deny that they are very disturbing and worrying.”“I felt the same too,” His tone was almost rejoicing.“But I have put a lot of thought and resolved to restrain myself from rushing to believe in them. Apparently, it is all hear-say. No one has come out with any proof to cast away any doubts that may be. And for that reason, I still treat these rumors with contempt and abhorrence.”Pabonya did not like how Rebecca was reading into the matter. When he just thought he had found a way, he realized he was still lost. But he had not come all the way from Kures to give up so easily.“They are true,” he insisted.“You don’t know that to certainty.”“I do.”Rebecca gazed at him dismayed. “How?”“Intelligence! Nothing goes on in this village that I cannot know about.”“I don’t get it.”“My spies are always circling. For a long time, I have suspected this. And interested in the truth, I set eyes everywhere to monitor her movement. And the information I have gathered thus far is enough to ascertain my suspicion.”So it was nothing he had seen with his own eyes. It was still hearsay. Who knows? May be the ‘eyes’ he had set supplied the wrong information; fed him with what he wanted to hear.“How much do you trust your spies?” she questioned.“Come on Pomuru! Don’t discredit my findings. They are my most trusted men and women.”“I still doubt.”“A time is coming when everything would be in black and white.”“Becky is a good girl. She loves my son and my son loves her with an equal measure. And I don’t like these things being peddled around which are not only out of character to Becky but also pose a great threat to her marriage. Marriage is sacred and any issues to do with it must be handled with utmost caution. People should learn to zip their mouths when things are not yet in black and white.”Pabonya was having a rough time. Why were these women fighting so hard for one another? “This really needs some sorting out. A special meeting should be convened to inquire into this matter. Allow me to bring our elders on board. Let them give their views. I am afraid the consequences of not clearing this mess now would be devastating.”Rebecca did not like his suggestion. It would bring a lot of unnecessary noise. Those who had no clue about this would get to know. And more people would soon be shouting, singing and broadcasting the rumors. And the story would get exaggerated with every step it made from one person to another and the whole thing would get bigger and bigger.But she realized Pabonya was not going to relent. And on a second thought, perhaps among the elders, two or three subscribed to her school of thought. And would view things the same way she viewed them. Such elders would possibly influence the rest of them to cast doubt on these allegation and end up clearing Becky against them.“It is okay. Call them.” She let Pabonya have his way.Pabonya had won. He struggled to suppress a smile from his face. But inwardly, he was in a celebratory mood.“Prepare to host them tomorrow,” he said.Rebecca did not fail to feel that the urgency with which he was driving this was astonishing. “Okay.” She agreed.“I must get going now,” He was now in a hurry to leave. “Have a good night,”“You too.”After Pabonya left, Rebecca was so much troubled. She felt like she had to warn Becky to be so wary of Pabonya. She peeped through the door and saw darkness. It was not easy to know what larked in the dark.Becky seemed unable see beyond the state of urgency with which Pabonya was handling her issues. She probably did not sense how his behavior spelled darkness. She definitely needed Rebecca’s guiding hand to protect her from the troubles she was about to face.She walked to her main house and into the bedroom. She took out a drench coat and put it on. The weather outside was very cool and she needed to keep herself warm. She also took a torch from under the Pillow on her bed and walked out of the house.In five minutes she entered Becky’s compound. The houses were closed, an indication that Becky had already retired to bed. But she could see the light shining through the joints of the wooden door and could hear music emanating from a radio. Rebecca drew to the door and knocked gently calling out Becky’s name. She noticed the radio volume lowering and heard the footsteps from inside approaching the door. When the door opened, he stood face to face with Becky.“Mum!” Becky was surprised to find her mother-in-law standing at the threshold at that hour of the night.“May I..” She said gesturing towards inside the room.“Of course, please come in,” Becky said stepping aside to let her pass.Rebecca walked past her and sat on the nearest couch as Becky shut the door.“Sorry to bother you at this hour,” she said when Becky joined her on the sofa."It is Okay.""There is something I need to talk to you about.”“What is it! You are scaring me.”“Pabonya!”Becky sighed a bit experiencing a good amount of relief that it was nothing serious. Thus far she did not take Pabonya’s threats seriously. “What happened again?”“What is it between the two of you?” She questioned.“Nothing,” Becky said flatly.“Tell me dear. Did you quarrel with him?”Becky went ahead to give her the detailed account of all her experiences with the father-in-law.“Listen my daughter, be careful with him. He is up to no good. Stop arguing with him. If you keep doing that, you would be treading on a dangerous path.”“He is always looking out for me mum. He came here early in the morning yesterday and started talking to me so roughly. I don’t know what he wants.”“He wants to destroy you. He hates you child. I could see the deep seated hatred for you in him. I have this feeling that this may not end well.” There was a hint of sadness in her imploring voice.But Becky’s heart filled with joy as she perceived the extent of Rebecca’s concern for her.Rebecca thought of asking Becky about the rumor going round but declined to move in that direction. That would mean she had stopped trusting her. There was no truth in the rumor anyway.Becky’s youngest brother had undergone initiation rite in Tirita with the sons of his maternal uncle. In two days they would be graduating from childhood to adulthood. Becky was expecting to host a few visitors. Her whole family would attend the graduation ceremony. She was sure their first stop would be at her house. So she had a lot of cleanings to do. She left her house going to the village canteen to buy soap.When she came back, she heard the girl – the maid she had been staying with – talking to someone. She listened carefully. It was a familiar voice. Her husband was home. She walked faster, her soul rejoicing. She could not wait to meet him.As she entered the compound, there he was holding their son. She felt like running up to him. But she exercised a lot of restraint and just kept walking.Tesot, sensing footsteps approach turned around. His eyes widened and a smile came upon his face. He handed his son back to the maid and moved towards his wife. He stretched out hi
The clan elders gathered in Rebecca’s hut. They had heeded Pabonya’s call. Caring for the clan, none of them would ignore an invitation to deliberate on any problem affecting it. Pabonya had made it known to them that Tesot was around and had convinced them to accommodate his participation in their meeting. Tesot was taking long appearing. And they did not wish to begin in his absence. Pabonya alternately glanced at his wrist watch and at the entrance door hoping he would not keep them waiting for too long. Soon, footsteps were heard from outside and every eye gazed at the door. He came in and went around the room shaking hands with each one of them. When he finally sat, an immense silence reigned. Any keen observer would not have failed to feel the tension in that room. They looked at one another as if unsure what the next move would be. Pabonya irritably tapped a gentle rhythm on the table with his fingernails. Did they fear Tesot? Were they afraid of offending him? Tesot w
The clan elders gathered in Rebecca’s hut. They had heeded Pabonya’s call. Caring for the clan, none of them would ignore an invitation to deliberate on any problem affecting it. Pabonya had made it known to them that Tesot was around and had convinced them to accommodate his participation in their meeting. Tesot was taking long appearing. And they did not wish to begin in his absence. Pabonya alternately glanced at his wrist watch and at the entrance door hoping he would not keep them waiting for too long. Soon, footsteps were heard from outside and every eye gazed at the door. He came in and went around the room shaking hands with each one of them. When he finally sat, an immense silence reigned. Any keen observer would not have failed to feel the tension in that room. They looked at one another as if unsure what the next move would be. Pabonya irritably tapped a gentle rhythm on the table with his fingernails. Did they fear Tesot? Were they afraid of offending him? Tesot w
Becky saw his young brother-in-law come running towards her. “I was sent to call you," He said when he got to her. He was breathing heavily. "Tesot said he wants to see you now.” Her curiosity was instantly sparked. But she saw no need for alarm. They were in good terms with her husband. He had freely permitted her to attend this ceremony and she had been constantly anticipating his joining her.She followed the brother-in-law.Her husband was seated in a couch in the living room when she arrived at her house and stood at the threshold. His gloomy face sent a wave of fear up Becky. Definitely he had something weighty in his mind.“Honey!" she said nervously stepping in, "Is it something you couldn’t find?” "First, tell me where my son is.""Why? I left him with the girl, our house help." “Good!" He said softly and quietly. The position of his face had not shifted towards her even when she was so close to him. "You are leaving.”“What do you mean am leaving?”“I want you
Her tear gland must have dried out. No more tears came for she had been crying for long. She had blown her nose over and over that it was beginning to get sore. She was torturing herself searching for answers she would never find. How would she move on from here? Her life would be totally screwed up without him. She would be wretched. He was the only reason she breathe. In Tesot, she had found the greatest satisfaction of her life. She had found a man of her dreams, perfect in every sense, meeting every bit of component of an ideal husband of her childhood fantasies. She had found love much more fulfilling than anything. She lamented her inaction. There had been signs to forewarn her of a dark and threatening day like this. Pabonya had warned her. Yet she had been stupid enough to be blinded in the knowledge of being loved and accepted; to naively and quickly write off his threat. How she now wished she had shared her ailments with Tesot early. She could have made it known to him
Pabonya did not want to be late. It was his day. He had known from the very beginning that he was capable of handling a woman nearly three times younger than himself. The witnesses he had procured had nailed it. He had called in the evening of the day their testimony was heard to commend them for executing their roles so perfectly. Two weeks had passed since Becky was sent away. Her father had agreed to sit down with the elders of Kapsoket clan and hear the case. And Pabonya would need those women to to make Sigilai see things in the same perspective as most people have been made to. Many of the clan members had learned of Becky’s predicament. Aware that this would be the final adjudication of the case, they had turned out in their numbers to follow the case.Pabonya arrived at Rebecca’s compound where the trial would take place. He observed with great satisfaction that everything was in place. Chairs had been arranged in a semi-circular pattern under a large tree its branches s
Rebecca was the only woman in the panel. Tabutany had been around. But Pabonya had made sure that she kept herself busy cooking for the guest. He had sent clear instruction to her not to make any attempt of showing her face in the meeting. Rebecca was invited to give an opinion and suggest recommendations. All a long she had sat and listened without a word."I want to thank you all for your concern,” she began. “You, no doubt had more important duties to attend but you chose to be here. And I know it is because of the love for the family, left under my hands by my late husband and for the love you have for my first-born son, Tesot. It is evident that you are doing this with a lot of goodwill and intention. On my own behalf and on behalf of my family I say Thank you very much.” With that she paused a moment."About Becky," she continued her eyelashes lowering as she considered what she was about to say. “I don't know what to say.” She could not hold back her tears. She never had
Becky sat under the shed of a tree outside the kitchen house of her parent's home. In her right hand was a knife and in her left was a half-peeled potato. Several months had passed since the separation. Stressful and unpleasant months. Deep within her resided an intense longing. A mother’s longing for her only begotten son. His brother Jephta, who was home for the August holiday, was watching from the sitting room of the other house while he took his 10 o’clock tea. He observed that nearly three minutes had passed since Becky stopped peeling the potato in her hand. She just sat motionless her gaze fixed at some point in the space in front of her. He was certain that this gloomy mood stemmed from the bitterness she was experiencing thinking about the loss separation had brought upon her. He wished he could help her get over it but had not figured out how. He set the nearly empty cup on the table and stepped out of the house. Footsteps interrupted Becky’s maudlin thoughts and she sna