It was nearly time for the graduation ceremony to begin. The graduands had taken their seats, and the master of ceremonies had just grabbed the microphone when Becky felt a hand tap her shoulder.
She turned around and met the earnest face of her thirteen-year-old brother-in-law. He leaned close, lowering his voice.
"I was sent to call you. Tesot says he wants to see you now."
Her curiosity sparked. "Where is he?"
"At your house."
What could be so urgent? she wondered. He should be here already…
Without thinking further, she rose and hurried back home.
Within minutes, she arrived. She paused at the threshold, peering inside. Tesot sat rigidly on the couch in the living room. His face, normally so warm, now wore a bleak, closed expression that chilled her heart.
"Honey!" she called softly, forcing cheer into her voice, as if she hadn't noticed the change. "Is it something you couldn't find?"
Tesot didn't look up.
"Where is my son?" he asked, his tone clipped, unfriendly — so unlike the man she had kissed goodbye only a few hours ago.
"Why do you ask? He's with Chepto," she answered, feeling the first tremor of fear.
"Good," he said, voice oddly calm. "You are leaving. And you're not taking him with you."
"I'm what?" Becky's eyes widened, shock flooding through her.
"You're going home," he repeated, his tone like a hammer. "Now. And don't take anything. Not even your clothes. And Kiplimo stays."
"Who said am going anywhere?" she stammered, her voice trembling. "You've only been here a few days. We've barely seen each other."
For the first time since she entered, Tesot's eyes rose to meet hers — eyes dark with something she couldn't quite name. Anger? Hurt? Disgust?
"I don't need any slut's company," he spat.
Becky recoiled as if slapped, her heart stuttering at the venom in his words.
"What did you just call me?" she gasped. "You're crossing the line with these jokes."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"What? You must be out of your mind," she whispered, voice breaking.
"From this moment, you cease to be my wife."
"Jesus! I don't believe what I'm hearing…" Becky's voice cracked, confusion and dread warring inside her.
"I hope I've made myself clear."
"What is going on?" she pleaded, panic rising.
"Our marriage won't work."
"That's not true, honey! All is well with us," she insisted, stepping closer, trying to catch his gaze.
"Nothing is well. I didn't know you had it in you," Tesot's voice dripped with bitterness. "At least now I know better."
"Had what in me?" she whispered, bewildered.
"Stop pretending. It's all out now. Everyone knows. Why would you do that? Wasn't I enough for you?"
"You haven't said anything. What have I done to offend you like this?"
"You know it. You cheated on me!" his voice shaked with rage.
"Oh my God — me?" she echoed, almost laughing from sheer disbelief. "Cheated on you? Never!"
Genuine concern flashed across her face, fear welling in her chest.
"Look here honey! It will only be fair if you give me a brief explanation. What is going on here? Am I missing something? I really don't understand how your love for me would so suddenly evaporate. Where is this coming from? Is that the reward I get for loving and submitting to you, my husband? We were perfectly well with each other. They manipulated you. How did they manage to create such a revolution in your heart? And you listened to them honey? You believed all that drivel? You trusted them without even hearing my side of the story ? What did they tell you? That you now command me to leave? Take my hand. Don't leave me. Please honey! Please! You don't want to do this. I love you." She continued to appeal.
Tesot came to his feet and closed the distance between him and his wife. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "Don't honey me! And spare me any declaration of love. Was I still your honey when you welcomed him into our lives? You have been lying to me. You don't love me. Do you?"
"Yes I do. You know that!"
"Yet you did it. Let him lie on our matrimonial bed. You pulled up your dress and spread out your thighs to him. Don't let me imagined the disgrace you brought upon me. Did you even take your time to think through what you were doing? I never imagined that given a chance you would betray me like this. I didn't know you had it in you. At least I know better now. You really did a good job embarrassing me. I had so much faith in you. Perhaps, it is time I turn my attention to the other side of the coin."
Becky's heart pounded as realization struck with absolute certainty: Pabonya. She saw the invisible web he had spun. He had done it; poisoned them all. He had stealthily unleashed his well-matured plan to perplex and subtly deceive not only her husband but also the elders of the clan into aiding him win the war.
"Isn't this right ly insane? What makes you think I am capable of doing anything like that? I knew something was coming my way. It appears your uncle found a few believers to have faith in his 'gospel'. It is not the way he puts it. He is lying to you. It is dirty tricks he is trying to play. And I can see you've agreed with him. You are now ready to take the poison." She said.
"What poison?" Tesot inquired.
"so you've already forgotten? The nightmare you had last night?"
"Oh no, no. Don't try turning this around. Don't downplay it."
"I am not down playing anything. You were being warned."
"Let me put it this way. You slept with a man in our room in our matrimonial bed. Now tell me how your love for me was not a pool of lies. That, just to say the least, was disgusting and embarrassing. Now get out of my sight before I do something I will regret."
"Come on. Don't be an idiot."
"Insult me all you want. But I don't want to see your face here again. Just leave me alone before I lose my mind."
She thought of the man who had once sat in her parents' home, asking for her hand on Tesot's behalf — never guessing it would be him to break their home years later. A pang of betrayal stabbed her chest.
"Didn't we vow to never abandon each other? Didn't we promise to love and honor until death?" she pleaded, tears slipping free. "Don't throw this away, honey. Please."
Tesot rose to his feet, closing the space between them. His eyes, once so kind, now glinted with cold fury.
"So you've let Pabonya twist your mind," she retorted, voice shaking. "And now you're helping him destroy what we built."
"There's proof," he insisted.
"What proof?" she demanded, voice rising.
"People saw you."
She scoffed bitterly.
"Who? Name them!"
He fell silent.
"This is insane," she whispered. "But I'm not surprised. His lies work well when they find ears eager to listen."
"Go!"
"Please! Don't blow up our lives over this."
"You already did. Leave. And don't come back."
She gazed up at him a long moment. "Fine! I'll go," she said bitterly. "But tell me: what's his name?"
"What name?"
"The name of my partner in crime."
"That doesn't matter. If you cheated you cheated."
A short, incredulous laugh escaped her. "Without a name all the nonsense they told you are a result of imagination."
"You know his name. Tell me. It will be good to know."
She stared at him. His hands trembled like those of an alcoholic on the morning after a heavy drinking.
"You should have defended me. You should have stood by me. Instead, you let others decide my fate."
"Get out!" Tesot shouted, voice cracking with fury.
"One day you'll see the cost of this choice."
She stepped outside, heart pounding, eyes brimming. She paused by the door, casting a last look at the home she had built, the life she had dreamed of.
Tears spilled, warm and unstoppable, tracing paths down her cheeks.
She walked to the shade of the tree in the compound and sat heavily, her chest heaving with silent sobs.
Behind her, Tesot stood in the doorway, rigid as stone, his own face shadowed by doubt and pain — yet he did not come to her.
He just watched her, torn between anger and the love he could not quite kill.