This assembly, Pabonya thought, was the perfect chance to begin sowing seeds of discord, to turn the clan against Becky.
It hadn't been easy arriving at this resolve. A voice in his mind had cautioned, "Don't do this, it will hurt everyone." But another had whispered, "Her presence mocks you. Just crush he no matter what."
In the end, he silenced the voice of restraint.
He rose, filled his lungs with air, and swept his gaze across the elders finally letting it rest on Tesot.
"Allow me to humbly greet you, Chamgei!" He bagan clearing his throat.
"Chamgei missing." The elders replied.
"I hope it is well at your various households. I want to thank you all for coming after short notice. And I'm glad Tesot has also joined us. We've been waiting. There is something we need to discuss. Something important and urgent — it concerns the clan. We are a clan of fine people, principled and with reasonable values. And as the elders, we have a solemn duty to dearly guard that reputation. We cannot sit idle as a brother blindly walks toward disaster," he continued.
Tesot looked up, puzzled but held his peace. His eyes locked with his uncle's briefly.
"Tesot, our son," Pabonya intoned.
"Yes, Bamong'o," Tesot answered, his voice coarse.
"There is a crisis in your house — a crack that must be fixed," Pabonya said gravely. "And we should bend the rod while it is still hot."
"I don't understand," Tesot replied, his brow furrowed.
"It is your wife."
A distinct expression of distaste passed across his face. "My wife?" He echoed and leaned backwards as though increasing the distance brought the sight of his uncle into a sharper focus.
"Yes," Pabonya affirmed. "Cleave yourself from her."
The notion that the rendezvous had convened purposely to discuss his wife enraged him.
"I don't think you know her as well as you believe you do," Pabonya went on. "Some things have been going on that not only negatively affects your reputation, but also the reputation of this clan. I have thought it wise that you and my fellow elders should be privy to. She is defiant and stubborn."
The other elders shifted uneasily. Pabonya had not given the details of what he had up his sleeve.
"Look," he began, his voice heavy with indignation, "she is threatening everything we hold dear. She has disobeyed every norm, every custom. Through her, the practices of the outside world—the evil world—have crept into our clan. My fellow elders seated here are witnesses. Becky adorns herself with every new fashion that appears in the market, caring nothing for its appropriateness.
In short, she is tearing this clan apart. And what is worse, she has no respect. You see, son—respect is paramount. As our ancestors used to say, 'Konyit ko toror te tany ak muren.' Your wife is ripping at the very fabric of what binds us together."
"I wonder where you get these wild and improbable ideas. My wife is nothing close to what you describe. She has always been humble, respectful, and faithful. I won't abandon her — not even for you."
Pabonya stared back, his face hardening.
"Trust in our wisdom. She has deceived you. If she truly loved you, she would love your parents, she would be willing to live in harmony with all your relatives. In the first place, she would not have gone to such an extent as to sleep with another man in your own house."
Tesot shot to his feet, and Pabonya knew he had touched a live wire.
"Enough! I can see the brush you intend to paint her with. I won't listen anymore! My wife is the most precious thing in my life. I have never known you hate her. But don't accuse her of adultery. It is far too much and insane. My wife loves me. There is no way you can convince me that she has slept with another man! Here is a peace of advice, leave us alone."
The tension rippled through the room. Even Pabonya could sense he was punching on a stone with his fist. Tesot's words lingered long in his head. He knew he was happy and contented with his wife; he trusted her much enough to cast away any of the allegations labeled against her. He felt so helpless as if he had already lost the fight. He wanted to walk out of that room. Yet he persistently stayed put to the cause. Pride forbade him to give in. He had patiently waited for this moment to get even with Becky. And here it was. He had to finish something he began. He didn't come this far only to give up mid-way.
He exhaled deeply in the manner of a man trying to control a strong emotion. Then he sat down, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and with his face facing down wiped away sweat from his face.
"You speak with the naïveté of a young man," he said quietly.
Tesot's chest heaved. The other elders shifted uncomfortably.
"I have listened to both of you," Kurgat one of the elders, also a respectable member of the clan, intervened. "We need to approach this matter in a soberer manner. It is an emotive issue that needs a careful approach. We all agree that the allegations made against Becky are serious and unacceptable. And as such, we need to dig to the roots to know the truth. Pabonya," Kurgat angled his head to face his cousin. "According to your allegations, Becky has been sleeping with another man. Please shed more light on this, how has this been happening? What evidence do you have to back up your claims? Tesot here, as you have seen yourself, and possibly many others in this congregation are not convinced. You are an elder in our clan. And as our fore fathers asserted, 'magilembechonen kalwal.' "
"I did not invent these claims." He said and paused. He took the opportunity to convince his audience that he had a point. He explained that he grew concerned when a certain old lady from Tirita village whose name he withheld, hinted to him that she highly suspected Becky to be having an affair.
The lady, according to Pabonya had observed severally that there was a certain man who usually visited Becky at the evening hours and for most times, no one ever saw him leave. Presumably he spent the nights with her. She was annoyed that such a married woman, well provided for by her husband, could go out of wedlock and was compelled to act. She contacted Pabonya with hope that he would initiate a way to get to the bottom of the problem.
Pabonya revealed that though he had not seen anything yet, he was tempted to believe the old lady and armed with the little information he obtained from her, he dug deeper into the matter. "I was like there is no harm in investigating it," He said. "And from my inquiry, I established that on several occasions, the man had gone out on a date with Becky. They would go to a particular bar in Chebunyo center."
He had one last card to play. The one he knew once he threw the game will be over. "I have witnesses," he finally announced, his voice regaining force. "People who saw your wife meeting this man at a guest house. They have talked to me and shared this information. If you let me I will parade them here so you can hear from their mouths."
All were shocked. They let him bring the witnesses
One by one, Pabonya summoned them — women whose testimony he had quietly arranged and paid for. They answered Tesot's questions confidently, insisting there could be no mistake.
Tesot's certainty wavered. A cold, sick feeling settled in his stomach. Could they all be lying? Doubt began to gnaw at him, softening his earlier defiance.
As the elders discussed the testimonies, Pabonya pressed his advantage. Even those who had hesitated began to shift.
"We should summon her father," Pabonya urged.
Some, like Kurgat, counseled caution, insisting Becky must be heard first. "As the principles of natural justice dictates, 'no one should be condemned unheard'. This meeting will not be deemed to have acted fairly if we make decisions without doing her the courtesy of listening to whatever she may have to say about these."
"Sigilai is around today. I think it will not be a bad idea to bring him on board. We need him to know the atrocities that his daughter committed the soonest possible,"
"What if he has a busy schedule? Remember his presence in this area was totally for a different mission. I don't think it will be prudent to interrupt him." Mr. Kurgat argued.
"Let's call him here. Given the weight of the matters at hand, he is obligated to come. Her daughter's marriageis at stake. His failing to honor our summon would be a bad gesture. And in such a case, we will be free to make whatever decision as we may." Kibomwai countered.
Most elders, convinced by the witnesses, agreed with Pabonya to bring Sigilai immediately.
Sigilai, when summoned, sent back word that he was too busy and asked for another date. Some elders took this as further proof that Sigilai exhibited the same arrogance that was seen in his daughter.
The pressure on Tesot mounted. His earlier resolve to defend Becky was now battered by doubt and by the authority of the elders arrayed before him.
Inside, Tesot was breaking. The woman he had defended so fiercely now stood accused before all he respected. Doubt gnawed at him, guilt biting at his resolve. His thoughts tangled: Could they all be wrong? Could Becky truly betray me?
His mind replayed small moments he had dismissed: her distracted looks, unexplained absences. Each memory now felt poisoned.
As the meeting ended, Tesot rose slowly, his legs heavy. His eyes were dark with fear, anger, and confusion.
Outside, the sun felt too bright, the air too thin. He stood alone for a moment, mind swirling.
He stepped out of his mother's compound, the midday sun striking his eyes like an accusation. As he walked back to his house, footsteps fell behind him. He turned around. It was Pabonya.
"So, you resolved to separate me from my wife?" He asked.
"Don't make the worst mistake of your life by not giving her up. It is a painful decision which you have to make." Pabonya counseled falling instep beside him.
"And what will become of me, a man without a wife?"
"But of course, we shall find a way to make it up for the shortcoming," Pabonya was quick to reveal a remedy he had in mind for the unintended consequences. "This is worth it. Sometimes in life we are forced to make such sacrifices. As an army man, I expect you to have a ruthless edge. Isn't that how you were trained, to be tough and firm? Now you need to be tougher than you've ever been before. I need you to step up and act swiftly and definitively."
His mouth felt dry. He swallowed hard, but the tightness in his throat only grew. Every step toward home felt heavier, as if the earth itself resisted him.
In that moment, Tesot saw clearly: if Becky's innocence cracked, his whole world might crumble with it.