Excerpts

Betrayed For Love

Chapter three

II

He was dropped like a dirtied white under pant in jail. He shouted and abused to let them return his child but who was there to listen to his dialect? He was a sheep in the wild. He spent most of the night awake till by the time the cock crowed, he slept as if it said sleep.

A day was in its light while he was still busy snoring. A call for him, to tea with strokes was then there for him to respond to. Jail was opened, a cane awoke him.

“Out Girit,” ordered the police.

Thon crawled out and lay helplessly like a child who is a victim of Malnutrition. He had spent the night without supper and there he was to resist rains of canes. Then, the second cane landed on his buttocks letting out a cry which cut through the air to land in the ears of the senior officer.

"One, one, one, one, one.......,” and there was an interruption.

“Stop please,” called the senior officer.

Only an apron, he could see like that he gave to Thon which indeed was.

“Bring him to me now,” he ordered.

He dashed into his office and sat comfortably waiting for the prisoner to be taken. Thon was somewhat relieved by orders from someone he did not know. On their arrival they hit their feet down harder and saluted.

“Here he is sir.”

He was frightened on seeing Thon carrying tears like a malnourished child.

“Thon,” he called.

He could not believe his ears. His hair was shaggy, bare feet and tears wetted his apron. He raised his head only to see his very uncle he was looking for. It was painful ladies and gentlemen.

“How did you get into that stinky jail?” asked the officer.

His head shook gently.

“So it’s you uncle who let me be beaten this much?" he asked in return.

The officer denied dead, he was not there. Indeed, he was away while he was taken and thrown into that stinky jail as the officer put it.

“Dogs have bitten me and took my son,” he added.

It was a language the policemen did not understand. The officer rose to his height shivering with anger. He made one full step to the policeman who was standing there inspecting. He held his collar trying to raise him to his feet.

“Did you do it?" He shouted. "Did you?”

The policeman had his mouth dry to speak out anything he could to let him be released.

“I say who did it?" said the officer. “Speak now."

"Hassan and Abdifatah,” he spoke.

He pushed him out of his office to graze on his knees.

“Call them: now,” ordered the officer. “Nonsense: ah! No, you can't oppress me with my nephew.”

The policeman looked for them outside and they were put in jail readily. Then, a report was taken to the officer.

“We have put them to jail.”

“What?” he questioned, “After what?"

“After beating them,” they said.

“He can't go back to jail,” said the officer.

He sent some men to get a Taxi to take them home. It was brought, they got in and he ordered that the two won't be released lest they told where they took the child whom they claimed was taken by another policemen not them.

Thon spent those days thinking about what his wife talked about before he left. He had realized his fault but had nothing to do to remedy the situation.

Two weeks later, the case was forwarded to court where judgment delayed. The judge was said having gone to the capital city-Khartoum because his wife was sick. The clerk who was there could not pass judgement nor investigate till the judge would come. That is how it was initiated.

A month later, Thon could not wait any longer. He asked officer Lual to follow it. When he would be called he would send some men to collect him in the village or he would go and get him.

He gave Thon some money who returned to the village only to find his wife missing at home. He spent night alone to go to her family the following day to apologize for the lost of the child and requested her to go with him to the diviner first.

He had heard that she had miscarried while she banged on hearing about the lost of her child. It was announced and the people left leaving only neighbours who rescued her after she had cried and cried lonely.

Those homes were homes where even if a lion invaded, neighbours would hear after you were all consumed. The neighbouring home could be at a distance after a garden which if you call your voice couldn't be heard lest echoed.

It was a talk to take Thon two weeks with no company. He got food from neighbours for he could not cook as required by their culture not allowing men to cook.

After all Achok’s parents let her go to return after the visit. The couple went to the home of the diviner. They found only his wife yet he could not be seen. They were given seats. A chair was brought yet the visitors were seated on logs.

“Where is he?” asked Achok, Thon's wife.

“He will come,” he resounded to his wife.

All of a sudden he emerged in the chair and laughed loudly. Achok was afraid to hold her husband firm. That chair was dedicated to him alone.

“Is it him?” she muffled her voices.

The diviner laughed with a roaring sound.

“How are you with your wife Thon?” he greeted.

Never did he know them before. It was to their surprise.

“Just like you have seen uncle,” he responded.

She was pregnant with fear sweating profusely next to her husband.

“You come from your farthest village of Param, is anything wrong?" the diviner continued asking.

The couple threw cold gazes at each other. Nobody had told him where they came from even. As a matter of fact, he knew their problems but wanted to let them explain on their own. Thon growled then to explain, Achok was dead quiet.

“We live in desolation,” Thon began. “Firstly, my son raped a girl, he later broke a boy and while I took him to school he got lost. My wife had been undergoing miscarriages as well. We therefore don't bring out clearly what brings these. Rape cost thirty cows, breaking of the boy took the remaining cow. I am now absolutely poor.”

He paused.

In no hesitation the diviner called his wife to bring him clay. It was done so soon. He slaughtered a chicken and waved it over the couple while the blood poured. Not even a drop of blood fell on them.

“You are safe my children,” he spoke, voice like thunder laughing.

He moulded dolls each representing the couple, dug holes and inserted them in but didn't appear inside.

“My children, you are free,” he said. “Curse was imposed on your offspring. Now, your offspring is flowing like that river.”

The couple did not see anything around while they gazed roughly. The diviner laughed again.

“In this calabash,” he instructed.

There was a calabash in which a river was flowing with rapid tides and waves of greater magnitudes. Thon was astonished, his wife aghast. The performance continued when he pointed and everything was quiet.

“You can go now,” he spoke.

The couple paid the sum he required and went back trekking.

“Let no thorns fierce you,” he said and indeed none did.

 It was night even though the woman thought she would cook for her man, it wasn't necessary. They retired to bed in that faith.

 Sleep was becoming sweet enough when the snake hissed awaking the husband. He stood with his sleepy eyes only to see a coiled snake immediately at the door. It would have been a shock if she was the one who saw it first.

It was even clearer to be seen by every eye awoke at night. He shook and sweated in that cold night of the month.

“Don't be afraid,” spoke the snake. “I was sent by the same old man who was with you to deliver a message."

Achok woke up to hear those words and saw the snake too. She was dumb on the bed holding her husband that much.

“Mister, your problems are: Your father's wrath of not naming children after him. The solution is you should have to name him in the third or fourth position, the fifth is strictly your wife's father's name. If they are all girls wrath will be no more,” he explained. “Secondly, the unmarried men your father killed during inter-clan wars pose danger on your offspring avenging. Offer sacrifice, a month of your wife's pregnancy.”

He continued that rape and fracture which took all cattle were wicked tricks. That was done by boys' fathers to share cattle.

“Lastly your son is not dead, you can't do any funeral,” he concluded. “Buy a goat and take it to the old man and everything will be alright.”

There was a sudden silence in the house. Thon had a question which he feared asking. As the snake began hissing to leave, it rushed out.

“Why can't we organize funeral?” he asked.

The snake said he couldn't be questioned when he had explained everything fully.

“The child is a live,” he added.

“Where? Where?” He asked.

Nothing was there to be given: the snake was not instructed to tell anything. He bid them farewell as he squeezed himself through the window. Thon felt cold then. His wife was still covered with the blanket.

“Achok are you awake?” he asked.

She muffled her voices, “Didn't you hear the warning?”

 She arose while told the snake was gone. Tears gushed out of her eyes in that cold night.

“You were right my husband,” she said. “God, why did you create the selfish?”

She forgave her husband and promised to go to her parents the following day to tell them more about the happening. A goat was to be borrowed and taken to the diviner or sacks exchanged for a goat. They talked guts that night till they later fell asleep to make their way to the next day in its light.

Betrayed for love:

A week was big enough to visit a first lieutenant, Ngong in the army Camp at Mungere. The two later returned to the camp.

It was not long they stayed before a lot of convoy began arriving. Microphones called people back to the camp after off loading. It was distributed all till nothing was left to be kept in stores.

It was easier to cook Githeri, “boiled grains,” of sorghum and beans. They were preferred to be gnawed by children on the walk if displaced.

As the sun hid its face, a rebel Nissan arrived and those soldiers announced that Ngalngala was under the control of government forces.

Civilians ran and camped on some valleys. Those who ran after pouring food they had in cook wares began cooking again. To those who carried those hot cook wares on rags on their heads were advantaged.

Rain drops added into boiling water and later all was well. Not much time was spent there so they left. It had grown darker like lingerie of untidy woman. This was a deep valley blocking their way.

There was a string way to be followed keenly else would cause toppling. Thon took children to the other side.

With that heavy sack on her head, Achok couldn't make it through. She slid into that deep valley.

The sack toppled luckily not hurting her. Children all wailed as if their mother won't return. Thon instructed his children to stand still and got into that selfish valley.

He pushed her out, pushed the sack out too, she pulled it out and he managed to come out. That narrow escape continued, on and under valleys. Ways to the new camps were shown by the faithful Equatoria till they reached.

The new camp had those who were chased from Torit and them who escaped jiggers in Magwi. They were registered and got settled in another related family. The camp was Ameeh.

Sooner than later, Thon made his home at the end of the camp settlement not forgetting his godly altar and made new neighbours.

This increment in the camp population led to outbreak of epidemics. Food was abundant. The United Nations had come with trucks which hardly got stuck. A day broke; people were carried to their death beds to rest. Children assumed their classes of alphabets under sole care of UNICEF.

Rumours began being announced by some of the soldiers who survived. Among rumours of the dead who died in that war they escaped from the camp, ‘Parak sika-Ngalngala,’ was Ngong’s.

The night when Achok fell in a valley, their son was shot dead, the soldier who was his guard said evidently presenting his clothing. The rest of the relatives heard but delayed to tell it sooner.

They mourned this evidenced by his body guards and fellow soldiers. His clothes were taken to proof he was gone.

Funeral was organized and he was forgotten.

A month on: Thon fell sick and developed into illness. He passed away after serious nursing by his wife and children. The family bumped to sorrow again. It was much of a stress.

On the third day of her husband’s death, Achok had a nightmare being in the church she hadn't visited before. She sang songs she could not recall the next day.

A voice penetrated, “Welcome to the house of the lord, Margaret."

Light shone the brightest in the entire church. She woke up instantly intending to go to the altar. She pulled the door severally and didn't open so she bounced back. Her eyes blinked twice as they opened.

“What does this mean?” she asked herself. “Am a Widow and these children orphans!”

But her sister used to say, “God raised Jesus from the dead, God of widows and orphans."

She said before she would say her rubbish to keep her hairs.

“God I will do if you expect it of me,” she said.

That's all she knew about the church like you see prayers not concluded. Initially she was obliged not to pass near churches. Next morning, she cooked earlier for her children and went to church.

It was vacant so she broke the loose into that vast thatched church.

She stood and sang.

World's same that's why girls marry to other clans,

Life leads, in absence of cattle,

Self esteem will be put first and absurd eliminated.

Self esteem and marriage won't be stopped though cattle are absent,

Concreteness of the message, raiders have not raided.

Am surprised, am not showing off,

 Life is changed,

 Life is changed with wickedness and strength and education scarce among us.

Dear leaders, our nation needs education.

The song which pleased her ended. She prayed her prayers without conclusion and went to the nearby church compound. She stood behind a hut. It was tiring to wait for someone who didn't know someone was standing outside. She clapped.

Women clap, men clap scarcely, men growl and a few women do like men.

There came such a slender lady. They exchanged strange greetings like they were surprised to meet.

“Can I help in a way?” asked the slender lady.

“I should meet the pastor, that's why am here,” she said.

“Let me see to it,” the slender lady said and left her standing.

After a short delay she took her in. They prayed, got introduced to themselves and Margaret narrated the story. She got a wholesome welcome into the house of the lord. Their names were recorded to go for catechism.

They were baptized later and that's how the name Margaret came about. Congregation followed them home. Beads, altar and whatever it was which was used to worship gods was burnt. People danced at home, others running around claiming they were chasing Satan. Finally they prayed and left. Margaret and her children entered new life in Christ.

Betrayed For Love

Chapter Eight




I


Rachael was sick then before their departure to Sudan. Her child was no longer suckling. She had had a few nights with Andrew before the sickness. As such she thought she would be injected at home to make things okay. It was however Jacob who could do it. In absence of Andrew she went to Jacob's home one fine afternoon. Jacob asked her money to go and buy drugs as she would wait till heat would reduce. It was then three prompt that Jacob began mixing the drug to administer it to the patient. 

Once he injected, it hadn't taken long for her to sleep. He got outside and saw his wife going out to fetch water. Children had gone to play in the neighbourhood. He assumed minutes he thought his wife would be occupied at the tap. He closed the windows and the door too tightly. He peered through a little opening he had not closed to see if his wife would come or not. It was an opening which would not allow him being seen outside but him to see anyone passing by. Nobody was there to see him in the house, neither the young children playing far away. He tested her eyes if she could still see but not at all. He removed the skirt and the lingerie and mounted.

Just after he had completed his work, he opened his house, got out and opened his radio as he listened to Arabic news. It was nearly late when she got up, only to feel abdominal pains. She wondered how she got a sleep but could recall she was to be injected. She called Jacob who said he had injected and the drug was too concentrated as instructed by the pharmacist and physician.

“That's how it affects people,” he lied. “How do you feel now?” 

“Abdominal pains,” she said. “And why do I look this way? I didn't get my clothes like I put them before. What did you do?”

He denied dead that he had not done anything at all. Rachael put it aside that if anything happens she would tell it being caused by him. Her threats had turned into compassion and left limping to her home.
She was limping and tried to be upright which didn't work at all. 

And so Andrew asked, “Why do you limp?”
“It's the drug injected,” she said.
Andrew said, “We shall see.”


Jacob had paid visit a certain afternoon to get Andrew and his neighbour eating lunch. He had clapped and welcomed inside yet he refused to eat with them. He claimed he was alright. With what he saw Andrew had to let him eat if he had done anything, it would be proven if no child would die or any gentleman.
It was joined by Nathaniel, that as a leader you could taste food even if you can't eat a lot to show respect. As such, he carelessly grabbed a spoon, scooped food and ate. He angrily got out of the house and of the compound back to his home. 

“I see,” said Andrew.
“Why is he refusing to eat hear nowadays while he had been?” asked Nathaniel.
“We shall see!” replied Andrew. 

After Nathaniel left, he asked Rachael who told her that sooner as the drug was injected, she fell asleep. When she woke up she felt pains in the abdomen which was polished by Jacob being a side effect of the drug.

“Let us see what happens,” he said once more. 

Not long enough, Jacob's first born died. Funeral was arranged and it was over and forgotten. Two weeks later, the second born fell sick and died instantly before reaching the hospital.
Funeral was organized too and it was over. Andrew witnessed them and waited for Jacob to call a secret meeting to discuss that but he was reluctant. Even after the funeral he wouldn't discuss with people.
Then, it rushed to another family and killed a child too. That's how it was known by most of the clan members that something was wrong somewhere. The secretary called a meeting to discuss that issue.


In persons all clan members had gathered, even Margaret who was called by Rachael and told what was happening. She had revealed that she knew that Jacob might have done something. She feared that it would bring misunderstanding between her and Andrew. Then, the secretary introduced the people to the happening.

“My people we have gathered to discuss the cause of an abrupt loss of lives. Jacob our leader saw it and kept quiet. I had to plan his role if he's occupied and aggrieved. Let someone tell us what the cause might be.” he enquired.
Andrew didn't hesitate, saying, “Jacob will tell us better.”
Jacob was still quiet.
“Why do you keep quiet Jacob?” asked Andrew.
You must know the cause as the leader for we all know our taboos.
“My people, you will think I have done something but not. It's the death of my children which has demoted my soul.”
A slice of truth: a bit of lie.
“I don't know the cause,” denied Jacob.
“A liar,” said Andrew angrily. “Don’t be talking this way. Can't you people see someone has confused women in this clan?”
“Jacob. Tell us now what you did,” he added. 

Everybody was confused not knowing why Andrew would fume. Andrew rose instantly and jumped towards him. It was more of a war zone. Voices topped. Margaret felt concerned. Faces were aggressive as those of a lioness avenging her dead husband. She growled as if a man.

“This shouldn't be a matter of quarrels. You did and God turned it against you,” she said. “We are concern about lives. I apologize on behalf of Rachael who was raped by Jacob who drugged her.”


Each one of the people developed expressions describing best the happening and Jacob too. He got his small head heavier, shy and dizzier. He shook his head. Hands pointed at him. Jacob denied and swore but there was no alternative. Heads shook continually and hands shook as if cursing the roots of the disgraceful man.

Andrew approached him, held his collar tightly and topped his voices, “Idiot, reckless, Ahab: go to Sodom.”

Andrew was returned to his seat anger overridden. He was advised till his mouth was less wordy.

“He can't be a leader from now on,” suggested Andrew.


It was agreed. It was got from Rachael for clarity while she explained. That's when Jacob asked for solution as a matter of acceptance.


Dark dawned.
They called an old woman. She tied clothes worn by Rachael and Andrew at portions behind them. She lit the tied out part and fire blazed. It burnt till the knot was consumed separating adulterer from that innocent woman. It was over indeed with respect to culture.
Andrew was convinced not to touch Rachael. People dispersed. While Margaret bathed, Andrew got into the house. 

Rachael was under the bed. Baffled to return he heard a hearty breath. He returned knowing only she might be under the bed. He sat like a baby on knees and sent his hand. It was a fruitless search.
He set his hands farther feeling softness. Rachael had no more space to squeeze herself in. Wall was hard to break through. He sent two hands and squeezed it. She cried under the bed. He crawled closer, pulled her out and beat her. 

From that day, Andrew disowned her. Instead of living with quarrelsome reformed Andrew, Margaret decided to go to Sudan with her telling her to find a husband to give her children.
Julius was away, a child and couldn't be allowed to get hold of Rachael.