"RECIPROCATED":
Part 1
In the suburbs of Nairobi in Embakasi, a busy Sunday morning everybody running their errands as usual, some parading their children to go to church. Songs of praise could be heard from a distance, when suddenly the neighbourhood is interrupted when a scream is heard, and it continues to grow, "please help!” The neighbours start running towards the screaming.
On reaching, everybody is surrounding Mr and Mrs Kilunda's house. Mr. Kilunda, is a tall dark man with a hoarse voice you can't ignore, a charming smile that quickly catches your eye, but again Mr Kilunda is a man who can't keep his eyes off any woman who passes by.
Mr Kilunda is married to a beautiful woman, brown in skin and still young with a dimpled warm smile. She would greet you as she passed you by. She was a kind woman with three children and loved by her neighbours for her generosity and her warm welcome when you visited her home.
Living with Mr Kilunda though, was like walking through a thorny ground and needs one to be very patient, for he's a temperate man full of unanswered mysteries and can be very violent when he chooses to be. The neighbours hear Mr Kilunda saying in anger , "I'll kill you today" while his children are crying "daddy leave mommy alone." Mr Kilunda continues throwing punches at his wife mercilessly and kicking her. Blood oozes from Mrs Kilunda's face as she continues to scream. Mr Peter, a nearby neighbour, gets hold of Mr Kilunda, "stop it you're hurting her" Mr Kilunda tries to push Mr Peter but he's held tight with the assistance from other neighbours as they quickly whisks Mrs Kilunda away.
“What is happening ? Why are you beating your wife this way In front of your children?" Mr Kioko asks but Mr Kilunda continues to make threats "I'll kill you today and you will know who I am."
After a few minutes they try to calm him down while Mrs Kioko administrators first aid to Mrs Kilunda. Due to the harsh life and intolerable behaviour of her husband that Mrs Kilunda goes through in her marriage, she decides to go back to the rural area with her children, which is their matrimonial home for her own peace of mind leaving her husband behind who works as a KDF in Embakasi.
In the absence of his wife Mr Kilunda starts living a life full of lustfulness and becomes more promiscuous by the day and desires like a free man, while the neighbourhood watches in silent awe. Months pass by and turn to a year and finally Mr Kilunda decides to harbour one of his female girlfriends.
Mrs. Kilunda in the village ponders on how to go about her marriage that she desires not to let go, but her husband's reckless behavior compels her to think otherwise since he no longer sends support to her children in the village. She seeks advice from her husband's friend Mr Jerry, who listens keenly and agrees to give her feedback.
As he walks away, Mrs Kilunda is thrown into a deep thought remembering the first time she met Mr Kilunda who would often shower her with gifts and promises for the future, how he proposed to her and married her and now they have three children, she recalls as tears roll down her cheeks.
She wonders how Mr Kilunda has become two different people, wondering where she had gone wrong. She slowly comes back to her senses as she gets a tap on her shoulder, it is her lastborn child enquiring, "mum I am hungry, what are we having for lunch?" Without giving a reply to her son, she tucks these troubling thoughts at the back of her mind and goes to look for kale to make lunch for her children.
At about 7pm Mr Jerry comes back with a smile on his face he says "don't worry Mrs Kilunda, I've talked to him and things will be better, your husband has agreed to support his family" and he joins them for dinner before taking his leave.
One morning Mrs Kilunda gets a phone call from her friend. "How long are you going to stay in the village? When are you coming back?" She asked. Mrs Kilunda replies “soon,” as her friend continues, “things here are not good." Mrs Kilunda asks, "what is happening?" She replies "are you not aware that your husband has married?"
The news didn't sit well with Mrs Kilunda who is shocked and becomes agitated and more anxious. She replies "I must come and witness for myself.” Angry, she wrestles with her thoughts then she decides she will go back to the city to confront her husband. She embarks on the journey to the city, leaving behind her children with their grandmother and promises to come back.
In the wee hours of the morning she finds herself at the doorstep knocking on the door accompanied by her friend. She knocks vigorously till Mr Kilunda appears at the window frame to enquire "who is it?” “It's me, open the damn door!" Mrs Kilunda replies.
As he was shocked, he takes his time to open but eventually opens the door a crack, not letting Mrs Kilunda in, but she insisted, "let me in, who are you living with here?" She demands as she tries to push Mr Kilunda aside, screams and shouting, "who are you hiding? Are you married? I am suffering with the kids in the village and you refuse to give support, today I must know what is going on!"
Soon the neighbours start passing by to find out what was going on and Mr Kilunda finally surrenders and lets her in. She storms inside and starts to scream at the lady inside the house. Mr Kamau, a neighbour quickly comes to the rescue and pulls out the lady captured in the house, who was being mercilessly beaten by Mrs Kilunda and her friend.
Meanwhile Mr Kilunda finds himself in disbelief as he tries to calm down his wife but in vain. After, Mrs Kilunda decides to go back to the village as a bitter and disappointed woman with three kids and in alot of emotional distress. As tears roll down her cheeks she thinks, "this is too much I can't take it anymore."
Upon reaching the village she narrates her ordeal to her in-laws, who encourage her to take heart " I will confront him, this is unbearable" her mother-in-law consoles her.
Mr Jerry, comes for a visit as usual only to find Mrs Kilunda in tears and asks her, "what is it? Why are you soaked in tears?" Mrs Kilunda narrates the disappointment that met her disappointment when she went to visit her husband, as he consoles her.
Over the next few weeks, Mrs Kilunda and Jerry grow fond of each other, and Jerry starts to solve her financial issues and other paraphernalia, and one thing leads to another and they become lovers in disguise.
Soon, word goes round in the village and the rumours finally get to the ears of her mother-in-law who enquires, "are you and Jerry having a relationship?" which she denies. She then goes to inform Jerry how the word had gone around but Mr Jerry tells her, "I don't mind everybody knowing, I am ready to take you in as my wife" Mrs Kilunda reluctantly objects to it as she is still legally married to Mr Kilunda.
Days turn to months and finally her husband is informed and starts to investigate.
One Saturday morning in the village at around 5 am, Mrs Kilunda hears a knock at the door and to her surprise when opening the door, there was her husband who rarely visits her in the village.
She welcomes him as he proceeds to the bedroom and tucks himself to sleep without uttering a word. The next day, he asks his wife "what is your relationship with Jerry my friend? Am told he's a regular visitor here".
Mrs Kilunda hesitates but denies it. “Nothing is going on with me and Jerry." Mr Kilunda continues "what is this am hearing? If I find out the truth you'll regret it." He storms out and eventually, Mr Kilunda confirms the truth from the neighbours "yes they are lovers, we always see them together, he even sometimes leaves your house at odd hours".
Fuming, Mr Kilunda comes back to his wife "today you'll tell me the truth" and starts to punch and kick her until she becomes unconscious.