Two nights later, the criminals arrived.
I remember the moment clearly.
The air felt strangely heavy, as if the night itself knew something terrible was about to happen.
Three men stood outside the gate.
They looked calm. Too calm.
The leader was tall and thin, with cold eyes that scanned the house like a predator studying its prey.
Behind them stood Sonko.
The sight of him made my stomach tighten.
Kenty saw him too.
She froze.
For a moment, she looked as if the world had stopped spinning.
"You betrayed us," she whispered.
Her voice trembled with disbelief.
Sonko avoided her eyes.
He stared at the ground like a man who already knew he had lost something important.
The leader of the men stepped forward.
"We only want what belongs to us," he said.
His voice was quiet, but dangerous.
Kenty's father walked slowly toward the gate.
Even in the dim light, I could see the strength in his posture.
"You will not take anything from this family," he said firmly. The criminal smiled.
"That depends on how reasonable you are."
The tension in the air thickened.
Precious stood beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly.
I could feel her fear.
But something inside me refused to step back.
The leader signaled to his men.
One of them moved toward the gate.
It felt like the moment before a storm breaks.
Then something unexpected happened.
Kenty stepped forward.
"Stop."
Her voice cut through the night like lightning.
Everyone turned toward her.
She walked slowly toward the gate.
Her eyes never left Sonko.
The man she had loved.
The man who had betrayed her.
When she finally stood in front of him, her voice softened.
"I loved you," she said.
The words hung in the air like fragile glass.
Sonko finally looked up.
Pain flickered across his face.
"But I won't destroy my family for you," Kenty continued.
Silence spread across the yard.
Even the criminals seemed unsure what to do.
The leader glanced at Sonko.
"This wasn't the plan," he muttered.
Sonko said nothing.
He looked broken.
Kenty took a step back and turned toward the men.
"There is nothing here for you," she said firmly.
The leader studied the situation.
Without Sonko's cooperation, the plan had collapsed.
Finally, he sighed.
"Not worth the trouble," he said.
He motioned to the others.
The three men turned and walked away into the darkness.
Their footsteps faded slowly into the night.
Sonko stood alone.
Broken.