The night was silent. Only the rustling of leaves in the musangu trees filled the air.
Mwiya sat outside, thinking of his family and the life they had built.
He whispered a prayer to Masansa, the ancestral spirit of guidance.
By dawn, he would call MaSimukonda to the ancient mukuyu tree in the courtyard.
It was time to protect his home.
And he knew that the events of the next day would determine the fate of his marriage—and the peace of his household.