By Hannington Mumo

Mutua, (name changed) a Mombasa based General Service Unit (GSU) officer, learnt belatedly that opening a ‘boutique’ for his wife in Mwingi wasn’t good enough.

Official duties kept him away for days on end, meaning he was only able to come home after a month or two.

His wife understood and knew nagging him about his long absences would be childish so for sexual gratification, she found a clandestine lover, a young man who completed high school in 2011. Since her husband came home after several weeks, her young lover often spent the night

There was nothing to fear since the officer used to call his wife and
inform her whenever he was coming home. She would in turn dutifully tell the young man to keep off until the coast was clear.

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Furious

The arrangement worked fine until last week when a nosy neighbour whispered to Mutua what his wife did when he was away. The news made him so furious that he was almost confronted his wife. But realizing she would deny, he opted to
hold his calm and plan to catch them red-handed.

He had only been allowed three days for off. After spending the first night,
he told his wife that he had received a call summoning him back to duty for an urgent mission in Mandera, where warring clans were at war.

The wife feigned disappointment at the unplanned departure, telling
her husband that she would miss him. She even organised a quick prayer session where she invoked heavenly protection upon her husband
whose noble calling often placed him at harm’s way.

Farewell

After the prayer, she escorted him to the bus stop where who boarded a Nairobi bound bus. To convince her that he was indeed going, he paid the fare and
was given a receipt. They then bade each other farewell.

But shortly after escorting her husband, she phoned her lover
and told him to come in the evening. Wary at the sudden turn of events, the young man asked her whether her husband had really gone. When she told him that Mutua
had even paid his fare and had been issued with a receipt, he knew the coast was clear.

When the neighbour saw the young man enter the house, he called Mutua
and informed him accordingly. The die was cast.

If you have watched the GSU breaking up a riot, you know what followed.