NDOLA WOMAN DUMPS TEARS AS HUSBAND PICKS MARKET TOMATOES

NDOLA WOMAN DUMPS TEARS AS HUSBAND PICKS MARKET TOMATOES

Drama unfolded in Ndola’s Mushili Township when Mary Mwale, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom, was left in a puddle of tears after her husband, Peter, left her for a marketeer selling tomatoes at Masala Market. The couple, married for five years, had what Mary thought was a stable life until Peter decided “tomato life” was better than her home-cooked nshima.

The commotion began at breakfast when Peter, with the audacity of a Lusaka minibus conductor, declared he was tired of “coming home to problems and porridge.” He packed his clothes into a torn black plastic bag and said, “I’m going to Maureen. She understands me better.” Mary, still clutching a pot of nshima from the previous night, could only watch as Peter walked out the door.

By mid-morning, Mary’s sobs had attracted half the komboni. “Can you imagine? He left me for a marketeer! After five years of marriage and two children!” she cried, as neighbors tried to comfort her. One elderly woman joked, “Don’t worry, mama. Tomatoes don’t last forever; he’ll come back when the soup is sour.”

Peter, meanwhile, was spotted later that day at Masala Market, happily carrying a sack of charcoal for Maureen. Witnesses said he looked like a man auditioning for Zed Celebrity Couples. “Awe, this man has ironed his Salaula shirt to impress Maureen,” one marketeer laughed. Back in Mushili, neighbors couldn’t stop roasting him. “Peter will learn that tomatoes don’t pay school fees!”

The neighborhood quickly rallied around Mary, offering food, clothes, and even a little money. “Start your own tomato stall next to Maureen’s,” one cheeky neighbor suggested, sparking laughter. But Mary wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “This man has been eating my nshima for five years. Now he wants market nshima? Let him stay there!” she declared.

The story spread like bushfire, with komboni WhatsApp groups turning it into memes and jokes. A remixed song titled “From Mushili Beans to Market Tomatoes” even started circulating. When asked if she’d take Peter back, Mary shrugged. “Awe sure, he’s had his last taste of my beans. I’ll focus on my children and find a better man who doesn’t confuse tomatoes with love!”

Meanwhile, Maureen, the marketeer, reportedly told her friends, “I didn’t steal Peter; he came willingly.” But market gossipers were quick to warn her. “Wait until Mary opens her stall. You’ll see competition!”

As the sun set, Mary, sipping tea with her supportive neighbors, said with a smile, “Life moves on. But Peter? Let him keep moving, just not back here.” Komboni philosophers wrapped it up perfectly: “Tomatoes garnish nshima, but nshima is the foundation. Peter will soon learn that lesson.”