🌅 Chapter One – Mercy Leaves Abuja
Mercy had lived in Abuja for many years.
She was the kind of woman people looked at and wondered how her life was so easy.
She had a good job.
She was a manager in a big oil company.
She lived in a beautiful house.
She had a car.
She dressed well.
And when Mercy woke up in the morning, breakfast was already waiting for her.
Lunch?
Already taken care of.
Dinner?
Her maid knew what to do.
Mercy would wake up, take her bath, dress for work, eat her food and leave.
That was her life.
Simple.
Comfortable.
But there was one small problem.
Mercy knew almost nothing about the things inside her own kitchen.
She knew how to cook.
Of course she did.
Her mother had taught her many years ago.
But cooking was not the same thing as knowing how to run a kitchen.
Mercy didn't know where her rice came from.
She didn't know how much a basket of tomatoes cost.
She didn't know the price of pepper.
She didn't know which market sold the best vegetables.
She didn't even know how to choose good tomatoes.
If the food finished, she simply told her maid,
"Please get more."
And that was it.
If there was no cooking oil, the maid bought it.
If there was no rice, the maid bought it.
If there was no meat, the maid bought it.
Mercy never bothered herself.
She was always busy.
Work had swallowed almost all her time.
And Mercy was single.
She had no husband.
No children.
Just her career, her house and her peaceful little routine.
Until one day, something happened that Mercy never expected.
She met a man.
His name was Daniel.
He was from Alaba village.
At first, Mercy did not think much about him.
She had met many men before.
But Daniel was different.
He did not rush her.
He did not care about her position at the oil company.
He did not spend every conversation talking about her money.
He simply wanted to know her.
And somehow, Mercy started looking forward to seeing him.
One conversation became another.
One meeting became many.
And before Mercy knew what was happening...
She had fallen in love.
Daniel eventually took her to Alaba village.
That was where Mercy began to understand that loving someone also meant learning about the person's home, family and culture.
Daniel's family welcomed her.
They laughed with her.
They asked her questions.
And after some time, the marriage proposal came.
Mercy's heart was full.
She had never imagined herself getting married like this.
Everything looked beautiful.
Until one evening, Daniel's mother said something that changed everything.
"Before the marriage, there is something Mercy must do."
Mercy smiled.
She thought it would be something simple.
Maybe a family meeting.
Maybe some traditional clothes.
Maybe some gifts.
Then Daniel's mother continued.
"She will go to the market and buy the food stuffs for the meal."
Mercy smiled.
"Okay."
She didn't see the problem.
Until they told her she had to go herself.
Not her maid.
Not a driver.
Not anybody else.
Mercy herself.
She would have to enter the market.
Choose the ingredients.
Ask for the prices.
Buy everything herself.
And prepare the meal.
Mercy nodded.
Inside her mind, she was already thinking,
"How hard can it be?"
She had money.
She had cooked before.
She could simply go there and buy what she needed.
But then Daniel's mother added one more thing.
"You must not use your own money."
Mercy looked at her.
"Not my money?"
"No."
"You must not send your maid either."
Mercy became quiet.
Then Daniel's mother brought out five thousand naira.
She placed the money in Mercy's hand.
"This is what you will use."
Mercy looked at the money.
Five thousand naira.
She looked at Daniel.
Daniel was trying hard not to laugh.
Mercy gave him a serious look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Daniel quickly looked away.
"I'm not looking at you."
"You are laughing."
"No."
"You are."
Daniel finally laughed.
Mercy shook her head.
"Just wait. I will show all of you that I know how to buy food."
Everybody laughed.
But Mercy had no idea what was waiting for her.
That night, she tried to make a mental list of everything she needed.
Rice.
Tomatoes.
Pepper.
Onions.
Meat.
Oil.
And then she stopped.
What else?
She tried to remember.
"Ah..."
She couldn't remember the name of one of the ingredients.
She called her maid.
"What do we normally put in the stew?"
Her maid looked at her.
"Madam?"
"I mean... apart from tomato and pepper."
The maid started laughing.
Mercy frowned.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing, madam."
"Tell me."
"Madam, you have been eating my food for years."
Mercy laughed too.
"Just tell me the name."
The maid told her.
Mercy quickly wrote it down.
The next morning, she dressed up.
She picked up her handbag.
She collected the five thousand naira.
And she stood at the door.
Her maid looked at her.
"Madam, should I come with you?"
Mercy shook her head.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure."
Mercy took a deep breath.
"I can do this."
She entered her car.
And drove toward the market.
She had no idea that within the next few hours, almost everybody in that market would know that Mercy had never really gone shopping before.
And the funniest part?
Mercy herself was about to find that out.
When she finally stepped into the busy village market, she looked around.
Tomatoes everywhere.
Pepper everywhere.
Women shouting.
Men carrying baskets.
People bargaining.
Children running around.
And Mercy just stood there.
She held her five thousand naira tightly.
Then she whispered to herself,
"Where do I even start?"
She took a few steps forward.
A woman called out to her.
"Madam, come and buy tomato!"
Mercy turned.
Another woman shouted,
"Fresh pepper here!"
Another one called,
"Madam, come and see my onions!"
Mercy looked from one seller to another.
She didn't know who to answer.
She didn't even know how much anything cost.
Then she remembered something.
She had forgotten the name of another ingredient.
She opened her handbag.
Her list was not there.
Mercy searched again.
Nothing.
She checked her phone.
Nothing.
She stood there quietly.
Then a young boy passing beside her looked at her face.
He smiled.
"Madam..."
Mercy looked at him.
"Yes?"
He tilted his head.
"Is this your first time in a market?"
Mercy's mouth opened.
She looked around.
Then she looked at the boy again.
And that was when she realized...
She had just embarrassed herself in the middle of the market.
But that was only the beginning.
🌙 End of Chapter One
🛍️ Chapter Two – Mercy Meets the Market
"Is this your first time in a market?"
The young boy asked again.
Mercy looked at him.
She wanted to say no.
She wanted to tell him that she had been shopping since she was a little girl.
But one look around the market made her change her mind.
"Yes."
The boy smiled.
Mercy quickly added,
"Well... not exactly."
The boy laughed.
"Madam, you don't know where to start."
Mercy looked at him seriously.
"Are you a market inspector?"
The boy laughed even harder.
"No, madam."
"Then mind your business."
The boy nodded and walked away.
But he didn't go far.
He turned around and looked at Mercy again.
Mercy was still standing in the same place.
She looked at the tomatoes.
Then the onions.
Then the pepper.
Then the tomatoes again.
She whispered,
"Okay, Mercy. You are a manager. You manage people every day. You can manage a market."
She walked toward the first tomato seller.
"How much is this?"
The woman looked at her.
"Five hundred."
Mercy nodded.
"Okay."
She picked up the tomatoes.
Then she stopped.
"Five hundred for all?"
The woman laughed.
"No, my dear. Five hundred for this small basket."
Mercy looked at the basket.
It wasn't even full.
She slowly put it down.
"Ah."
The woman smiled.
"How much do you want?"
Mercy thought about it.
"Give me... one hundred naira."
The woman stared at her.
"One hundred?"
"Yes."
The woman started laughing.
"Madam, what will you cook with one hundred naira tomato?"
Mercy looked confused.
"I don't know."
The woman laughed again.
"Come. Let me help you."
She picked some tomatoes and put them inside a small nylon bag.
"Give me two hundred."
Mercy brought out the money.
She looked at the notes carefully.
Then she handed over two hundred naira.
"Good."
She put the tomatoes inside her bag.
One item down.
Mercy smiled.
"This isn't so hard."
She walked away.
Then she heard someone shout.
"Madam!"
Mercy turned.
"You forgot your change!"
She quickly returned.
The woman handed her the change.
Mercy laughed.
"I was testing you."
The woman laughed.
"Testing me?"
"Yes."
Mercy took the money and walked away before the woman could answer.
She reached the pepper seller.
"How much is pepper?"
"Two hundred."
Mercy nodded.
"Give me one."
The seller looked at her.
"One what?"
Mercy paused.
She suddenly realized she had no idea how pepper was sold.
"Just... give me the one that is enough."
The seller smiled.
"Enough for what?"
Mercy looked at her.
"Food."
The woman laughed.
"Madam, all of us are buying food."
Mercy laughed too.
"Please help me."
The woman picked some pepper.
Mercy paid her.
She moved to onions.
Then garlic.
Then ginger.
Then she stopped.
"Ginger..."
She stared at the ginger.
Something about it looked familiar.
But she couldn't remember if she needed it.
She checked her phone again.
Nothing.
She called her maid.
The phone rang.
"Hello, madam."
"Please, what else do we normally put in the food?"
There was silence.
"Madam?"
"Yes."
"Are you still in the market?"
Mercy looked around.
"Yes."
Her maid started laughing.
"Madam, please don't tell anybody I am your maid."
"Why?"
"Because they will laugh at me."
Mercy laughed.
"Just tell me what I need."
Her maid began mentioning the ingredients one after another.
Mercy quickly tried to remember them.
"Wait, wait!"
She brought out a pen.
"Say it again."
The people around her began looking at her.
Mercy didn't care anymore.
She was determined to finish the shopping.
After some time, she ended the call.
She looked inside her bag.
Tomatoes.
Pepper.
Onions.
Ginger.
Garlic.
A little oil.
And a few other ingredients.
She smiled.
"I am doing well."
Then she remembered the meat.
She walked toward the meat sellers.
The smell hit her immediately.
Mercy stopped.
There were different types of meat everywhere.
She looked at one seller.
"How much is meat?"
The woman answered.
"Three thousand."
Mercy's eyes widened.
"Three thousand?"
"Yes."
Mercy looked inside her purse.
She had already spent part of the five thousand.
She quickly calculated what she had left.
"Madam..."
The meat seller looked at her.
"I have only..."
Mercy counted the money again.
She looked at the meat.
Then at the money.
Then back at the meat.
She whispered,
"How am I supposed to buy everything with this money?"
The meat seller smiled.
"Who told you to buy everything here?"
Mercy looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
The woman pointed toward another side of the market.
"Go there. You will get what you need for less."
Mercy thanked her.
She picked up her bags and walked away.
But she had barely taken a few steps when she heard a familiar voice.
"Madam!"
Mercy turned.
It was the same young boy from earlier.
He was standing beside an older woman.
The woman looked at Mercy.
Then she looked at the bags in Mercy's hands.
She smiled.
"Come."
Mercy walked toward them.
The woman looked at her list.
Then she looked at the money Mercy had left.
She shook her head.
"My daughter..."
Mercy became worried.
"Yes?"
"Who sent you to this market?"
Mercy smiled.
"My future husband's family."
The woman's face suddenly changed.
She looked at Mercy carefully.
"Your future husband is from Alaba village?"
Mercy nodded.
"Yes."
The woman smiled.
"Ah..."
She looked at the boy beside her.
Then back at Mercy.
"Now I understand."
Mercy became curious.
"Understand what?"
The woman smiled again.
"Come with me. If you go back home with what you have bought now, your future mother-in-law will ask you a question you may not be ready for."
Mercy's smile disappeared.
"What question?"
The woman picked up Mercy's bag.
"First, let us finish your shopping."
Mercy followed her.
But she kept thinking about the woman's words.
What exactly did she mean?
And what was Mercy about to discover about the tradition she thought was just a simple market trip?
🌙 End of Chapter Two
🥬 Chapter Three – The Woman Who Knew the Market
Mercy followed the woman slowly.
She still didn't understand what the woman meant when she said her future mother-in-law would ask her a question.
All Mercy wanted was to finish the shopping and go home.
She had already started feeling tired.
The market was nothing like the shopping malls she was used to.
There were no neat shelves.
No price tags hanging everywhere.
No quiet music playing in the background.
Here, everybody was talking.
Somebody was shouting the price of tomatoes.
Another person was calling customers to buy pepper.
Children were running between the stalls.
Women were sitting beside baskets of vegetables.
Men were carrying heavy bags on their heads.
And everybody seemed to know exactly what they wanted.
Except Mercy.
The woman looked at her.
"My name is Mama Rose."
"Mercy."
Mama Rose smiled.
"I know."
Mercy stopped walking.
"You know my name?"
Mama Rose laughed.
"That boy has been calling you madam since you entered this market."
The young boy standing behind them smiled.
Mercy looked at him.
"So you have been following me?"
"No, madam."
"You are always appearing wherever I go."
The boy laughed.
"I just want to see how your shopping will end."
Mercy shook her head.
"Children of nowadays."
Mama Rose laughed.
"Don't mind him."
She took Mercy to a vegetable seller.
"How much is this?"
Mama Rose asked.
The woman gave her a price.
Mama Rose immediately started bargaining.
"No, no, no."
"Reduce it."
The seller refused.
Mama Rose laughed.
"Don't try that with me. I have been buying from this market since before this girl was born."
The seller laughed.
They eventually agreed on a price.
Mercy watched everything.
She was amazed.
The woman had not even argued for long.
Yet she had reduced the price.
Mercy whispered,
"How did you do that?"
Mama Rose looked at her.
"Do what?"
"Get the price down like that."
Mama Rose smiled.
"You don't just ask for a price."
"You have to know when the seller is telling you the real price and when they are testing you."
Mercy nodded slowly.
"So they were testing me?"
Mama Rose laughed.
"My daughter, they saw you and knew you were new here."
Mercy covered her face for a moment.
"So everybody knows?"
"Almost everybody."
The young boy laughed behind them.
Mercy turned around.
"You too, stop laughing."
"Sorry, madam."
They continued.
Mama Rose helped her choose the right vegetables.
She showed her how to touch tomatoes before buying them.
She showed her how to know when pepper was fresh.
She showed her the difference between good onions and the ones that were already starting to spoil.
Mercy watched carefully.
She began asking questions.
"What about this one?"
"Good."
"And this?"
"Leave it."
"Why?"
"Look at the bottom."
Mercy looked.
It was already soft.
"Oh."
Mama Rose smiled.
"Now you are learning."
Mercy smiled too.
For the first time since entering the market, she was beginning to enjoy herself.
They reached the meat section.
Mama Rose spoke to the seller.
"Give her enough meat for the meal."
The seller looked at Mercy.
"How much?"
Mercy opened her mouth.
She didn't know.
Mama Rose answered for her.
"Give her this much."
The seller cut the meat.
Mercy looked at it.
"Is that enough?"
Mama Rose nodded.
"Enough for the people you are cooking for."
Mercy paid.
She checked the money left in her hand.
She still had some.
She smiled.
"I thought the money would finish."
Mama Rose laughed.
"That is because you wanted to buy everything you saw."
Mercy laughed.
"Maybe."
They continued shopping.
One ingredient after another.
Soon Mercy's bags were almost full.
She looked at everything she had bought.
She was proud of herself.
Then Mama Rose suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Mercy stopped too.
"What happened?"
Mama Rose looked inside one of Mercy's bags.
She brought out one small item.
Mercy looked at it.
"What is that?"
Mama Rose stared at her.
"You bought this?"
Mercy nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought I needed it."
Mama Rose burst out laughing.
Mercy looked confused.
"What?"
"You don't need this for the meal."
Mercy laughed.
"Then why did I buy it?"
"Because you are learning."
Even the young boy started laughing.
Mercy shook her head.
"Please, everybody should stop laughing at me."
Mama Rose put the item back.
"Don't worry. You will learn."
They finally reached the last stall.
Mama Rose looked at the list.
She checked every ingredient.
"Tomatoes."
"Yes."
"Pepper."
"Yes."
"Onions."
"Yes."
"Meat."
"Yes."
"Oil."
"Yes."
Mama Rose smiled.
"You are ready."
Mercy smiled with relief.
"Thank God."
She picked up her bags.
But before she could leave, Mama Rose held her hand.
"Mercy."
"Yes?"
"There is something you need to understand."
Mercy's smile disappeared.
"What?"
Mama Rose looked around before speaking.
"The market trip is not really about the food."
Mercy became confused.
"What do you mean?"
Mama Rose smiled gently.
"They want to know if you can take care of a home."
Mercy became quiet.
She looked down at her bags.
For the first time, she understood why Daniel's family had insisted that she come herself.
It wasn't about buying tomatoes.
It wasn't about buying meat.
It wasn't even about the five thousand naira.
It was about something bigger.
Something Mercy had never really thought about.
Mama Rose squeezed her hand.
"Don't be ashamed that you don't know these things."
"You have been busy building your career."
"But now..."
She paused.
"Now you are entering another part of your life."
Mercy smiled.
"Thank you."
Mama Rose nodded.
"Go home and cook with what you bought."
Mercy turned to leave.
The young boy ran after her.
"Madam!"
Mercy turned.
"What?"
The boy smiled.
"Next time you come, you won't need me."
Mercy laughed.
"Next time?"
The boy nodded.
"Yes."
Mercy smiled.
"Maybe I will become a market woman before then."
Everybody laughed.
Mercy walked back to her car.
She placed the bags inside.
Then she looked at the remaining money.
She had actually managed to stay within the five thousand naira.
She smiled proudly.
But as she started the car, her phone rang.
It was Daniel.
"Hello."
"Mercy, where are you?"
"I'm coming home."
"Did you finish everything?"
"Yes."
There was a short silence.
Then Daniel asked,
"Did you meet anybody in the market?"
Mercy frowned.
"What kind of question is that?"
Daniel laughed.
"I'm just asking."
Mercy smiled.
"I met one woman who helped me."
"What is her name?"
"Mama Rose."
There was another silence.
This time, Daniel didn't laugh.
Mercy noticed.
"Daniel?"
"Yes."
"Why did you suddenly become quiet?"
Daniel took a breath.
"Mercy..."
"Yes?"
"Did Mama Rose tell you anything about my family?"
Mercy stared through the windscreen.
She remembered Mama Rose's strange warning.
She remembered the way she had looked at her.
Then Mercy asked,
"What am I supposed to know?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
And when he finally spoke...
His voice sounded completely different.
"Mercy, we need to talk before you cook that meal."
Mercy's heart skipped.
"Why?"
Daniel was quiet again.
Then he said something Mercy never expected to hear.
"There is something my mother didn't tell you."
🌙 End of Chapter Three
🔥 Chapter Four – The Secret Behind the Tradition
"There is something my mother didn't tell you."
Mercy held the steering wheel tightly.
"What is it?"
Daniel was quiet.
"Daniel, you are frightening me."
"I'm sorry."
"So tell me."
Daniel took a deep breath.
"My mother didn't send you to the market because she wanted to embarrass you."
Mercy frowned.
"I know."
"She wanted to know something."
"What?"
"Whether you were willing to learn."
Mercy became quiet.
Daniel continued.
"In our family, nobody expects a woman to know everything before marriage."
"But they want to see that she is willing to learn."
Mercy looked at the bags beside her.
For the first time, she understood the real meaning of the market trip.
It was not a test of whether she knew the price of tomatoes.
It was a test of whether she was willing to enter a new family with an open heart.
"But why didn't your mother tell me?"
Daniel laughed softly.
"Because if she told you, it would no longer be a test."
Mercy laughed.
"So all of you planned this?"
"Not all of us."
"Who didn't?"
"Me."
Mercy smiled.
"You knew?"
"I knew my mother would send you to the market."
"And you allowed it?"
"I wanted you to experience it yourself."
Mercy shook her head.
"You people are something else."
Daniel laughed.
"But there is one thing you don't know."
"What?"
"Mama Rose."
Mercy became curious.
"What about her?"
"She is one of the people my mother trusts most."
Mercy suddenly remembered the woman's strange smile.
"She knows your family?"
"Very well."
Mercy laughed.
"Then she knew exactly who I was."
"Yes."
"And she watched me embarrass myself."
Daniel laughed.
"Probably."
Mercy shook her head.
"I will never enter that market again."
"You will."
"Never."
"You enjoyed it."
Mercy smiled.
"Maybe a little."
She drove home.
When she arrived, her maid came outside.
"Madam!"
Mercy opened the car door.
The maid looked inside.
Then she looked at Mercy.
"Madam, you actually bought everything?"
Mercy proudly lifted one of the bags.
"Yes."
The maid smiled.
"I'm impressed."
Mercy laughed.
"Don't laugh at me."
"I'm not laughing."
"You are smiling."
"Because you came back."
Mercy carried the bags into the kitchen.
She placed everything on the table.
Then she looked at her maid.
"Now you are going to teach me."
The maid looked surprised.
"Teach you what?"
"Everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes."
Mercy pointed at the ingredients.
"How to know what is good."
"How to buy them."
"How much they should cost."
"How to plan a meal."
"And how not to stand in a market looking like someone who has never seen tomatoes before."
The maid laughed.
"Madam, you are serious."
"Very serious."
And that was how the lesson began.
The maid showed Mercy how to wash the vegetables.
She explained which ingredients should be stored in the refrigerator.
She showed her how to measure the right amount of oil.
Mercy listened carefully.
She asked questions.
She made mistakes.
Sometimes they both laughed.
Sometimes Mercy got frustrated.
But she didn't give up.
The following morning, Mercy entered the kitchen again.
"Today, I want to learn how to make the stew."
Her maid smiled.
"Okay, madam."
"Don't call me madam."
The maid laughed.
"What should I call you?"
"Mercy."
"Mercy."
"Good."
The lesson continued.
Slowly, Mercy became better.
She learned how to chop onions without wasting half of them.
She learned how to tell when oil was hot enough.
She learned how to season meat properly.
And most importantly, she learned that running a home was not something to be ashamed of.
It was another skill.
One she had simply never had time to develop.
The day of the traditional marriage preparation finally arrived.
Mercy woke up early.
She entered the kitchen herself.
Her maid watched from the doorway.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help?"
Mercy smiled.
"I will call you if I need help."
The cooking began.
Mercy moved around the kitchen confidently.
She prepared the ingredients.
She checked the food.
She tasted it.
She added a little seasoning.
Then she smiled.
"It is good."
Her maid tasted it.
"It is very good."
Mercy laughed.
"Finally!"
Later that day, she took the food to Daniel's family.
Everyone gathered around.
Mercy was nervous.
Daniel's mother tasted the food.
She said nothing.
She tasted it again.
Mercy's heart began beating faster.
Then the woman smiled.
"Very good."
Mercy released the breath she had been holding.
Everyone laughed and celebrated.
Daniel looked at Mercy proudly.
"You did it."
Mercy smiled.
"No."
She looked at her maid.
"We did it."
Her maid smiled.
That moment stayed in Mercy's heart.
She had gone to the market feeling embarrassed.
She had returned home determined to learn.
And now she understood something she had never considered before.
Knowing how to manage a home did not make her less of a successful woman.
It made her more complete.
But just when Mercy thought everything was finally going perfectly, Daniel's mother called her aside.
"Mercy."
"Yes, ma."
"There is one more thing I want you to learn before the wedding."
Mercy smiled.
"What is it?"
The older woman looked at her seriously.
"It has nothing to do with cooking."
Mercy's smile disappeared.
"Then what is it?"
The woman took her hand.
"You are about to become a wife."
She paused.
"And there is something every good wife must understand."
Mercy waited.
But the woman did not say it immediately.
Instead, she looked toward Daniel.
And Mercy suddenly wondered what secret she was about to hear.
🌙 End of Chapter Four
💍 Chapter Five – A New Life for Mercy
Mercy waited patiently for Daniel's mother to continue.
The older woman looked at her and smiled.
"You are about to become a wife."
Mercy nodded.
"And there is something every good wife must understand."
"What is it, ma?"
"Marriage is not about knowing everything. It is about being willing to learn."
Mercy became quiet.
The words touched her deeply.
Daniel's mother continued.
"You have a good career. You are educated. You have worked hard for everything you have."
"But a home has its own kind of work."
"You may not know everything today."
"But if you are willing to learn, you will become better every day."
Mercy smiled.
"I understand."
The woman held her hand.
"And never be ashamed to ask for help."
Mercy nodded.
"I won't."
That evening, Mercy returned home thinking about everything that had happened.
She remembered her first morning at the market.
She had entered with five thousand naira and the confidence of a woman who thought she knew what she was doing.
A few minutes later, she had stood in the middle of the market wondering where to begin.
She had forgotten ingredient names.
She had nearly spent all her money on the first things she saw.
She had even bought something she didn't need.
And a young boy had looked at her and asked,
"Is this your first time in a market?"
Mercy laughed whenever she remembered it.
But that embarrassing day had taught her something important.
There were many things she knew.
And there were many things she didn't know.
There was nothing wrong with that.
The important thing was being ready to learn.
From that day, Mercy became much closer to her maid.
Before, she had simply given instructions.
"Prepare this."
"Buy that."
"Make sure the food is ready."
Now things were different.
She sat with her maid in the kitchen.
She asked questions.
"How do you know when tomatoes are fresh?"
"How do you know how much rice to buy?"
"How much should this cost?"
"What should I keep in the freezer?"
Her maid happily taught her.
Sometimes Mercy made mistakes.
Sometimes they laughed together.
But Mercy kept learning.
She even started going to the market herself sometimes.
The first time she returned, she proudly placed her bags on the kitchen table.
Her maid looked at her.
"You went alone?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't get confused?"
Mercy smiled.
"I am now a professional."
Her maid laughed.
"Professional market woman?"
"Exactly."
They both laughed.
Months passed.
The wedding day finally arrived.
Mercy stood before the mirror that morning.
She looked beautiful.
But what made her smile was not the dress.
It was the journey that had brought her there.
She had once believed that being successful meant being able to do everything alone.
Now she understood that there was strength in learning from others.
There was strength in asking questions.
There was strength in accepting help.
And there was strength in preparing yourself for a new chapter of life.
When Mercy finally walked toward Daniel, he could not stop smiling.
He looked at her and whispered,
"My beautiful wife."
Mercy smiled.
"Not yet."
Daniel laughed.
"Very soon."
The ceremony was filled with happiness.
Their families celebrated.
Friends danced.
Food was served.
And Mercy's heart was full.
Later that evening, Daniel looked at her and said,
"Do you remember the first time I told you about the market?"
Mercy laughed.
"Please don't remind me."
"You were so confident."
"I thought it would be easy."
"And then you met Mama Rose."
Mercy smiled.
"That woman saved me."
Daniel nodded.
"She did more than that."
"What do you mean?"
"She helped you understand something."
Mercy looked at him.
"What?"
"That you don't have to know everything before you begin."
Mercy smiled.
She looked around their new home.
She thought about her old life in Abuja.
Her busy office.
Her comfortable routine.
Her maid doing almost everything for her.
She was still the same hardworking woman.
She was still a manager.
She still loved her career.
But now she had learned something new.
A home was not something to run away from because of work.
It was something to build together.
And she did not have to give up her career to become a good wife.
She only needed balance.
From that day forward, Mercy continued learning.
She learned new meals.
She learned how to shop wisely.
She learned how to plan meals.
She learned how to keep a proper kitchen.
And sometimes, she would still call her maid.
"Please, how much is this thing again?"
Her maid would laugh.
"Madam, you are supposed to know that by now."
Mercy would laugh too.
"Nobody knows everything."
And that became one of her favourite lessons.
She also remembered Mama Rose.
The woman who had seen her standing helplessly in the market.
The woman who had helped her choose the right ingredients.
The woman who had taught her that there was no shame in being a beginner.
One day, Mercy returned to that same market.
This time, she walked confidently.
She knew what she wanted.
She knew how much she was willing to spend.
She knew how to bargain.
And she even helped another young woman who looked completely confused.
Mercy smiled at her.
"Is this your first time in the market?"
The woman looked embarrassed.
"Yes."
Mercy laughed gently.
"Don't worry. I was once like you."
And somewhere nearby, Mama Rose watched and smiled.
Mercy had finally learned.
The market had not only given her food.
It had given her confidence.
It had taught her humility.
It had taught her that being successful did not mean knowing everything.
And most importantly, it had prepared her for a new life.
🌿 Moral of the Story
Never be ashamed of what you don't know. Life is full of things we must learn, and there is no weakness in asking for help. True wisdom comes when we are willing to learn, improve and grow.
💍 The End
🌙 End of Chapter Five