Staff Reporter

In an incident that has left the quiet neighbourhood of Tynwald North in shock, a local woman was allegedly caught by her husband in a compromising position with their garden boy, only identified as Tendai.

The scandalous affair, which has earned the nickname “The Greenhouse Scandal,” unfolded on Sunday afternoon when Mr. Phineas Dube returned home earlier than expected from his usual church service.

According to reports, Mrs. Florence Dube, 42, was discovered in the family’s backyard garden, passionately entangled with Tendai, the 25-year-old garden boy, the hired just three months prior, to tend to their blossoming tomato plants.

A furious Mr. Dube, a well-known deacon at their local church, was said to have been left speechless at the sight of his wife’s afternoon gardening activities. He immediately confronted Florence, but she reportedly responded in a rather shocking manner, claiming that her husband was not “watering the garden properly.”

“He doesn’t water the plants enough,” Florence allegedly told neighbours, who gathered after hearing the commotion. “A woman needs proper attention, and Phineas hasn’t been… well, let’s just say the soil has been dry for a while!”

While the garden boy, Tendai, reportedly fled the scene in nothing but his work overalls, sources say he has not been seen since, though some speculate that he is hiding out at a friend’s homestead in Mbare.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dube was said to be visibly distressed, asking anyone who would listen how it was possible for a man like him, who pays tithes and fasts every Friday, to be “cuckolded by a boy who barely knows how to trim a hedge.”

A close family friend, Mrs. Maud Ndlovu, shared her views on the matter: “Florence always liked her garden a little too much if you ask me. Every time I passed by, she was talking about how much attention her roses needed. But who knew she was talking about more than just roses?”

As the neighbourhood gossipers continue to spin their tales, Mr. Dube is said to be considering marital counselling, though some speculate that he may also be seeking revenge by growing his own “secret crop” on the side.

Meanwhile, Tendai’s sudden disappearance has sparked rumours that he may be applying for asylum, citing “occupational hazards” in Zimbabwean gardens.

As of now, the tomato plants remain untended, much like the broken hearts involved in this bizarre gardening saga.