The Diary Game [15/02/2026] // A Different Kind of Sunday.

Hi guys, accept warm Steem greetings from the motherland of Cameroon, and welcome to my blog, where I'm gonna share my lifestyle content with you all.

This day was not the usual kind of Sunday, and perhaps that is why I feel both exhausted and grateful. Normally, Sundays for me as a Cameroonian mother begin before sunrise with ironing dresses, polishing the children’s shoes, warming water for baths, and preparing a quick breakfast before church. The sound of gospel music would fill the house, and by 8 a.m., we would be on our way, Bibles in hand, but today, life demanded something different.

^{Heading to the bus station in a public taxi.}

Instead of dressing for church, I headed straight for the bus station. A parcel had arrived from a relative in another city containing food items for the children, new shoes, and some medications we had been waiting for. Those packages mean more than words can explain. They carry love, sacrifice, and relief.

^{At the bus station to collect a parcel.}

The bus station on a Sunday morning is never calm. The smell of roasted corn mixed with exhaust fumes hung heavily in the air. Conductors shouted destinations at the top of their lungs, and passengers squeezed into buses as though space could magically expand. I held my handbag tightly under my arm, silently praying nothing would go wrong. Public transport here tests your patience and your strength. The pushing, the bargaining, the waiting, it drains you before the journey even begins.

When I finally reached the office to collect the parcel, the bus station was almost empty as if passengers were not available. It's school time and I understood that this was a difficult moment for inter-urban buses but my heart felt lighter because there will be no queues to follow. The box was heavier than I expected, but that weight felt like security. I whispered a quiet “thank you” to God right there.

^{At the mail service to check and collect the parcel.}

Getting back home with that load, however, was another battle to get a taxi. The taxi station was overcrowded, and I had to protect the parcel from being crushed. By the time I stepped down at my stop, sweat had soaked through my dress, and my shoulders ached. But there was no time to rest. A mother’s work does not pause.

At home, the children ran to me excitedly. Their smiles erased half my fatigue. After showing them what had arrived and setting the medications safely aside, I headed straight to the kitchen. Sunday or not, pots must be on the fire. I washed the huckleberries, chopped tomatoes, and prepared a simple vegetable soup with fufu corn. Between stirring the pot and scolding the little one for playing around the kitchen, I swept the compound and washed a pile of dirty dishes that seemed to multiply overnight.

By mid-afternoon, my body felt heavy. That was when I stepped outside and noticed the mango tree by the fence. One ripe mango hung low, golden and inviting. I plucked it carefully, washed it, and sat on the wooden bench to enjoy it. The first bite was sweet and juicy, its freshness cutting through the day’s stress. That simple fruit, grown by our own soil, felt like a gentle reminder that even in struggle, there are small gifts meant to comfort us.

^{Harvested fresh mangoes.}

Later, after everyone had eaten and bathed, I finally allowed myself to sit down and rest. I switched on the television just in time to watch Arsenal F.C. play against Wigan Athletic F.C.. Football has always been my small escape. For those ninety minutes, I was not worrying about school fees or market prices. I was simply enjoying the game, cheering quietly whenever Arsenal pushed forward.

As evening approached, the house grew calm. The children lay sprawled on their mats, tired from the day’s excitement. I felt a deep sense of accomplishment despite the stress. It was not the peaceful church-filled Sunday I am used to, but it was productive.

And now, as I close this diary, my body aches but my heart is steady. Until my next diary, guys, I wish everyone the very best for the week ahead. May we find strength in the small victories and sweetness in our own mango moments 🫶✌️✌️✌️.