How can mothers like me rest on Saturdays?

Diary of a mom.

Saturday, 6th July, 2024.

I ‘sha’ don’t understand the way time is speeding today. After last night’s Holy Ghost service , I slept past two or so. Then I woke up around 7am to quickly go spread the laundry I did the previous nights before other neighbors woke up and took over the line . That’s what happens when you’re sharing clothes lines with about eight other flats; we live in a 3 storey building o. It’s been raining for the past few days now, the rain wouldn’t have bothered me ,if my spinner was functioning ,because all I’ll just do is to spin the clothes dry but the spinner of my washing machine broke down some weeks ago. So I kept asking God to send the sun as I spread the clothes . I need the clothes to dry before I set out for my mission school in church . There’s also a good women meeting but there’s no way I’d be able to squeeze it into my schedule today , I beg. Going for the Good women meeting would mean I’d have to stab washing the clothes and doing other house chores that I’ve not been able to do this week , especially airing my clothes ; thanks to Mr. rain.

So, I ‘jejely’ decided not to attend the meeting o, so I can be in church by 12 noon for my mission class, then glide into choir rehearsal slated for 2pm as well. So, you see, Saturdays aren’t really rest days for me;they’re full working days . Talk about the life of a mom in the choir . I’ve suggested that rehearsals be moved till later in the evening ‘sef’ because that midday timing ‘get as e be ja re’ Sometimes, it’s around 12 noon that I’d be winding down my chores and sleep will be beckoning but to sleep is to be absent from my duty post on Sunday and I hate to do that . 

The boys woke up early . In fact , it was Folorunsho who needed to visit the restroom that woke me up and ever since then, the dude has refused to go back to bed . I don’t know why these children manage to wake up early on weekends but you’d end up dragging them out of bed during the week. I was outside spreading the clothes when Folorunsho joined me , I had to remind him to go say a word of prayer and read his Bible .( wonder why I have to keep repeating this almost on a daily basis . I try to make him read a chapter of the book of proverbs daily ). By the time I got back into the house , Fiyin too was already awake and was also using the restroom and needed me to clean up for him. I’m not surprised that they both needed to use the restroom first thing this morning , considering all they ate last night . Folorunsho was even boasting last night , telling Fiyin “I ate eleven things”. From Suya, to roasted corn, biscuits , ice cream , Pepsi…. After cleaning him up, I held his hands and we said a word of prayer together .

Then came their usual chorus “ mummy, we are hungry” . Hubby traveled , so it’s just them versus I . Honestly , two are indeed better than one and whenever hubby travels like this , my heart always prays for widows because I’m like , this is what a widow’s life looks like on a daily basis . Doing everything alone without assistance .(may the lord strengthen and uphold all widows and send them help at the nick of time in Jesus name) I also get to appreciate my husband better o. So, you can imagine all I had to do all alone . Just to buy more time so I can finish my laundry , I sent Folorunsho off to brush his teeth and tidy up their room if he was to have breakfast . But I had to leave what I was doing to brush for Fiyin because he won’t let me hear word . Let him do and start brushing his teeth by himself .While preparing cereal for Fiyin , I kept getting calls from viewers of the Bible Tunes Children’s Show and I wasn’t picking because sometimes you pick and the caller just cuts , so I always prefer them to send messages . But Folorunsho walked up to me and said “ Mom, why aren’t you picking your calls?” I knew where he was headed ; he loves me picking my calls , especially if it’s from the show . I took a few minutes to think of the right answer to give him . So I said to him “I prefer them sending text messages”. The next thing this boy said  really got to me : “ Mom, I’d love that you always pick your calls because you never can tell when it’s a call from the president”. Amen o. Me, I don’t joke with my children’s words o because I strongly believe that God sometimes speaks through them to me.

I actually  thought that I’d be able to get another hour of sleep before heading off to church but looking at the time now , it’s almost 10 am and my class commences at 12 noon. And I still have to make lunch to take along for the boys except I’m ready to do ‘buy buy’. The bathroom and restroom also needs washing . I already swept the living room , immediately after the Holy Ghost service  last night, so that my workload would reduce this morning but even at that it seems like I’ve still got so much more to do. Even though I desire sunshine because of my clothes , a part of me is also thinking ‘pe’ maybe it should just rain , so I can have a legit reason to be late for class. I beg leave me o.’ If you were in my shoes , what would you do? Honestly, I need a body massage and my ‘Odogwu no come dey house nah’

Some clothes were almost dried when I was about to leave the house so I took them in and spread them inside the laundry room and only left those that were still quite wet but inform Inioluwa, my neighbor’s daughter to help bring them in if it rains. Eventually left home by almost 1pm for a class that was to begin by 12noon. started the car but it said ‘be driving me o’ but after several ignitions and with the help of engineer Folorunsho, the car started. I don’t like car drama whenever hubby isn’t around because my own is just to drive the car. The only thing I know how to do is to check the water level and refill. when we eventually got to the church, the mission class didn’t hold, learnt our lecturer was sick. but then, it was already time for rehearsal, so off I went with the boys . Rehearsal ended at some minutes to five and then it was time for prayers for the ongoing 14days prayer and fasting for the second half of the year. prayers ended by 6pm and still had to do ‘buy buy’ because the boys were singing their popular chorus again. please tell me, ‘how can a mom like me rest on Saturdays?