A Simple Saturday.

Some Saturdays don’t need much. No plans. No rush. I stayed in today. The world outside could carry on without me for a bit. I needed this pause.

I woke up full of energy, as if it had been charging up all night. Since Friday was a public holiday, I’d already handled most of the house chores; cleaning, fetching water, arranging my scattered shoes, sorting soiled clothes, and putting dirty laundry in one place. I swept, dusted, and gave the space a little reset. So today, everything felt lighter, calmer and almost like my home was sighing with relief too.

After my morning prayer, I went straight to my wardrobe. I gathered the dirty clothes I’d already set aside, picked up my detergent powder (Good Mama), bar soap (Baby and Me), and a sachet of Hypo. Thankfully, the clothes weren’t much, so washing didn’t take long. In about 25 minutes, I was done. I refilled the bucket I’d emptied while washing, feeling satisfied ticking off a small but meaningful task.

Next was food, the main order of the day. Normally, Saturdays are for making soup that would take me through Sunday and maybe even Monday morning. But today, my taste shifted. I wanted rice and beans. It had been a while since I last cooked that, and the craving came just at the right time.

Without wasting time, I walked down to a nearby grocery shop to get everything I needed. The sun was already warming up the street, and I could feel a soft breeze brushing my face. I returned home, soaked the beans for about 30 minutes to soften them. While they soaked, I picked and rinsed the rice and prepped my other ingredients; pepper, onions, seasoning cubes, palm oil.

Once the beans were soft enough, I set them on fire. In less than 45 minutes, they were cooked. I drained the water, returned them to the pot, and added everything I had prepared seasonings, oil, and the rest of the things like scent leaves and thyme. The aroma soon filled the kitchen, wrapping around me like a warm hug. I felt proud even before the first bite.

Next came the rice. I rinsed it thoroughly and put it on the stove. Since it was just plain white rice, it didn’t take long. Once it started steaming, I drained it, added a pinch of salt, and let it finish cooking.

I kept an eye on it so it wouldn’t burn, and soon it was ready. I served myself a generous portion and ate to my fill.

After the meal, I felt completely satisfied and a little too full. I cleared my plate, washed up, and finally gave in to the sleep pulling at me. It wasn’t a long nap, but it was just enough. Just what my body needed.

And that was it. A simple Saturday spent at home- cleaning, cooking, resting. Nothing fancy. But somehow, it gave me a quiet kind of joy. The kind that reminds me that ordinary days can be just as nourishing as the special one.

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