As the bus finally rolled in, I glanced over my shoulder at the alleyway we were entering: dark and dismal. A cockroach tried to jump out at me from the windowsill but I flinched just in time. “Yes, this bus is dirty,” seemed to be the only words Janet could muster. We stepped down and glanced around warily, wondering if our ride would find us somehow. Fortunately Mister Joe did, because I’m not sure what we would have done otherwise, completely wiped from our journey. As we made our way through the maze of Yaounde the clock finally struck midnight. We stood outside Janet’s house, banging on the door, begging anyone to hear and let us in, only to get the soft reply of the dogs whimpering in sympathy. As we stood on that dark street staring at the dead silence surrounding us, I realized dreamily that hey, it was officially my birthday. As we managed to get in and finally get ready to sleep, Janet smiled at me from the kitchen and said the classic Cameroonian phrase: “Du courage!”
It’s not everyday you turn 29……then again, maybe that’s a good thing. This year, as usual, I hadn’t really planned to have a birthday, but luckily a birthday party found me, once I managed to get back to Bafia in what seemed a lifetime later after that long trip to Yaounde from the east.
I’m glad we didn’t have enough candles this year
Life may not always be easy, but it is those moments of strength and endurance that keep us going. My community has taught me that everyday. No matter what happens, you can’t stop believing that tomorrow will come and bring something better and brighter, and that through hard work and determination, we can succeed. Du courage!!!
