Istikharah Unites Us
Mother in law

Actually I'm still heartbroken to hear what Mama said last night, but I don't want to take revenge. I don't want my future son to inherit that vengeance. I have forgiven Mama, and will always forgive Mama no matter how she treats me.

"Mea, the game cook. It's gini afternoon, really bad. Pregnancy is no reason for you to be lazy." cried Mama from the door of my room.

"Yes, Ma. A moment." I said. Not that I don't want to cook, but all of a sudden my body feels weak. Even though this morning had breakfast, had taken vitamins as well.

Sometimes I think, what used to be Mama when pregnant did not feel what I feel right now? It felt like I had no energy at all.

Afraid that Mama would grow angry with me, I woke up slowly from my ribaan. It hurts so much this waist, but it has to keep moving.

I walked slowly towards the kitchen while holding my waist and stroking my stomach. Inadvertently my eyes were fixed on my dirty clothes and Bang Rafli, it had been four days that I had not washed my clothes.

My mom and I do wash our clothes. Mama washes her clothes and Papa's clothes. While I wash my clothes and also Bang Rafli clothes.

I opened the fridge to see the vegetable stock. I honestly haven't thought about what menu I'm going to cook today.

I see there's fish in the freezer, there's tofu and eggplant round. "Gulai fish mixed with eggplant and sambal just know it." murmured in my heart.

Then I started to excrete the fish, throw out its entrails and wash it clean. Don't forget I sprinkle lime so that the fishy smell disappears. After that I continued slicing the eggplant and tofu. I mix two types of spices, one for gulai and the other for sambal. After ready to chop, I start by cooking sambal first, after that continue to cook fish gulai.

After I finished cooking I intended to go back to the room, but Mama stopped my steps.

"Mea, don't forget the broomsticks at the mop. Mama's feet are already stepping on the floor." Mama ordered me.

"Good, Ma. But Mea wants to lay down for a while, ma'am. About half an hour later Mea was working." I replied slowly and lowered my tone so that Mama would not be angry and would understand.

"All right, don't spoil you. Just cooked that much already want to fall asleep, soy sauce."

"Badan Mea feels really lemes, Ma." I said slowly.

"How dare you fight Mama?" he said while looking me in the eye.

"No, Ma." I said, bowing my face.

"Yes, what are you waiting for? Work gih." he said and left me.

I just nodded my head without daring to say another word.

I also carried out my mother's orders. Sweep the floor and also mop.

Every time I feel sad, hurt, stressed, my stomach hurts like it's on a prick, my son inside gets nervous too. Surely the doctor said if pregnant women are stunted, the baby inside is also following the pressure, therefore pregnant women should not be stressed.

***

It's almost eight o'clock in the evening, Bang Rafli is coming home soon. I went to the front room, waiting for the arrival of Bang Rafli to greet him and kiss the back of his hand.

When Bang Rafli arrived, Mama approached us.

"Your wife today dared to fight with Mama" he told Bang Rafli in an angry tone.

"Really?" ask Bang Rafli to me.

I shook my head.

"Where might he admit it. Cook it, Mama must remind. If not, he just fell asleep in the room. Mama told nyepu and mopping also denied." said Mama again.

"So that's your behavior if you're not home? For what in this house there is a son-in-law if such a trivial thing is still Mama who works on it." Bang Rafli snapped to me.

"It's not like that, Bang.." I wasn't ready to talk, I was broken up by Mama.

"Therefore you must be able to educate your wife so that she will obey her in-laws if you do not exist. Dirty clothes have also been left alone for a week, not washed by Mea" said Mama.

"Yes, Ma. Mama doesn't have to worry. Rafli will definitely advise Mea." said Bang Rafli while pulling my hand towards the room.

"Slowly, Bang. Mea's stomach hurts." I said with tears in my eyes. But Bang Rafli doesn't care about it.

"Your impudent son-in-law Mea." said Bang Rafli and raised his right hand, he was about to slap me.

"Also, Bang." I said and knelt before him. I was crying sobbing. I hope he pityes me.

"You're too much Mea, my mom's your mom too. You should be able to obey him." snapped Bang Rafli.

"Yes, Mea's sorry, Bang. Please don't be angry anymore." I asked.

"If you are still rude to Mama, Brother will not hesitate to throw you out of here" he said and laid his body in bed.

"The real events aren't as bad as you think, Bang. Hiks,, hicks, hicks." I said as I pleased.

"Shut up, don't need a lot of excuses. In any case, my brother believes more in Mama than you do." he replied, then he got out of bed and left me.

I was still sitting in my place, still as unwilling as to be afraid of being beaten by my own husband.

When Bang Rafli came out of the room, I heard Papa call him.

"Rafli, fight again with Mea?" ask Papa to Bang Rafli.

"Yes, Pa." she answered.

"That's it, Papa don't get mad at Rafli. Papa if you want to be angry, just be angry with Mea." said Mama.

"Mea is his son lazy, his stomach is big." replied Mama.

"Owh, Mama forgot first what it would be like when you were pregnant? Cook will not, nyuci does not want, some houses also do not want. All of Papa's Mama's working. My mother helped my mother when she was pregnant. His mother Papa loves Mama, not considered a daughter-in-law but considered her own child. Why can't Mama act like that to Mea?" papa said at length.

I was surprised to hear Papa talk. It turns out that Mama used to be spoiled by her in-laws, in love by her in-laws. Then why is there not even the slightest bit of affection for me?

"Even, pregnant people are different, Pa. The proof if asked Mea to do homework." said Mama defended herself.

"Yes, but forced because it forced the same Mama. Papa hope starting tomorrow Mama will help Mea cook and clean the house. Otherwise, Rafli and Mea don't stay here anymore, so Mama doesn't get spoiled" Papa said.

O Allah, Alhamdulillah. Someone still wants to defend Mea. Even though I rarely talk to Papa, because Papa often works out of town. Papa was better for me than Mama.

"Why did Mama even say spoiled?" ask Mama not to accept.

"The truth is so." replied Papa. "Rafli, get in the room and apologize to Mea" he continued.

Shortly afterwards Bang Rafli went into the room. He took my hand, helped me to stand up and immediately hugged me.

"Come sorry" he said softly.

I just nodded my head.

"Sorry Brother who is sometimes too emotional. That's because I love Mama. But that doesn't mean you don't love Mea, you just don't want anyone to hurt Mama Brother." he explained.

"Yes, Mea understands." I replied slowly.

"May we have dinner?" tanyakanya.

"Not yet, Mea waited for Brother to come home and then eat, so that they could have dinner together" I replied.

"Then get the food. Brother is hungry. We eat in both rooms." he asked.

"Well, Bang." I said, nodding my head.

Then I went out of the room to the kitchen to get some food. It turns out there was Mama and Papa eating dinner.

"Would we eat?" asked Papa when he saw me take the plate.

"Yes, Pa." I replied.

"Here sit down, we eat together, take Rafli too." papa pinta.

"No, Pa. Bang Rafli said he wanted to eat in the room." I replied.

"Owh, yes already then." he said.

I looked at Mama, Mama just kept quiet without saying anything. Probably shut up because I was angry with Papa, I thought.

After taking two dishes of food and also two glasses of water, I put them on a tray and went straight to the room.

"Let's eat, Bang." take me.

Then Bang Rafli sat in front of me. We ate the food that was in front of us.

"This is a cooked Mea?" tanyakanya.

"Yes Bang, why? Not good, huh?" I asked him back.

"Enak. But honestly you also miss eating Mama's cooking. Since Mea, Mama has never cooked." she replied.

I just kept quiet, not knowing what to answer.

"But Mea's cooking is no less delicious" he said with a smile, he looked me in the eye and stroked my head slowly.

"Thank you, Bang." I replied and returned his smile.

After I finished eating, I delivered the dirty dishes to the kitchen. I see the dining table is still a mess.

I took the time to clean up the dirty dishes on the table and store the leftovers in the cupboard.

"Well, why is Mea even wrong?" papa said and made me surprised, I immediately looked back and faced Papa.

"It's okay, Pa. Mea delivered the dirty dishes from the room." I replied.

"This mama is really bored." Papa grumbled.

"It's okay, Pa. Mea is really okay. Don't be mad at you again, Pa." I asked.

"Yes already." replied Papa quietly.

After finishing the dinner table, I went back to my room.

Every time you eat Papa will definitely smoke, Papa smokes on the back porch. He said cigarette smoke is not good for pregnant women like me, which is why Papa always enjoys his cigarettes outside the house. If not on the front porch, yes on the back porch.

When I got to the room, I immediately laid my body beside Bang Rafli. I saw he was asleep, maybe today he had a lot of work, to feel very tired. What else was when he arrived at home he was burned with emotion, it must have made him more tired.

I closed my eyes, I slowly lost consciousness and followed Bang Rafli into dreamland.