The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Starving

Crutch crutches

The worm in my stomach started screaming. I realized that no food had entered my stomach. I saw that Zain had fallen asleep beside me. I dragged my two feet into the kitchen to find something I could eat. I opened the serving hood on the dinner table and it looked empty and then I closed it again.

After that, I opened the rice cooker and it turned out that the place was empty no more rice left in it. Mother had eaten it without leaving a shred of it for me, she had the heart.

I walked towards the rice storage container and then I opened the lid. I stared at the pus into the container because there was no more rice in it. My tears fell when I saw the rice was gone. How will we eat every day if the rice runs out. I wiped my tears and walked to the door of my mother's room that was closed.

tok tok tok tok

"Mom...mom...!" I called mother but there was no word from inside the room. I repeatedly called him out loud so he would wake up but there was still no truth. Tired of calling her, I decided to go back. However, when it was about to turn the door of the room opened.

"What the hell is the night that yells yells at me just sleep you Nur?" Mom nags me. I know it's nine o'clock at night but how else would I have to ask for money to buy rice.

"I'd like to ask for money to buy some rice ma'am. The heat is over." I replied without further ado.

"Lho, the rice runs out asking for the same money as me? buy your own money."

"I dare ask the mother because of the money needed to buy food is the mother who holds."

"And you know for yourself that I have given to Supri for his wife. Are you senile?"

"That's mom, the money for a daily meal is given to people. So in the future we want to eat what Mom?"

"Heh, you dare scold me. That Supri is my son and that Yati is my daughter-in-law and no one else. If I give money to them, it is my right. You have money from your husband, buy rice cakes, stingy so your man Nur."

I'm speechless. Again, mom called me stingy. That's how if you argue with your mother about money and shopping, the end will offend the issue of money for living from my husband. Maybe he thought my husband gave me a lot of money. Naturally I feel because, I never told him myself. I don't want to demean my husband in front of my family.

I rushed out from my mother's presence before she could talk to me about where I was because even my mouth was foaming, I wouldn't give my money to her and I'd rather just give up.

I entered my room holding onto my hungry stomach and feeling sore as if my magh had relapsed.

"I beg you not to love me, O God, for if I am sick what about my son Zain." My tears are falling. I cried while rubbing my sleeping child's cheeks.

I wiped my tears and stood up and took the remaining money from my husband that I kept. I counted the numbers and left seventy thousand more. Still have to wait another twenty-two days just to get a living money from my husband. I took twenty thousand to buy rice. I don't want my son to starve tomorrow because there's no rice to eat.

I rushed to the stall before the stall was closed because the time was ten o'clock at night. I went to the closest shop.

"Eh Nuri, nighttime tumben to the stall?" asked Bu Endang after seeing me just come and stand in front of him.

I smiled at him." Yes ma'am, I'm buying rice."

"Oh, yes Nuri three days ago Ms. Retno owed me two eggs."

I was flabbergasted and looked at the twenty thousand I held to buy rice.

Ms. Endang took a liter of rice and she gave it to me. I gave him twenty thousand dollars.

"What does your mother owe Nur? because Bu Retno likes to forget his debt sometimes nyampe new months paid." Complaints Bu Endang.

I smiled wryly." Yes, ma'am, cut it."

"This is the change." Ms. Endang offered her change and I accepted it. I looked at the change in my hand one sheet of five thousand and one dime a thousand. I glanced towards the pile of bread in a container.

"Bu Endang if the bread costs how much is the unit?"

"Oh, that's Nur's call."

I smiled happily and then I took a packet of bread and gave a dime to Bu Endang.

"Thank you ma'am, I'll excuse you."

"iya Nur, please."

I stepped my feet with wide steps to quickly get home because I wanted to immediately enjoy the bread I just bought for a thousand rupiah.

Arrive at home. I immediately stored the rice into the rice container and walked towards my room. I opened the bread quickly and ate it immediately to relieve the hunger in my stomach. One drop two drops to countless how many drops of my tears had dripped until I actually cried while eating bread.

Time has shown twelve o'clock at night but my eyes can't be closed. My mind is looking where. I think about tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and so on. Will my son and I be able to eat with the living money remaining fifty thousand?" I wonder how to find extra money? I cannot rely on the results of crackers that are certainly mastered by my mother.

Suddenly I had an idea for a traveling fry sale. Fifty thousand money that I can use to make fried capital. A smile on my lips. I close my eyes to welcome tomorrow because I have a new spirit.

At half-four in the morning I woke up. I see Zain still sleeping. This morning I want to go to the only vegetable stall that has opened at dawn in my village.

I left Zain alone in the room. I hope he doesn't wake up while I'm staying at the stall. I quickly put my feet up. Besides hunting with time, I don't want to die Zain too long at home because I'm afraid he's crying and then disturbing my mother's sleep and making my mother scold him as has happened several times.

I set my foot in the spirit of passing through the dark streets. Cold weather I did not ignore the important thing I immediately arrived at the destination.

After arriving at the place I was headed I immediately spent the remaining fifty thousand dollars from my husband. I bought a kilo of flour, a liter of cooking oil, two packs of tofu, two-packs of soup vegetables, toge and flavoring. Total cost forty eight thousand. I put one fifty thousand note on the seller, the only money I have. Then the seller gave me two thousand change. I stared at the two thousand money I was holding with glassy eyes.

"This is the rest of the living money from my husband, two thousand rupiah."

I held the money. Then, I rushed home while carrying the groceries in my hand.

Arriving home, I put the groceries on the table. After that, I went into the room to see Zain first. I smiled at my son who was still sleeping.

Adzan's voice is resounding. I rushed to the bathroom to get some water. I have to pray at dawn first before making fried food to be sold around the village.