The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Egg noodles for mom

I immediately went to the stall that was located far enough away while carrying Zain. wherever I went always took Zain because my own mother never wanted to titipi my son even if only briefly. For some reason, my mother does not love her granddaughter the same thing to me as her biological child.

Arriving at the stall, I immediately ordered seven kilos of wheat flour and three kilos of kanji flour as well as some spices. My total groceries are one hundred and ten thousand. Now the rest of my husband's living money is left one hundred and ninety thousand more. In one day I have spent three hundred and ten thousand dollars. Again I smiled wryly and still had to wait another thirty days to earn a living from my husband.

I returned home carrying a heavy load on my left and right hands. To the left of my hand was holding Zain and to my right hand was carrying a large and quite heavy plastic. I didn't take Zain down because the road was uphill. I don't want my son to feel tired from the road uphill.

Arriving at the terrace of the house, I immediately lowered the two burdens on my hand. Then, I sat down to relieve the fatigue and soreness in both my hands.

"nuriy....!" yelled at mom inside the house. He already knew I was back because he heard Zain chattering.

"yes....!" I said with a slightly raised voice because I was afraid he did not hear my voice and then angry because he felt his call was ignored by me.

She opened the door and stood in the doorway and looked at me. I sat on the floor and looked at him.

"what's wrong, ma'am?"

"what's wrong, don't you know what time it is?"ask mom with her crisp voice.

"yes ma'am, I just got home from the shop."

"yes I know, but why are you still sitting there? not fast in and cook."

"yes ma'am, I want to cook now."

then, I turned to Zain who was playing marbles. I don't know where he came from is already in his tiny hands.

"Zain, play it in the kitchen yuk, mama wants to cook," asked Zain and the toddler nodded.

I got up and grabbed a big bag of crackles and grabbed Zain's hand and brought him into the house.

Arrive in the kitchen. I put the bag of crackles filled with flour and opened the refrigerator. I started taking out the tempeh and kale that I bought this morning at a traveling greengrocer. The kale started me small and my tempeh was thickly sliced. I'm cooking kale stir-fry and tempeh fry for dinner tonight. After finishing cooking I serve on the dining table made of boards.

I turned to Zain who was playing the little round thing. New toys for Zain. I stared sadly at my son who had no toys at all because I never bought him including my husband, to give nutritious food only I was very rare because of the limited money I had.

I do make crackers and sell them in every stall. But, that does not mean the result of the sale of crackers for me but all the benefits and capital my mother who holds it because the origin of making crackers is herself and I just help her. I never asked for the results of the sale of crackers because my mother said the results of the sale of crackers for our daily needs. Although actually not all daily needs are purchased by him.

After Zain was tidy, I fed him rice with eggs. It was rare that I could buy an egg for Zain, again due to the limited money I had. But, because today I still hold the living money from my husband so I can buy eggs.

While I was feeding Zain on the kitchen floor, my mother came and opened the hood. I glanced at the mother who was standing opening the hood and saw her plucking her lips.

"well, just tempe the same kale. You will get transfer from your husband. Buy a fish cake once. when the mother continues to buy fish," mother complained to me and then moved her lips five inches.

I always wanted to eat well. He bought fish almost every day. But, even though he bought the fish I just cooked it for him and never enjoyed it as well as my son. Because if I eat it and the number decreases, I'll protest.

"It's so fast ending, the feeling of a new mother eating two seeds."

Such insinuations I often hear from my mother's mouth when I eat fish he can buy. Therefore, I never ate it again, let my mother eat it herself. while I choose to eat with salt and chili and my son eats with soy sauce if I have absolutely no money.

" yes ma'am, tomorrow I buy fish, now I eat what's there first."

I always say whatever you want while I have money. But when I don't have money I just shut up and it sometimes makes him annoyed and mad at me. He said I was stingy or something when I actually had no money. I also cannot say that the living of my husband is never enough. Boro boro to share with parents for myself is not enough. But, as I said before that I keep my husband's dignity and worth because I don't want my husband to look ugly in the eyes of my family or anyone else.

"don't want ah, no taste. Try to buy noodles just like egg. mother again want to eat dog noodles." Mom told me to buy her noodles and eggs without giving me any money. That means he told me to buy it with my money. I grabbed him and rushed to the nearest shop holding Al. I bought one egg and instant noodles totaling five thousand. My husband's breadwinner was reduced by another five thousand, so the money I had left over another one hundred and eighty thousand because I had bought two eggs for Zain.

After that, I put Zain on the chair." wait for mama for a minute, son, mama wants to cook noodles for grandma first," Zain nodded. Then, I started cooking egg noodles just like my mother had.

"don't be too mateng ya Nur, mother does not like mushy noodles, keep her eggs must mateng," said the mother arrived, she stood in the kitchen doorway. I nodded without speaking.

"Later if you've brought it to the front tivi yes Nur, mother wants to eat there," said the mother again. I nodded again without speaking.

Silence, it seemed like mother had already left the doorway. Then I looked back, and sure enough, my mother was gone.

Egg noodles are ready for me to cook. Then, I took her to the tv room where my mother was waiting for my homemade noodles while watching tv.

"this is the Mom of the noodles." I said. then I put the bowl of noodles on the mat right in front of him. Mom didn't say anything, she just looked down at the bowl I put and focused back on the television screen featuring the movie Indosiar. The 21-inch slim TV I bought five years ago has been her own entertainment.

After that I went to the kitchen to pick up my son who I was sitting on a chair. Then, I went to watch tv with Zain. But, I was sitting in the corner because I was afraid that Zain would bother his grandmother. I saw my mother enjoying the egg noodles deliciously making me swallow my own saliva. When was the last time I ate egg noodles I forgot, but it seemed like two years ago before I gave birth to Zain.