The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Sauteed spinach and tempeh

"Nur...Nuri..!"'s search...!" mother's scream outside the room was enough to constrict my ears. I immediately save the money given by Bu Haji and tuck it under neatly arranged clothes in the closet. Then I poked my head out the door. Looks like my mother's appearance is still random. I know he just woke up. I wonder why she sleeps so hard from night until day when she wakes up.

"What's wrong, ma'am?"

"What's wrong, it's daytime why haven't you cooked yet huh?"

I let out a breath. Just woke up mom scolded me. Besides forgetting, actually I was still upset with him because I had finished all the fritters I had left to eat us together. But I realize it is not good to inhabit parents for too long.

"Yes, wait a minute. Better to take a shower first while waiting for cooked food."

Mother left, she obeyed what I told her. I turned to Zain who was still playing with his toys.

"Son, mommy wants to cook first, Zain just play alone here huh?"

"Yes my mom."

I smiled and then I kissed her forehead with my darling. A love that will never fade no matter what. I promised myself I would treat Zain well and never treat him like my mother did to me.

I rushed to the kitchen to cook. I put spinach vegetables and cut tempeh because this afternoon I will cook spinach stir-fry and fried tempeh. I know my mom won't like it but I let her go and whether she wants to eat it or not.

Twenty minutes later my cooking was done and I put it on the table. I rushed into my room to see my son. Soon a loud scream echoed from the kitchen. I know you might be in shock to see the food I'm cooking for her. I sighed and went out of the room and met my mother in the kitchen.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" ask me to relax.

Mom looked at me. Mom looks really angry at me.

"What's up? what are you cooking this? how could you give food like this to your own mother."

"Sorry Mom, my money is up. After all, once a time, you have to eat vegetables. Vegetables are rich in vitamins so that the mother's body is fresh if you consume a lot of vegetables, "my reason, when in fact my money is not enough to buy meat.

"Here is the reason you. You're basically stingy with old people."

"It's not a stingy ma'am, but my money's already ma'am."

"Preet, I can't believe your money's gone. The proof is you can buy a lot of fried food this morning." Mother did not know that I sold traveling fried food. I intentionally didn't let it go, I thought.

"Oh, so is it true that I guess that the fried food is eaten by all mothers? why spend all the money, ma'am? don't you know that Zain and I haven't tasted it yet?"

"Here, do not be stingy with parents, the sin is great. After all, the sin is great if you do not want to share with parents."

I fell silent, again mother said the word sin. I swallowed my saliva and hurried to leave my mother who was still nagging.

"Heh, Nur. Where you going? I'm not done talking."

I looked at the mother who was shaking her waist.

"As for mom, whether she eats or not." I immediately left without looking at me again. I don't know how my mother's face looks either.

At one o'clock in the afternoon I came out of my room to perform dhuhur prayer. Before going to the bathroom, I looked up at the table that was clean and not left. I smiled, not that I wanted to get angry because mom didn't leave food on the table for me but rather I was happy that mom ended up eating it too. Because to eat my own I can cook it back because I still leave the raw ingredients.

After praying and eating, I turned to look at the door of my mother's room.Seeing the door was tightly closed and I was sure my mother was sleeping again. I did not care about it and I went outside the house to pick up the clothes clothes of Hajah Fatimah. I ironed the clothes one by one while spraying fragrance because I didn't want Bu Haji to be disappointed in me. I looked at Levis pants belonging to his youngest son, the big hajj ma'am.

"Actually Raihan how big his pants are now only as big as gini" I muttered involuntarily. I have never seen Raihan since I married my husband. Either I am busy or he is busy so that he never again shows his form before me.

I lost my mind, and then I started rubbing Raihan's five Levis pants.

As usual, I woke up at dawn to fulfill my duty as a Muslim. After that, I started chopping small vegetables to make bakwan and then started making dough. I dip one by one the bakwan dough on a hot pan that was filled with oil yesterday. Thank God the remaining oil yesterday is still a lot so I no longer need to buy it.

I've finished frying all the dough until it's gone. I looked up at the fried food that stood on top of the rice winnow.

"May my fry sell again today. Amen."

I left four fried foods and I put them on the plate and then I put them on the table. Then I took four more seeds and brought them into my room. Learning from yesterday I didn't want to put it together with the mother part because I'm sure mom will spend it again. I saw Zain still sound asleep but I forced him to wake up. Zain did not cry but smiled as if he understood that his mother would invite him to look for Rizki.

As usual, I carried Zain behind my back using a pull and then I rushed out of my room. I see my mother's door is still closed. I let it go and I rushed out of the house with one hand holding a fry on top of my head, and one hand carrying a well-groomed Bu Haji shirt and Zain behind my back.

I didn't offer my next-door neighbor first because I had to deliver the Hajj Ma'am's clothes to reduce my burden. I walked down the street to Bu Haji's house. After arriving at his house I say hello repeatedly until without Bu Haji out of his house. He smiled at me.

"Lady....!" He walked towards me and opened the gate of his house.

I smiled at him."Yes, hajji."

"Let's go in first."

"Here's Ma'am, the clothes I've washed at once in the iron."

"Oh Allah, why not later. It must be the weight of the car."

"It's okay ma'am, I'm through."

"Yes already if so sit down first I want to buy fried food."

"Yes, hajj." I obeyed Haji's order to sit on the front porch of his house. Then I went down my wares overhead."

"In the meantime, Nur, I'll take the plate first."

"iya Bu hajji."

When I was waiting for the Hajj Bu to return, I felt that there was a figure of a person who was watching me behind the window of Bu Haji's house. And when I looked back the figure hid behind the curtains.

"Is it just me?" I murmured in my heart.