The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Nasgor roadside

In the midst of our serious conversation, my stomach was rumbling and sounded quite loud. I immediately looked down embarrassed as Raihan smiled at me.

"You hungry, baby?"

I nodded slowly. How not to be hungry, so busy to and fro we forgot and missed dinner.

Raihan looked at the clock that was coiled in his hand."At ten, it's worth your stomach to sound." Then he started the car." I hope there's a restaurant at this hour."

"To my knowledge there is no restaurant here, Rai."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. He he." Raihan smiled smirked.

"Where do we eat?"

"On the roadside only. Pecel chicken or fried rice."

"Who is my queen."

Raihan drove his car slowly down the street while looking for a place to sell fried rice or chicken pecel. Shortly thereafter, he stopped his car on the side of the road.

"Honey, no chicken pecel. There's a fried rice cooker," Raihan said.

"Where?"

"That!" point Raihan in a direction and I follow his line of sight. There was a empty fried rice wagon with no buyers.

"Yes already." Then we went down and approached the fried rice seller.

"We ordered two servings of fried rice here, sir," Raihan told the fried rice seller.

"Alhamdulilah, please sit down mas, mba. Wait a minute, yes" said the father with a happy smile.

Raihan and I nodded and sat on a plastic chair without a table.

Not long after, the nasgor seller came and gave us two plates of nasgor.

"Thank you sir" said Raihan.

"Same as you."

Then we ate in silence and only the sound of the twang of the spoon was mutually unpretentious. When I looked in a dimly lit direction, the lights hanging on the power pole, I saw the figure of a woman who had seen him several times standing looking at us. I stopped chewing on him. Faintly I saw him smiling because of his white teeth but I could not see clearly what his shape was.

"What are you looking at?" Turns out Raihan was watching my direction.

"The woman was there" I said.

"Woman, whose woman?"

Suddenly the woman disappeared. I was a little surprised and rubbed my face.

"Why are you?"

I'm shaking." It's okay what. I'm just hallucinating."

"Halusination!"

"Rai, I'm full. Can't we go home now."

"Yes already."

Then Raihan called the nasgor and he put a hundred thousand money on the nasgor.

"Well, that's huge. There is no money just for you! frankly new mas and mba who bought my nasgor."

Raihan smiled." No need to change, sir. Oya, how many kids do you have at home?"

"My son is two mas, one goes to SMP and another is still SD."

"What wife do you work for?"

"Oh, sorry sir, I don't know. Why did you not marry again. I think you're young."

The man smiled." I love my wife very much, my husband. In addition, I was also afraid of not being able to give a decent living to my second wife. Therefore, it is better for me to focus on growing children and send them to a higher level so that after growing up my two children do not have the same fate as me."

Long enough we talked with the nasgor merchant until at the end of the story, Raihan pulled a dozen pieces of red money in his wallet and gave the money to the father. At first, the father refused but Raihan forced him and finally the father received the money given by Raihan.

"My future husband is very kind, often very attentive to small people." I praised him when we got in the car.

Raihan smiled." Not all the little guys I treat, baby, I choose people. I would rather give money to a small merchant than give money to a beggar or a beggar who is still healthy and can still work unless the old beggar or beggar who has physical disability. If they are clearly not able to find money with such conditions.

"Why is that? it's not the beggars or the buskers who are still healthy are also small people."

"I think the beggar or the beggar who looks healthy is just a lazy person. The reason they say it's hard to find a job. Even if they want a lot of things they can do to make money even though they do not have a diploma. But if the merchant, it's obvious they're trying even though the trade is less salable at least they've tried."

Hearing Raihan's words about small traders, I remembered very much I sold traveling fried food. I also felt what it was like when the merchandise didn't sell. My tears flowed when I did not want to cry.

"Hey, honey. Why crying?" Raihan wiped my flowing tears.

I'm staring at her." Is that why you always buy a lot of my fritters or give me the same money when I'm still selling it?"

"Sorry baby, I didn't mean to remind you of your hard times at all."

I'm smiling." It's okay Rai, it's just that this thing will remember me to always duck when I'm on top."

Raihan rubbed my head.

"But baby, you know the real reason I gave the money to the porridge merchant?"

"What?"

"Besides the father trying to make money by selling, he was honestly visible from the look in his eyes and he was also loyal to the couple. Her life story was inspiring and her mindset was eleven twelve with me, hehe. You know, baby, I wanted to marry you when I was in school. But I think again because of the existence of my life that was not yet established even though I actually already have an income but still I feel not worthy and afraid of not being able to provide you properly. But now, whatever you want I can give it."

I'm smiling." I don't want anything from you to Rai, I just want to be loved to death like you loved his wife."

"Why the other end is talking about death, baby. But of course I'll be like the father, living for a child not to find another woman."

"really! but your fate is different from that of Rai, you are handsome, young, smart, rich and come from a distinguished family. Countless how many women...."

Cup

Raihan kissed me on the cheek and started the car and drove away.

I smiled at him. How I'm not so grateful to be loved by her. I was his first love, the first woman he hugged and the first woman he kissed. While Raihan is for me, not my first love because my first love is Andre. He was also not the first male figure to touch my body because I was the only woman ever married. Sometimes I feel insecure about her when I remember that.

It did not feel the car we were riding in front of Raihan's house. Bu Haji was chatting on the terrace with Art. I know they must be waiting for us to come.

"Why did you guys go so long? why don't you want to return my messages and phone? you know, you're just making me worry." The hajj maam immediately asked questions when we had just climbed the terrace.

"Sorry ma'am, my cell phone is staying in the room" Raihan said, smiling.

"Geez Rai, Rai."

"What's Zain naughty Ma'am?"

"He's a smart kid and understanding where he might be naughty."

I'm smiling." Where is Zain now, ma'am ?"

"Sleeping in mom's room. Let him sleep with mom tonight."

"Will it trouble you?"

"No Nuri, yes you have there rest. I'm gonna talk to Raihan first."

I nodded." Yes, ma'am." Then I rushed into Raihan's room.

I closed my eyes hoping tomorrow would come soon. I can't wait to see the people I've met cry out in front of me.