The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Chicken for mom

I put Zain to bed first before struggling with my activities at night. A subtle snoring rang out then I turned to my son apparently he was already sound asleep.

I left my room and walked towards my mother's room. Then knock on the door of his room. It took me several times to knock it open. As if she had just woken up, she tried to open her eyes and yawn in front of me.

"want what the hell to wake up mom?" ask the mother who looks upset. He was upset because his sleep was disturbed by me. I wonder why mom is asleep when the clock still shows seven o'clock at night, enter the time isya not yet. Does he not pray first? my thinking.

"don't we make crackers tonight, Mom?" ask directly. I don't want to talk stale, because my mom's not the kind of person to talk to or be joked with.

Mother yawned again in front of me, then rubbed her eyes.

"mom drowsiness Nur, not strong if in the meat. You make your own crackers. After all, the crackers that last night were made by you who damaged them so you have to take responsibility for yourself.

Mom went back into her room and closed the door after telling me to make my own crackers. I breathe heavily. Then, drag both my legs towards the kitchen.

Arriving in the kitchen, I opened the hood. I have to eat first to be energetic to make crackers afterwards. I saw kale vegetables and fried tempeh that I cooked this afternoon is still intact.I ate it greedily because it was hungry.I spent kale vegetables because I did not want to throw away food. However, fried tempeh I leave four pieces for my breakfast tomorrow morning because fried tempe will not stale just keep frying it back.

After finishing the meal, I immediately prepared the ingredients to make the cracker dough first. After I finished making the dough, I lit the wood stove because I had to cut down the gas. I steamed each dough one by one because the place steaming it is small so it can not accommodate a large amount. After that, I started to grind a little bit of the dough that had been steamed into a flat and thin shape. It took a long time to make the crackers especially I made it myself. Drowsiness began to fall on my two eyes. However, I have to hold it to completion because it must be finished tonight so that tomorrow morning can be directly in the sun. Until two o'clock in the morning I just finished working on it.

That is my routine before going to bed. Almost every night I make crackers for sale in some stalls and the profits to eat our daily meals and pay for my mother's arisan.

The crowing chicken disturbed my sleep. I tried to blink my eyes that felt so sticky. I saw Zain was still asleep right next to me and turned to look at the clock attached to the wall of the room already showed at half-five in the morning. Adzan's voice was also heard. Then, I dragged both my feet to fetch the ablution water first.

After I finished praying, I went to the kitchen and washed the dishes, cooked the water, and then washed the clothes with the washing machine, the washing machine I bought with my money five years ago. I am grateful that the washing machine is still functioning properly so that it makes me not too tired to wash clothes.

I fry eggs for Zain breakfast and warm the tempeh I left last night for my breakfast.

"what are you cooking? ask my mother in the back while opening the hood. I know he just woke up looking from his hair that is still random scramble.

"what is nur yet?" ask again in disappointment.

"No fishmen have passed by yet, ma'am" I replied.

"continue, is that you fry what?"

"fry eggs for Zain and fry the remaining tempe overnight.

I heard my mother sighing harshly."if I wasn't shopping, like at the table there was no food. Keep the fridge empty and there's no contents."

I know mom is insinuating me. But, does he not think how I can shop if the results of the sale of crackers only he who holds everything all this time. Mom always thought that I had money from my husband. But, I could only keep quiet hearing the insinuations.

"yes there you buy mother chicken porridge. I had this laper," he said. Mom told me to buy her some porridge but didn't give me any money in the sense that she told me to buy it with my money.

I nodded without speaking. I picked up a bowl and rushed over to Zain who was playing marbles in the tv room. But, when I asked him he did not want to because he was cool to play the small object again.

"Nurii.pick the porridge, very long time," cried the mother in the kitchen.

I leave Zain who won't come with me, let it be, he's a henchman with his new toy.

I walked towards the porridge stall located not far from my house. Just a few houses. Arriving there have been many people in line to buy the porridge, because in my place it is the only seller of chicken porridge. I also lined up. I waited long enough for it to be my turn.

"Mom Minah, I order one porridge. Here's the bowl." I thrust the bowl I had brought from home to the woman of childbearing stature. Porridge and fried seller.

"tumben you bought Nur's porridge? usually never buy my porridge."

I smiled faintly at what Bu Aminah said." Yes Mom, porridge for mom."

"oh, porridge for your mother. Oya your mother has a debt of fifteen thousand. Two weeks ago he ate porridge and fried here has not paid. His people aren't nongol nongol here anymore."

I flinched, did mom deliberately tell me to buy porridge for her so that you would pay her debt? my thinking.

Ms. Aminah put the porridge in the bowl I brought from home and thrust it at me.

"this is the pulp."

Then, I thrust a blue piece of money at him and he grabbed it from my hand.

"total twenty-five thousand ya nur, porridge ten thousand and your mother's debt fifteen thousand. So the change is twenty-five thousand" said Bu Aminah while thrusting the change towards me

I smiled wryly, my husband's living money was reduced again and there were a hundred and fifty-five thousand left.

"thank you, ma'am" I said. Then I rushed home to my house.

Arriving home, I heard my mother's loud screams and Zain's cries. I flinched and my chest was pounding. I'm afraid what happened to my son, Zain. I rushed in and met Zain in the tv room. I found my mom beating my son's ass crying hysterically. My pupils widened, I was shocked. How could a grandmother with the heart beat her own grandchildren who do not understand what.

"mommy..stop Buuu." I shouted and immediately put the chicken porridge in any place. Whether it spilled or not I didn't know because I was freaking out seeing my dear child beat up his ass.

I ran and grabbed my crying son and carried him and away from my mother.

"Why did you beat up Zain, your own granddaughter?" I said while stroking Zain's back to calm him down.

"tega, you said he couldn't throw his grandmother with marbles. Look at the eel I see this, thankfully it doesn't leak," said the mother with a fiery flame.

I looked at my mother's forehead, there was indeed a slight lump on her forehead.

"but Zain was a little girl, Ma'am, he didn't understand what, after all how could Zain throw a mother with marbles?" I'm defending my son. I can't believe what my mother said. Zain was too small to deliberately throw the marbles at his grandmother.

"oh, so you think you're lying, so what's the evidence? when mom herself threw it to the eel. do you think I'm not sane?"