The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
Renters collect debt

I sat up on my bed. Zain was playing in the TV room. I have so much to think about in my brain. About the rumors about me and Raihan, about my husband and about how I made money without leaving Zain.

"Oh Allah, it is easy for your servant to seek the way of your sustenance! because I can't expect a gift from my husband." I murmured inwardly as I stared at the sky of the room.

My activities today are just babysitting Zain while thinking about how to make money but have not found the idea until I am tired of myself and fall asleep. I don't know how long I slept until I woke up because I heard a loud voice mum nagging my son until Zain cried.

"Oh my God, Zain!" I immediately got up and went out of the room to meet my son who was in the jewel of his ear by my mother. Zain looked in pain and cried loudly.

I widened my eyes to see what my mother did to Zain and then I shouted, "my son's gone Mom!" soon I ran towards them and grabbed Zain and took him away from mom.

While stroking Zain's back in my arms, I stared furiously at the mother who had pushed my son's ears red. I don't accept her treatment for hurting my son.

"It's too bad mom hurt mom's own granddaughter. I really am a grandmother who has no heart and no feelings." I spoke in my voice because I was really angry with him. In addition, I sharpened my eyes on her so that she felt afraid and regretted her actions. But instead he defended himself not wanting to be blamed.

"Why do you blame me Nur? your child who is less afraid has stepped on my bag. No manners like you."

"Mom, Zain is still too small yet to understand. Does Zain's mother think she knows that it's a mother's bag of value? Zain doesn't know what Mom is, she just knows toys. Shouldn't put the mother's bag carelessly so as not to think of toys by Zain."

"Even, you stupid son of a bitch, just like you're stupid."

I was getting furious at my mother who had told my son who did not understand what was called stupid. It was so furious that my teeth were grinding. If only she wasn't my mother I might've squeezed her mouth.

"Again mother hurt my son, I will not hesitate to report mother to the police on charges of violence against toddler," I threatened him and my threat turned out to make his mouth shut and his facial expression tense. And I'm glad to see it. Just let him not dare to hurt my son anymore.

I went out of the house leaving the mother who was still silent. With a feeling of annoyance and indignation I slammed the door quite hard. Then I calmed Zain down outside the house.

While I was sitting on the porch watching Zain playing in a car outside, a middle-aged woman who looked like a modern woman visited my house. He got off his bike and opened his glasses. I'm still watching him. He approached me and greeted me with his flat face.

"Excuse me, are you Nuri?" ask the woman with a proud face.

With a feeling of wonder I also stood up and answered him, "right I myself, what is the need ma'am?"

"I'm here to collect a two-million debt, but it's more than the due date, you should have paid it last week," said the woman who I did not recognize at all arrived just talking about debt and made me surprised not playing.

"Well, collect debt, sorry what debt ma'am, it feels like I never owe anything to mom, just know no."

"It's not you who borrowed it but Miss Retno and on your behalf."

"What....my mother borrowed money and in my name?"

"Yes, if you don't believe, just ask him and his notes are there."

My chest started to rumble and it was so tight. Once my mother borrowed money from a loan shark on behalf of me who didn't know. I went inside the house until I forgot my son who was playing in the yard.

I knocked on mom's door many times while calling her but she didn't want to go out. Because I was so upset at the mother who didn't want to come out, I kicked the door using one of my legs loudly while shouting, "Get out Mom, sneak out otherwise I break the door. Don't pretend not to hear, I know you're deliberately avoiding me. Cepetan open the door, ma'am!" Mom still doesn't want to open the door.

"How about Nuri, I don't have much time. Mba Nuri has to pay now." The dentist arrived behind me while I was still kicking the door of my mother's room with emotion. I turned around and befell him, "can't be so dong Bu, who owes it to my mother, Why should I pay him?"

"But on your behalf!"

"But I didn't eat the money, ma'am, you know my mother didn't borrow the money from me."

"I don't want to know, I just want my money back with the interest. Whether you know it or not is clear your mother borrowed my money and you have to give it back two million."

"I don't have that kind of money, I'm paying my mother because she borrowed it and used it." With a feeling of annoyance I was about to leave but my hands were choked by him.

"Where are you going? you're gonna have to take responsibility for paying your mother's debt to me."

I shook off the hand I just knew as a loan shark. He looks so angry at what I did to him.

"Mothers are the same child, same liars and have no sense of responsibility. I don't want to know, tomorrow the money should be there. Otherwise don't blame me if my men break into your house and sell your valuables."

I swallowed my saliva with great difficulty hearing the threat. Can't imagine what if my house was broken apart by thugs and then hoisted the goods. In the middle of my silence, the loan shark left my house.

I inhaled the air in and then exhaled slowly, hoping that the emotions that were enveloping my heart muffled and I was not stopping beristighfar. After my emotions stabilized, I just remembered Zain who I left alone in the courtyard of the house.

I immediately went out to meet Zain, but after I was outside I could not find his whereabouts. I began to panic, running to and fro looking for Zain's whereabouts while shouting his name but Zain I could not find. In a state of panic I thought that someone had kidnapped my son. I smashed my body on the terrace floor.My eyes began to water and then flowed. I cried while saying my son's name.

However, while I was crying, Raihan was already standing beside me holding Zain. I immediately took over Zain and kissed him crying.

"I found Zain on the way to my house!" said Raihan arrived.

My cries stopped and turned towards Raihan." What, Rai, did you find Zain on the road to your house?" I can't believe Zain went that far.

"Zen wants to go to Uncle lehan mama's house!" Zain suddenly chattered as if explaining to me.

"So it's true that Raihan found Zain at his house? isn't Raihan there or reasoned?"

"Thank you Rai!"

"Same with mba. Why is Zain walking the streets?"

I sighed, "long story Rai!" I answered while looking away with a burdened look.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell a story."

"Wheels...!"

"yes, why?"

"I want to talk to you!"

"Speak mba, but don't you want to let me in?"

I smiled and invited him to enter my house. We sat in the TV room on the carpet because I had to lay down the sleepy Zain.

"What did you want to say?" ask Raihan. I glanced at him who was sitting beside me leaning against the wall.

I sighed first before telling Raihan that me and him were the village people's conversation.

"Wheels...!"

"Hum..!"

"Do you know anything about the gossip in this village?"

Raihan smiled and just relaxed as if not surprised and already knew it.

"Leave it mba!"

"Do you know Rai?"

Raihan.

Tok tock..

I heard the door knocking from outside. We haven't talked much about gossip. I turned towards Raihan who was calm without any worries.

"Just open the door, who knows the important person.mba rest easy I'll hide in the room."

I obeyed Raihan's order to open the door first. But when I opened the door, I was stunned to see who came to my house in the afternoon. Haji, Raihan's mother was standing at the door with a flat face and without saying hello.

"Mom..Hajj ma'am !" greet me nervously.

Haji ma'am did not return my greeting even his face looks flat.