The Struggle of Women
Episode 8

Painful Facts.

Mother feels something strange with her daughter in recent days, especially after her transplant operation was completed—ah, no, maybe exactly the strangeness had happened long before. Exactly when Elma said that she had paid the full cost of the transplant needed.

Already three times this morning Elma ran to the bathroom to spit out her entrails. Since coming home from the hospital yesterday afternoon, the child also could not smell what he said smelled so stinging on his nose, even though according to Mother there was no pungent smell that Elma was talking about. What is certain is that all the giragat that Mother met then made her realize the oddity that happened to her daughter lately.

“You sure are fine, El?” arini asked as soon as she saw her daughter coming out of the bathroom while wiping her wet lips. His face looked pale, tired and powerless.

Yes, Madam. I'm good, maybe just catching a cold.

Mom's forehead is wrinkled, always the same answer she receives every time she asks. And this time, after so many times just nodding to understand and trust the girl, I want to get more definite answers and details from her daughter.

“You said that four days ago when I was hospitalized. And I think it's no longer a matter of catching a cold. Tell your mom why, El? Do you realize that lately you have been looking very strange?”

Elma who chose to sit on the small sofa in the apartment unit they occupied leaned weakly with her eyes closed. His head was dizzy with the nausea experienced, Elma did not want the morning also filled by Mother's nagging who continued to discuss it-that's it. She is very sensitive right now, and a nagging Mom is definitely not a good choice to deal with.

“Elma is fine, Ma'am ... Maybe too tired from taking a lot of overtime jobs lately.”

The look on the mother's face from the first hard because of curiosity turned into a sad with guilt that was clearly implied. Mother stepped closer to her daughter, sitting next to Elma who was still closing her eyes either because she was still sleepy or because of something else that made her choose to be closed.

“Sorry..” said the mother as she stroked Elma's head gently, feeling guilty for making her daughter work this hard.

Elma's forehead wrinkled, opening her eyes slowly and returning Mom's gaze that led to her. Not uncomfortable because of Mom's touch, of course, obviously not because of it, because the touch of his mother's affection is clearly the best thing in the world, Elma just annoyed with the apology she heard.

“Sorry for what? If it's still about hospital fees, can I not hear it first, Mom?”

“But you work hard to overtime every day because of that, right? Because you have to pay such a large debt.”.

It feels very desirable Elma said that her speech was about overtime is clearly only a mere reason. During this time, when Mom found out she was overtime, actually Elma was resting from anything that could make her pregnancy hormones slam to the surface, especially to avoid the smells of the hospital.

Elma also did not want to hear her mother discuss the cost of the hospital continuously, the girl felt like she wanted to say that she did not owe anyone, that the money spent on hospital expenses is clearly due to the child she currently contains. But if Elma says it all of a sudden, it's definitely not just her mother's kidney that might get sick again, but all the organs of the woman he loved it—which of course immediately Elma denied by praying to God that it never happened once the mother knew it later.

“Bu—” Hasn't had time for Elma to respond to what I said, her door was suddenly knocked, this early with no idea who was out there.

Elma would stand up to see who was the guest who bothered her early in the morning when her mother stopped her and signaled that she was going to open the door. Elma according to, because her stomach is also still fighting and turbulent with nausea, especially with whether the next door neighbor who is cooking something, the aroma is annoying, making her more dizzy and nauseous instead of playing.

Elma's eyes will be closed again when the familiar voice makes her fully awake. Also get rid of all the dizziness and nausea that instantly disappear because it is now the adrenaline that is made racing.

“Lawyer?”

Elma immediately ran towards her door, with widened eyes seeing Brian standing there smiling kindly after greeting his mother casually. Elma immediately took a place between the two people, preventing Mom from being able to look at Brian directly—though it was actually a useless thing, he said, because of Brian's high posture while the tiny Elma certainly can't cover the man.

“Ah... What's up, brother? Why did Brother come here? We'll see you later at work.” Elma's face was trying in such a way as to signal that Brian should leave his house immediately and talk about what Brian wants to say later when they are alone. But as if clueless, or rather indifferent to the gesture, Brian kept his eyes fixed on Arini, still smiling kindly like the first time they met a few minutes ago.

“I'm here to tell you to immediately move to the apartment we've rented for the next nine months. The big boss said this was for the good of the baby that Elma was carrying, because if you continue to climb the stairs to the fifth floor in this hamlet only to return home, Elma can be too tired and endanger the womb.”

His world seemed to stop, Brian did not let him explain in better words to his mother, and just casually conveyed it as if everything was a natural thing and could be accepted with common sense.

Elma turned to face the mother with such a face. Anxiety, worry, guilt, despair, everything mixed into one. “Mother, I can—”

“Bay?” exclaim Mother repeating.

When he saw that, Brian realized that his step this time had just crossed the line. He really did not know that Elma had not told his mother about this, and presumably Brian also realized that he was less sensitive to the cues that Elma had been trying to give earlier, and presumably Brian also realized that he was less sensitive to the cues that Elma had been trying to give, because the man was only able to realize after everything had already been said from his lips.

“What does Elma mean? What the hell does that mean? You pregnant?” the mother pressed her tone, not necessarily screaming like what Elma used to see in the drama, but still that kind of reaction was scary for Elma herself.

“Bu, Elma can explain..”.

Hearing Elma's answer without rebuttal in it alone had shattered to such an extent the heart of Mother who had been trying to defend her for a denial. But look at her daughter, Elma even looks that hard to say “not” just for her simple question.

“So right you are pregnant?” ask the mother with a pair of teary eyes.

“Bu—”

“How can? Wh why? Who's got you impregnated? Is this guy the one? Or the big boss this guy called just now? That's why you need a lawyer?” That question Elma received in a row, made her head dizzy and her stomach and mouth nausea began to return to its function as before. But in this condition, of course, Elma is required to hold him.

“This is not what mom thought, Elma was not in contact with anyone until she was pregnant baby—”

“Then how can you get pregnant if not related to Elma! Don't fool me with this kind of thing. You who I believe, you who I hope to be a figure who can boast someday in fact have done a deed that makes Mother embarrassed like this? Answer mother! Who is the father of the baby?!” In the end Mother's tears fell, injured and unknowingly also had injured Elma because of her speech.

📽To be continue🎞