TWENTY FOUR

"What are you still doing here?" asked Kartika, looking at Riri.

  "Riri is just imagining it, ma'am. It must have been when Riri was a little girl like Bening. And my mom must be tired of taking care of me just like you. Being a mother turns out to be very tired. Looking after her child twenty-four hours. Her skin is always touching her child. It's amazing, Ma'am, the struggle of a mother," Riri explained by developing a smile and shaking her head at Bening.

  "Yes, I'm very tired. You better make dinner for me! I'm hungry!" Kartika ordered Riri. Her stomach was really hungry at the moment. She didn't care that Riri came home from work feeling tired. According to Kartika, Riri was only staying at her house. She had the right to tell her husband's daughter anything.

  "But, you don't have any rice. What did Riri cook?"

  "You used up all the rice on the dining table?" asked Kartika with incredulous eyes. Her anger almost exploded.

  "I-iya Ma'am, I'll buy you some food," said Riri hurriedly. She was very afraid that Kartika would get angry. If she was angry, she would wake Bening up. Poor Bening would have to wake up again.

  "Huh! Hurry up!" she said with an exhale of annoyance.

  Riri made a grimace face.

  "But sis, Riri doesn't have any money," Riri said honestly.

  "Yes, you owe the fried rice seller first! If you already have money, you pay with your own money! Hurry up! I'm really hungry for fried rice! Hurry up!"

  "Riri, can I pray first? Just for a moment."

  "Uh, no! Buy me some fried rice first!"

  With a feeling of resignation, Riri left the room. She immediately opened the door of the house. She walked towards the alley. The night was very cold. Sleepiness began to attack Riri.

  Now her feet were on the big road. There were many food carts lined up. Her eyes searched for the word fried rice.

  She immediately crossed the road and stood in front of the fried rice cart. Feeling confused and worried that the fried rice man would scold him if he owed money.

  "Sir, is the fried rice still there?" asked Riri with a nervous heart.

  "There's still a lot of it, how much do you want?"

  "I want one, sir. But can I owe you?" asked Riri boldly. She resigned herself to bear the shame.

  The fried rice man smiled while still preparing fried rice for other customers.

  "My house is close to here, sir. I work at the kampung laut restaurant," Riri explained to convince the man whose face was the same age as her father's.

  "Yes, you sit down first. Let me make it for you. Do you want it spicy or not?"

  "Maa sha Allah, can I, sir? Then I want a spicy one, but not too spicy, sir."

  "Okay, ready!" said the fried rice man with a smile.

  Riri immediately sat on a plastic chair. She felt very lucky this time. Meeting a kind fried rice seller.

  "Thank you, sir. I've been allowed to take out a loan. I just got a job this morning. If I have money, I'll pay," Riri explained as she watched the man fry the rice skillfully.

  "Fellow humans must help each other. I've also experienced being penniless and hungry, so I feel sorry for you," the fried rice cooker explained gently.

  "How many years have you been selling fried rice?" asked Riri curiously.

  "Since I was 30 years old. I'm 60 years old now," the old man replied as he wrapped the fried rice.

  "Well that means it's been about 30 years, sir. You have an amazing spirit. How many children do you have, sir?"

  "There are no more children. They became victims during the disaster. So I only live alone. My wife died at the age of 50." he explained and handed a plastic bag filled with fried rice to Riri. He gave her a friendly smile.

  Riri smiled back. She was very grateful to the man in front of her. Then Riri left with a feeling of amazement.

  As she walked to her house, she thought about the fried rice man.

  "Ya Allah, it turns out that there are those who have tougher tests than me, it's really worth emulating the persistence and enthusiasm of the fried rice seller. I am very grateful to still have a father and I am very grateful to have been given health so far. With the favor of being healthy. I will work hard to work." Riri said in her heart.

Knock knock knock!

  Riri knocked on the door after moving the doorknob and found that the door was locked.

  "Oh my God, Riri .... " said the father who opened the door to see his daughter with a tired face.

  "Where have you been?" asked the father with a worried face.

  "Lah! Didn't Kartika tell you that Riri bought fried rice for her?" Riri asked back.

  "Kartika said she didn't know where you were." replied the father, annoyed with his wife.

  "Oh my God!" said Riri patiently. Poor father was already worried because of his wife's words.

  "That woman! Let me give the fried rice to her! I want to talk to her." said the father by grabbing the crackle bag that Riri was holding.

  "Sir! Let Riri do it!" said Riri quickly. But the father had now entered his wife's room.

  "Here's the fried rice! What are you doing? Why didn't you tell me that Riri was buying fried rice for you? I'm worried about Riri," explained the father with emotion after putting the fried rice on the dressing table chair.

  "That's okay, there's no need to get angry. After all, Riri has already arrived home," Kartika replied casually. Now her hand reached for the fried rice.

  Father just shook his head in disbelief at his wife's answer. How could his wife's heart be made of stone. It was like she had no pity for anyone.

  The father then left the room. Actually he really wanted to vent his emotions to his wife, but he couldn't bear with Bening who was fast asleep. Meanwhile Kartika ate her fried rice in the room. Because she was too lazy to leave the room.

  Bapak walked towards the toilet intending to make ablutions because he was going to sleep. But his feet stopped when he saw the back of his son who was wearing a mukena and the sound of sobbing was heard even though it was soft.

  "Oh God, what is wrong with my child? I can't bear to see him hurt like that? I don't want to see him cry like that." said the father silently. He felt that he could not make his son happy properly. Now he was old. He deeply regretted not being able to do his best to make his son happy.

  With a sad feeling the father turned around. He let his son cry on the prayer mat.

  Riri collapsed all her sadness on the prayer mat. It felt very relieving to have cried and let out all her complaints to Allah.

  "Ya Allah, I don't know why I'm crying. I want to be strong and not cry. But it feels so hard." she said with tears in her eyes.