Chapter 2 oh no! the rice is burnt
"Duhh! Fen's baby is so handsome, what about his weight? Have you weighed him yet?" asked one of the next door neighbors who happened to visit while visiting David.
Feni turned to David. Her gaze indicated that she was asking for her husband's opinion. "Ah yes, of course we will immediately take him there." finally Feni answered without succeeding in getting advice from her husband.
"Ooh, all right, then don't forget to take the baby there and get the injection. The child hasn't been injected right after birth? Well, while he's not even a week old, just take him to the polindes. Then tell the midwife if you want immunizations." he continued explaining.
Then he glanced at David who seemed to start smoking a cigarette in his hand. Smiling, he gave the herbal medicine that had been prepared by the healer from the village. "How's David? I think you've gotten a little better, right?"
"Yes madam, this is the second day where I'm starting to feel comfortable with my condition. I hope the disease doesn't happen again. I really can't feel it anymore." said David showing his traumatized face with the pain he felt before.
"In the future you have to take care of the pattern and fiber of the food that will be consumed. So that later it doesn't affect the stomach. I'm sorry Feni has to take care of the baby and take care of the housework alone." he said while looking at the woman who was breastfeeding her baby who was getting thirsty.
The neighbor seemed concerned about the condition experienced by Feni and her husband. He looked at them deeply intending to give entertainment to the little family. "This is a gift, nothing is complicated by God. Your husband's condition is getting better, and the process of giving birth to your fifth son is also made easy. Thank God! It turns out that you are a strong mother." he continued when he turned to Feni.
Feni smiled widely hearing all that. The feeling calmed down a bit, now Feni's body was so emaciated as a result of her frequent illnesses when she was pregnant. Some midwives had doubts seeing this situation. With a body weight of only 45 kilos along with the baby in her womb, people predict that Feni is recommended to be referred and have a caesarean section.
But that was the power of God, which surprised everyone because suddenly Feni gave birth to her baby without any problems that many people should know about.
"Mom, little brother peed in his pants!" exclaimed a little girl with her hair in two pigtails at the back.
Suddenly their eyes in the room fixed on the little girl. "Nana? Where have you been? Why haven't you come home before?" Feni said back asking him. Honestly actually he was surprised, because his little daughter came suddenly
The little girl casually answered while grinning, "We were playing at Uncle Adit's place. We were invited to eat fried sweet potatoes there. Because my little brother peed, that's why I was told to take my little brother home to change his pants." he said innocently.
Feni feels sorry because all of her children have to be independent with her current condition. Moreover, her husband's condition is still not fully recovered. In isolated areas, of course, everything is manual. Draw water from a well that is not far from the house, wash clothes by hand, which of course also requires water. When cooking while waiting for wood, you also need to use firewood. Moreover, raising water to bathe all the children to the side of the house.
This work is very heavy, who will help me. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law, whether intentional or not, seemed like she had no chance to help me. Oh Lord..! What should I do? My fourth child is still not able to do anything. Look, he's even still peeing in his pants. Meanwhile if I leave my baby he will cry, he thought.
.
"Sister Nana, please get your sister's pants, okay, after that you put them on, then go to Uncle Adit's place and tell your brother and sister to come home. Do you understand, son?" explained Feni to Nana who was still five years old.
The boy was so obedient under certain circumstances. How about an ordinary day? Of course everything is upside down. Thus requiring Feni to scream even though it was forced.
After changing his sister's pants, Nana immediately ran alone to call her two older brothers. While his younger sibling was deliberately lured with snacks so he wouldn't cry, it just so happened that there was only one and that was left over from the change he bought Feni's laundry soap at the shop.Chika, the eldest, arrived home first, while the other two arrived later. When there were no guests visiting, Feni called her child. "Chika, take your sister out for lunch first son, after that you help mom take care of her little sister, okay? Because mom wants to wash clothes. I want to get clean water to cook and bathe you later." Feni asked giving orders.
A little sulking is what their children usually do, as well as the eldest. Feni tries to be patient with them. However, when she was about to take her food, Chika screamed for her mother. "Mom..! Where's the rice, Mom? Why isn't there any rice left? How are we going to eat it then," Chika complained when her mother arrived in front of her.
As if she couldn't believe it, Feni checked all the shelves and cupboards for food. Blank! Nothing! Why isn't there any food here? Didn't I set it aside for you?" Feni started to panic and still kept repeating the same thing in search of the cooked food earlier.
"Mom.. I'm hungry..!" The second son also whined while clutching his stomach. Even though he was already in the third grade of elementary school, they were very spoiled. The age difference between her and her eldest is only one year. And now Chika is in fourth grade of elementary school.
Feni was a bit panicked by the situation. Because of her panic, Feni forced herself to return to cooking. He saw only enough clean water to cook a pot of white rice. "Fortunately, there's still water. Try it if not, I'll definitely be even more bothered having to lift it first." he thought.
"Very surprised, the food just disappeared? It wasn't an animal that entered the kitchen. But according to him it was really human action. Not infrequently this happens. And Feni, already knows who did it.
Even though his heart grumbled, but he had to do it. There is no way that let his five children starve. How about in-laws? I don't know. He didn't want to talk about them. They had eaten Feni's cooking from the start.
And that's what happens when he's at his parents-in-law's house. One more thing, his sister-in-law who just got married. Always showing up and causing a burden on Feni. Like now, Fera got off her motorbike when she saw a puff of smoke coming from the chimney that was clearly visible from across the road.
Without further ado, he rushed right in. "Afternoon sister-in-law! Are you busy? What are you cooking? The aroma wafts all the way to the corner." he chuckled. He thought it was a joke. But not for Feni.
He felt annoyed because just now the dishes he had washed had been soiled again with traces of drinks and instant noodles. What? He just put it away? Feni grumbled.
"Sis Feni, is the rice ready? My husband is hungry. He just arrived from the fields. It's so lazy to go home. You know, our house is far away." Fera reasoned.
Feni, who had just finished blowing out the embers which were still very difficult to ignite, immediately turned around. "Didn't you just come? You're from home right? The food isn't ready yet. So wait a moment. All of your nephews haven't eaten since earlier. Your brother is still having breakfast. Even though I left lunch for them earlier." Feni answered at length.
He paused, then walked away without saying anything. "Every day he works here for the same reason. Isn't he ashamed? I know that nobody here is just me. But I'm also in charge of cooking and taking care of his nephew. Don't I have the right to be upset just now? What does he do? ?" Feni grumbled again.
Five minutes passed until the aroma of rice wafted. And the smell... "Gosh..! The rice must be burnt!" He immediately ran towards the wood stove to extinguish the fire.