Super Mom

"Ms. Mira! I wonder why every time you go shopping, the menu is the same almost every day? Is there nothing else to buy but spinach and tofu and tempeh? Yesterday's feeling was also buying soup vegetables and tofu tempeh, even yesterday it was only tamarind vegetables, and salted fish. Doesn't your family get bored with just that," Marni asked, glancing sarcastically at me.

She asked me, while grabbing the spinach that I was holding onto the vegetable cart. Coincidentally, she was also at our regular vegetable shop, called Mang Adi. He was a traveling vegetable bone.

"Marni, why did you throw the spinach, I already chose it! So what if I'm shopping, after all, what I buy is also at the request of my children and husband. They all like to eat vegetables and this time they asked me to cook clear spinach, as well as fried tofu and floured tempeh." I answered Marni's question, while taking back the spinach that Marni had thrown. Meanwhile, Marni was picking through the vegetables.

"Ah ... you can get away with it, Ma'am. Just say that you don't actually have the money to buy another menu, right? You can't afford to buy delicious and healthy side dishes, right? Look at the beef, chicken or fish. Aren't you drooling, or are you just insecure?" asked Marni, smiling mockingly at me.

"You don't need to make excuses, or bring up all the children's names. Just say that Mbak Mira is poor and can't afford expensive and healthy food," Marni continued, insulting me.

She was just saying things to me, and was so dismissive of me. Even though she herself doesn't necessarily cook nutritious food, let alone expensive food like she just said. Moreover, from earlier I saw that he was just shuffling Mang Adi's merchandise and until now he had not chosen anything.

I don't know what kind of vegetables he was looking for, because he was just flipping through the merchandise. Even I, who had just arrived, had already found what I wanted, but Marni had yet to choose anything.

"Yes, Marni, it's true what you said. I also wonder about this Mira, how come she only buys cheap vegetables every day. How are her children going to be smart and fat, if she only gives them food like this every day! How is it appropriate that Romi is getting thinner by the day? This is all because of his wife, who can't take care of her husband. In fact, it is Romi who works hard every day for his wife's children. Eh ... he is only fed with clear vegetables and tofu tempeh," said Mrs. Ratmi, who is my mother-in-law.

She talked at length, telling me about my ugliness in front of Marni, as well as other mothers who were shopping.

Bu Ratmi didn't even seem to hesitate to talk about me in front of my own eyes. When in fact, I wasn't penniless, but I was deliberately saving money for the sake of her son.

I spent the money my husband gave me as sparingly as possible. Moreover, I knew that Mas Romi's income, which was only that of a public transportation driver, was uncertain. I just wanted to stabilize my family's economy, so that when Mas Romi earned little or nothing. I can still give them a decent meal.

Even what my in-laws say about the weight of my husband and children is not true. Because actually the weight of my children and husband continues to increase every month, unlike what Mrs. Ratmi just said.

"Yes, Mrs. Ratmi, Mbak Mira is really calculating. Even though it's all for her own family," said Marni, responding to my mother-in-law's words, even as if to inflame her.

"That's why, Marni, Romi first introduced me to Mira. I was not happy with her. I didn't agree with their relationship because I could see what kind of woman this Mira was. It turned out that my worries became a reality, that Mira was a daughter-in-law who couldn't take care of the family," explained Mrs. Ratmi, without wanting to protect my feelings.

"So, Mom, how come Mbak Mira married Mas Romi, if you didn't approve of their relationship? Did Miranya get pregnant first, Mom, so Mas Romi insisted on marrying Mira?" Marni asked again.

She asked my mother-in-law, with a sharp look on her face. Marni also continued to pry information about me from Bu Ratmi. It seemed she wanted to know as much detail as possible about my home life with Mas Romi.

"No, Marni, Mira is not pregnant.But it seems that Mira is using a pellet, so my son Romi keeps insisting on marrying her. Even though at that time I already had a candidate to introduce to Romi. She was a beautiful woman, the daughter of a friend of mine, and was already working as a bank employee. She was a career woman, unlike Mira who was unemployed and could only hang out at home. All she can do is play with her cell phone and spend her husband's money," Bu Ratmi grumbled, after answering Marni's question at length.

Mrs. Ratmi even brought up her desire to match Mas Romi with her friend's daughter.

"Geez, Mom, why did Mas Romi choose her instead? In fact, if he had chosen the son of Mrs. Ratmi's friend. Mas Romi's life would have been guaranteed and he wouldn't be struggling like he is now. Right, Mom?" Marni asked later.

"Yes, Marni, maybe if Romi married my friend's son. His life will be happy, and even your life will be happy," said my mother-in-law.

"Yes, ma'am, of course. Because Mas Romi's wife also works and has a regular salary. In fact, Mrs. Ratmi can also get sustenance from them. Unlike now, who only has a woman like this as a daughter-in-law. The woman you said never gave anything to you," Marni said again, sounding as if she was stirring up my mother-in-law's emotions.

Hearing all that made me want to leave immediately from the presence of my in-laws, and Marni who was deliberately talking about me in front of myself. I was also lazy, if I lingered in a place that was starting to make me hot. I was afraid I would lose control, especially if I had to respond to their words.

I was afraid that I would get high blood pressure from constantly listening to the scathing words from both of their mouths. I didn't expect that my mother-in-law would talk about me to other people. She said that I never gave her anything. She talked like that either in a state of consciousness, or it turned out that she was sleeping.

Even though Mas Romi and I didn't give her large sums of money every month. But every time Bu Ratmi asked for money for her living needs, such as for condangans, paying for electricity, credit, and make-up. I always gave it to her while I could. But apparently, all that Mas Romi and I did did not make Bu Ratmi feel helped. Instead, she seemed to turn a blind eye.

"Mang Adi, how much is this? This is plus a quarter of an egg, Mang?" I asked the total price of my groceries.

"That's eighteen thousand, Ms. Mira." Mang Adi answered my question.

"Here, Mang, the u4ng," I said, handing him a twenty thousand u4ng.

Mang Adi accepted the u4ng from me, then thanked me.

"Mbak Mira, here's your change," Mang Adi said again, handing me my change.

I immediately accepted Mang Adi's change and thanked him. I even intended to leave immediately. However, just as I was about to say goodbye to the ladies who were shopping, Marni continued to provoke my emotions, with her spicy words.

"Geez, ladies, how come there are still people in this day and age who only spend twenty thousand on shopping and still have change. How can you be so economical, ma'am! Watch out, Ms. Mira, you have to be careful! Usually diseases come quickly, if you're with someone who likes to be stingy to fill their stomach." Marni scared me, and she even raised her voice.

Continued...