The Sugar Mommy

Neighborly Gossip

"Eh, you know that Elsa, Rian's wife, was caught stealing food at Mak Ratih's house!"

"Huh? That right? Don't just talk to you! It will be a slander."

"Duh, you haven't heard? Gina who pergokin Elsa again ate Mak Ratih's catering food in the kitchen! When Gina finds out, Elsa immediately panics. Keep crying so as not to spread to the people! Oh my goodness, how horrified! What's so poor that eating steals?"

"How not to steal, anyway? Every need from year to year is getting more expensive. What else Elsa has a baby that must be fed milk and wear diapers all. But Rian didn't work. If anyone works as a handyman, but can not remain. At most a few months, it's idle again!"

"Why is Elsa at home, anyway? If I were him, I'd rather work than embarrass my husband."

It's not that Elsa doesn't want to work what's called a slacker. Rian is the mastermind behind Elsa's job. Since marrying Rian, Elsa stopped working and focused on taking care of her husband. At the beginning it may not be felt because it is still a newlywed. But as time goes on, Elsa becomes increasingly aware that living with love alone is not enough. They need to eat, buy rice, kitchen needs to bathe and wash clothes. Not to mention electricity and water bills. Everyone needs money. No matter how much Elsa loves Rian, she will not be able to pay all the bills that come in.

Once Elsa asked for permission to work as a domestic assistant in a neighboring house, Rian refused, not giving permission on the grounds that Rian was embarrassed to work outside. Rian was worried the neighbors thought the man could not feed his wife.

In the end, Elsa agreed. If the husband does not allow himself to work, Elsa did not dare to protest. Does not his religion teach him to obey the command of the husband?

"That's, she ..." Tina, a neighbor pointed at Elsa from a distance. His gaze was cynical, as if to put hatred towards Elsa.

Though Tina and the people in the village have not heard the explanation from Elsa's point of view. They believed more in what Gina said, than facts. As a result, Elsa is increasingly hostile to everyone.

"Still have her face? So man is not ashamed."

"The love of her child, having parents nothing is right. Not her mother, her father," Tina said massaging her chest a sign of concern.

If they are concerned, why not help Elsa who is in financial trouble? Why should they insinuate, judge, as if those who spoke of Elsa were sinless human beings. Even if the rumors about Elsa are true, do they have the right to make fun of Elsa? No, right?

Elsa had no idea that she was a byword in the village. Elsa begins to forget about Gina who caught her eating in Mak Ratih's kitchen. Elsa looked relaxed, greeting the neighbors as usual even though their reactions looked cynical or sniffy.

"Come, ma'am" said Elsa as she passed by Tina and the people.

Elsa was holding Faqih, she had just gone to a store to buy milk for her son. Later he will stop by Bu Marni's shop to buy rice.

Elsa was somewhat offended that none of the mothers would return her greeting. Elsa tries to be patient, sometimes being poor is often ignored, ostracized, but being poor is not a disgrace, right?

"It could be relaxing to say hello. Is it not shameful?" Tina purposely raised her voice.

"If I did, it'd be better to hide at home. Instead of wandering around, be ashamed!"

"Basic is shameless!"

Elsa hears all the insinuations from the neighbors, but she does not feel at all insinuated. What's Elsa doing with the neighbors? Elsa is just a housewife whose time is spent at home taking care of her husband and children. Fighting with neighbors never happened. It feels strange that the insinuations were shown to Elsa.

"Maybe more insinuating to others," muttered Elsa continuously stepping towards Bu Marni's stall. "That's it, it's none of my business. Let it be their own problem." Elsa shook her head in wonder. It just passes without listening to the insinuations of the people.

***

Warung Bu Marni is always crowded by buyers. Sometimes mothers like to hang out there while snacking on nuts or crackers. The long chat lasted for a long time, until I forgot the time to go home. Not infrequently also mothers are invited by their children to go home immediately to cook.

No different from the Tina group, everyone in Bu Marni's stall did not escape talking about Elsa.

How else would you like? The habit of gossiping about people in the village is not strange anymore. It feels like a day does not gossip, their bodies can itch like it.

"Where can we stop talking about Elsa, anyway? Now it's hot. Everyone in this village there's nothing that doesn't gossip about Elsa!"

"To this day I was curious about Mak Ratih's reaction. What if Mak Ratih finds out, huh? Mak Ratih is very close to Elsa. Not even Elsa stabs in the back!"

"Mak Ratih was busy with catering, and the judge just returned from the city. Hence Mak Ratih rarely looks wara wiri."

"Oh, it's worth it."

"Already, dong. Don't you guys keep talking. Didn't you scratch your mouth? The same with Elsa. Maybe he stole food because of hunger" Ms Marni said.

Miss Marni may have had time to curse Elsa for continuing to owe without paying, or at least repaying a little. Elsa is not unwilling to pay her debts at Bu Marni's stall. But Elsa doesn't have any money.

"Duh, defend it with Miss Marni!" taunted Miss Rosa. "It's so good, Miss Marni. Already owed his merchandise, not paid, still defended anyway."

"It's not so, Miss Rosa, it's just—"

Ms. Marni hurriedly swallowed her voice back when she saw the figure of Elsa and Faqih walking closer towards the stall. Ms. Marni did not forget to signal that all the mothers there were silent and did not discuss Elsa anymore.

But instead of stopping, they still sneered at Elsa even in a subtle way. What's more when Elsa is known to buy rice as much as three kilo grams.

"Mr Marni, I want to buy rice. Three kilos only," said Elsa approached the storefront.

Miss Marni is still traumatized if Elsa even owes after being served. "Buy or pay, right? I explained yes, Elsa, if I can't give you any more rice."

Elsa immediately spent the remaining fifty thousand change from buying the milk. Suddenly they were all there belied when Elsa dropped the piece of blue money to Miss Marni.

"Yes already, Sa. Wait here, I'll prepare first." Miss Marni goes inside to get the crackle bag.

Elsa looked back, she still smiled even though she was looked at by the people there.

"Tumben doesn't owe, Sa" said Farida. "Usually here just want to owe. Where's the money, huh?" ejek Bu Farida's.

Elsa's water turned sour. The smile on the corners of his lips instantly changed in just a matter of seconds.

"Maybe Rian got a job, Sa? Who knew Rian was called to be a handyman, Mom." Bu Siti pretends to defend Rian, but his character is not much different from Bu Farida.

"No, Mom." Elsa shaking. Faqih slept in his carriage quietly. "There just so happens to be sustenance for Faqih. There's still money left over from buying Faqih's milk."

Ms. Farida smiled cynically. "Oh, people's money, anyway!"

"Yes, that's how mothers are." Elsa forced a smile.

SERIATE...