The Third Party

4. Taking Care of Children

I got out of bed before my in-laws came back to get her scathing words out. I slowly walked out of the room past him who was standing in front of the door while continuing to glare at me. His gaze at me hinted at how much he disliked me.

Then I followed Handi to the laundry room. He was focusing on putting clothes in the washing machine so he didn't notice my arrival.

"Let me, let me" I said. Sandy looked at my voice.

"Emc ... What are you going to do here? There rest. Let me do this!"

My surgery wound still hurts, although not as painful as that time, but I can still just put the laundry in the washing machine.

"You're the one who needs to rest. Tomorrow you start working again. Yesterday you didn't sleep because you had to take care of me in the hospital. Tomorrow your energy should be fit. I don't want you to get tired and sleepy."

I agree with my in-laws about this. Handi is a driver and I don't want him to get sleepy while driving. It's dangerous and could lead to an accident, I don't want anything to happen to him.

"No! You have to recover first after that you can do homework. I don't want you to do anything."

I obeyed Handi's words and was about to return to my room.

"Handee!!! Don't be spoiled! Let him do it. If you leave, who will wash his clothes if not himself?!" my father-in-law's hardik suddenly appeared at the door. I don't know why he can show up wherever I am.

"It's okay Mom, Emma's not recovered. Let me just." Handi insisted.

"It's Han ... You just accompany our child in the room, I will do this," I said to make Handi immediately leave this laundry room. Handi said and went to the room.

I haven't been able to push the washing machine button, Heni came.

"Nitip all of you, just a little bit" he said, putting one by one his clothes into the machine. I just saw it without trying to prevent it because my in-laws kept watching me.

"Then finish the kitchen. Heni didn't have time to clean up the kitchen because he took me to the hospital" my in-laws told me before leaving.

I'm nodding. Strange to think. They both came to the hospital to see my condition, but after coming home from the hospital it was me who was told to clean up the house.

Finished with the laundry, I went to the kitchen. While cleaning the kitchen I thought who usually takes care of the house while I was at work. During my marriage to Sandy I rarely did homework. But that does not mean I am lazy because every holiday I do it.

Cook it? My in-laws cook. I rarely eat at home. I left for the factory at half-six and it was too early for breakfast. So breakfast and lunch I bought in the factory cafeteria. Then I buy dinner all the way home from work, or if Handi is not out of town I eat out alone with Handi.

While cleaning, Heni went into the kitchen to get drinking water.

"I usually do this. But now there is you, so you are the only one doing it. You are not working, maybe from now on you can help me take care of the house," said Heni as he passed.

After almost the afternoon, my work was done. I went back to my room and saw that Handi was hugging my baby. I lay my body beside Handi. The pain again attacked my surgical wound, it hurt so much. Maybe I was tired or maybe it was because I was lifting a heavy clothesline.

I closed my eyes while grimacing in pain.

"Emc ... You all right?" Handi's voice made me open my eyes.

I just nodded.

"But your face is pale?!"

"I'm fine, please get me my medicine."

"You're tired Emm, tomorrow you don't do anything." Handi again laid her body beside me after returning my medicine to its original place.

If asked also I do not want to do it with my condition like this, it's just that I do not want my in-laws to increasingly consider me a lazy and spoiled woman. Already poor spoiled anyway, what else could he expect from me like that?

"Let's be angry if I don't do what he says. It's okay, I'm okay" I replied.

"Let's talk to mommy."

"No, I'm fine. I've been taking painkillers, it's gonna be a pain relief soon."

If Handi talks to her mother and says if I don't have to do homework, her mother will curse me.

"Dam ... Who do you want to name our son?" I switched the conversation so that Handi didn't discuss her mother anymore.

"As far as you. Didn't you choose a name?"

I'm nodding. "I want to give him the name Damar. You likey?"

"I like it" he replied with a smile and a kiss on my forehead.

*

The next day...

Sandy has gone to work. I was bathing Damar in the bathroom. I'm not used to it so naturally if I slowly bathe him and impressed long in the bathroom.

Suddenly Heni banged on the bathroom door while shouting.

"Emma, change the bathroom! I'm gonna take a shower too!"

"A little while Hen, I was bathing Damar" I replied from the bathroom. Heni's screams and banging made Damar startled and cry.

"If you can't let the mother bathe your son! You can make me late like this!" yell at Heni again.

I hurried to finish my activities bathing Damar. Heni's screams and Damar's cries made me panic and rush to lift Damar's body from his bath.

Damar was crying harder, I thought he was cold. Then I wrapped his body in a towel so as not to get cold. When I opened the bathroom door I was shocked because not only Heni, but my in-laws were also standing in front of the bathroom. Both of them looked at me with annoyed looks.

Without saying anything my in-laws directly grabbed Damar's body from within my arms.

"Pick up the clothes, let me put them on" my in-laws said as they walked with Damar away from the bathroom.

I just obeyed my in-laws' orders because I realized I had not been able to take care of Damar myself. I came back with Damar's clothes and all my needs and left them to my in-laws.

I stood behind my in-laws watching how my in-laws dressed my son. I've been practicing with dolls, but when I face my son it feels different. I panicked every time I heard him cry and made me feel like I had hurt him.

"Kids themselves can't! The soul of motherhood presents itself after a woman gives birth. No need to be told or taught, she could instinctively take care of her child! Animals alone can time you can't?!"