She had barely walked into the market when she heard the mocking voice behind her. “Eww, future divorcee…” a young woman quipped, giggling with her friend.
Lina stopped for a moment. Her heart felt pinched again. But she didn’t turn around or respond. She simply took a deep breath and continued walking with her head held high. “I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me angry or hurt,” she thought.
But deep down, those words kept echoing in her mind. Lina knew she couldn’t control what other people thought or said about her, but it still hurt when people kept cornering her over something that wasn’t her fault.
Lina chose to focus on finding what she needed rather than responding to all of them. As luck would have it, there was a community walk the next day, so she got an order for boxed meals as well as several snack orders.
“Ma’am, what’s the total?” Lina asked after finding everything she needed. All she had left to do was buy the chicken near home, directly from the chicken butcher.
When she was finished, Lina left the market and headed for her motorcycle. She placed the groceries in front, paid the parking fee, then rode away from the market.
When she arrived home, she found Auntie Surti playing with her baby on the porch. Seeing her baby’s cheerful smile made her exhaustion and sadness ease a little.
“You’re home, Lin? You look so tired,” Auntie Surti said as she took the shopping basket from Lina’s hands.
“I’m fine, Auntie,” Lina replied shortly, not wanting Auntie Surti to worry. She went into the kitchen to put away the groceries, but Auntie Surti followed her.
“What’s wrong, Lin? Tell me if something’s bothering you,” Auntie Surti urged gently. The old woman could see the sadness in Lina’s eyes.
Lina gave a small smile, then let out a long sigh. “At the market, someone called me a ‘future divorcee’ while laughing. It felt… well, you know, Auntie. As if they were happy to see me in a situation like this.”
Auntie Surti slowly shook her head and took Lina’s hand. “Sweetheart, remember this. People who like to mock others are no better than the people they insult. They talk that way because they think their lives are easier. But who knows what will happen to them someday? You don’t need to prove anything to them. Just focus on yourself and your child,” Auntie Surti advised.
Lina fell silent, absorbing Auntie Surti’s advice. She knew Auntie was right. No matter what she did, there would always be people judging her. But now she felt stronger and more prepared to face it.
“Thank you, Auntie.” Lina then hugged Auntie Surti.
“Go on, get to work. Don’t you have to deliver everything early tomorrow morning? While your child isn’t fussy, hurry and make the batter. I’ll help you pack everything later.”
“Okay, Auntie.”
Lina immediately prepared the ingredients she would be using. Even though their home was in the village, Lina and Auntie Surti were the kind of people who didn’t like messes. The house was very clean despite being extremely simple. The kitchen was clean too.
Lina started by preparing the chicken. She washed it, seasoned it, and then boiled it.
“Where’s the tempeh? I’ll cut it.”
“It’s still in the bag, Auntie.”
Auntie Surti took the container from the bag Lina pointed to. She sat down on a plastic chair and began cutting the tempeh.
“Lin, is this size okay?” Auntie Surti asked, holding up the pieces she had cut.
“That’s fine, Auntie. Just don’t make them too small, or our regular customers will run away.”
“Exactly. It’s okay to make only a little profit as long as business stays steady. I also heard that the midwife ordered food from you.”
“Yes, Auntie. The midwife called yesterday and asked me to send side dishes every morning. She said she was too lazy to cook for her children. Her family from the city is visiting too. Apparently, they’re staying for a week, so she ordered meals for them as well. That makes ten portions,” Lina said as she turned on the stove and began boiling the seasoned chicken.
“You have to give them the best service and make sure the food tastes good too. You can’t be late when it comes to people’s meals. They’re busy people, so they probably have a lot of events to attend.”
“I will, Auntie.”
Lina was incredibly busy, but she was quick and capable in the kitchen, and her cooking was delicious too. She had learned it all from Auntie Surti, as well as from watching YouTube, reading recipes, and trying them out. She had learned to make cakes the same way, using recipes she found online. Lina also sold bottled chili sauce. Anything she could do that earned honest money, she was willing to work at.
Lina had never known the meaning of fatigue. Her child gave her the strength to keep fighting without stopping.
Meanwhile, in the city, Bayu had just returned from his honeymoon in Bali with his new wife, and he looked a little tense.
“When are you getting the project money?” Diana asked irritably.
“Be patient, Din. I’m working on it. Even my boss isn’t ready to give me a definite answer. Don’t you have savings from working? Use that for now, and I’ll pay you back later.”
“I can’t, Honey. That money is for my personal needs. You’re supposed to cover the household expenses and everything else.” Diana refused.
“You’re already holding all my money, aren’t you? So you know exactly how much I make. I hardly ever have any cash on me,” Bayu tried to explain to Diana.
Diana sat in silence. Bayu was right. She already had his ATM card and managed everything. Diana kept thinking about it. The balance in her husband’s account was running low.
“When are you going to the village, Honey?” Diana asked.
“I can go next week.”
“Ask for the wedding-ring money. Oh, didn’t your father used to own land in the village? Sell it and use the money as capital here in the city instead of working for someone else and having your money tied up like that.”
Bayu thought about Diana’s words, and she had a point. It was better than working for someone else.
“Besides, Honey, I want to open my own salon. At least then I’ll have income every day. Just persuade your mother to let you sell the land. Tell her you’ll send her money every month.”
Bayu thought for a moment. “You’re right.”
“Go quickly. One of my salon customers said she wants to look for land in the village.”
“That could work.”
“Whatever happens, Honey, I want that wedding-ring money.” Diana walked over to Bayu and hugged him.
The next day, Lina finished the order on time with Auntie Surti’s help. Mr. Kardi helped Lina transport it in his pickup truck. Before that, Lina had taken photos and made a video of the order. She planned to post them later to promote her business.
That day, the village office was expecting an important guest from the city. The village office was already bustling, with residents gathering to see the important guest who was said to be building a small hospital to make healthcare more accessible to the villagers.
Lina and Mr. Kardi unloaded their order.
“Lin, don’t lift anything heavy. Let me do it.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Kardi. I can handle it.” Lina felt bad about continually burdening Mr. Kardi.
Lina began helping carry the bag containing the boxed meals. Inside were thirty-five boxed meals.
Lina walked to the designated area to set down the food.
“Poor Lina. She has a husband, but she might as well be a divorcee. She should’ve listened to us back then instead of trusting her husband so much. This is what happens when your husband gets stolen by a homewrecker.”
“Shhh… ladies, stop gossiping. It’s embarrassing with an important guest here.”
“This is what Mr. Surya is like in the village. All the women love to gossip. But I do feel sorry for Lina. She has to work so hard while raising her baby alone.”
“Lina?”
“That woman who was carrying the boxed meals just now, Mr. Headman,” he said, pointing at Lina. The man furrowed his brow.
“She’s so young…”