“Mrs., it’s not right to talk like that. You’re making her uncomfortable, and she could report you to the police.”
The voice startled them all.
Dr. Surya and the village chief were already standing at Mrs. Romla’s roadside stall. Dr. Surya had an appointment there, while the village chief was checking out some land that might be returned later, and taking the opportunity to exercise and have coffee with him. They never expected to see this first thing in the morning.
Dr. Surya glanced at Lina, feeling sorry for her. This hardworking woman had been victimized by a man, yet she was being treated like the perpetrator.
The woman who had spoken immediately fell silent, especially when Dr. Surya fixed his gaze on her.
“Before accusing someone, you need to understand their situation. You can’t behave like that. This is exactly why people in the village still can’t get ahead. So many women spend their time gossiping and making snide remarks. You waste your lives on meaningless things,” Dr. Surya continued, staring at the house-dressed woman who had only brought twenty thousand rupiah to shop with.
“I’m sorry, Doctor.”
The village chief also looked at the woman with clear disapproval.
“Why are you apologizing to me? Apologize to Mrs. Lina,” Dr. Surya said.
“Don’t worry about it, Doctor. Anyway, I’d better get going and deliver these,” Lina said quickly.
Lina said goodbye. She would only feel worse if she stayed there. Dr. Surya watched the thin young woman ride away on her old motorcycle, a basket full of goods strapped to the back.
“She should have gained weight after giving birth. The pressure of her life must be so heavy that it’s worn her body down,” Dr. Surya thought.
“Doctor, Chief, I’ll be going now.” The woman felt awkward leaving the stall without buying anything.
Mrs. Romla, on the other hand, smiled as she watched the gossipmonger flee in panic after the two most influential people in the village showed up.
“Mrs. Romla, does Mrs. Darsi often cause trouble?” the village chief asked as he invited Dr. Surya to sit down.
“Mrs. Darsi’s younger sister is friends with Diana, Chief. They both work at a salon,” Mrs. Romla explained.
“That explains it.” The village chief nodded knowingly.
“Who’s Diana, Chief?” Dr. Surya asked.
“She’s Lina’s husband’s ex-wife—the one who became his wife again,” the village chief explained.
Dr. Surya nodded too, understanding exactly what he meant.
Before long, two coffees arrived, along with warm fried bananas made by Dina.
“Please help yourself, Doctor. This is what village food is like.”
“City or village, it’s all the same, Chief. The village is even more peaceful.”
The morning atmosphere at Mrs. Romla’s stall felt even more peaceful after the gossipmonger hurried away.
The gentle morning breeze made everything more comfortable, while the aroma of black coffee brewed directly over a wood-burning stove mingled with the scent of still-warm fried bananas.
Dr. Surya lifted his coffee cup and gazed at the stretch of rice fields in front of the stall. “The coffee here really is different, Chief. It tastes more alive,” Dr. Surya said.
The village chief chuckled. “That’s because the coffee comes straight from the villagers’ plantations, Doctor. It isn’t instant coffee. Everything here is completely natural.”
Dr. Surya nodded as he took a bite of fried banana. His gaze drifted toward the narrow road Lina had taken earlier. “Chief, I’ve noticed that Mrs. Lina works incredibly hard. But from the way she talks and the expression on her face, it seems like she’s carrying a lot of burdens.”
“How could she not be carrying burdens, Doctor? Her husband left her to marry someone else. He even forced her to attend his wedding and give him permission while she was heavily pregnant. A few days later, Lina gave birth, and she couldn’t deliver naturally—she had to have a C-section. Her husband also took her savings, so Auntie Surti had no choice but to pawn the deed to her house to pay for the surgery. Poor Lina, Doctor. That’s why she works so hard, even though her baby isn’t a month old yet,” the village chief explained sympathetically.
“Not even a month old?” Dr. Surya asked to confirm.
“Yes, Doctor. After giving birth, Lina stopped going to the hospital for checkups to save money. She probably uses it for her baby’s needs. Sometimes I give her a little money when I see her carrying heavy things,” the village chief continued.
“Oh, my God...”
“Chief, please tell Lina to come for a checkup at my relative’s place. As it happens, I’m temporarily using one of the rooms there, and it’s fully equipped with an ultrasound machine. I’m planning to help the women in the village,” Dr. Surya said.
“Thank you for your help, Doctor.” The village chief was deeply grateful. “I’ll tell Lina this afternoon. But are the medicines expensive, Doctor?”
“Don’t worry about the medicine. Your job is to register the villagers so they can receive government coverage,” Dr. Surya said as he took another sip of coffee and finished the last of the fried bananas in the lepet.
“Mrs., could you wrap up however many fried bananas are left? I’ll take them home to eat with my coffee.”
“Oh, Doctor, there are only three left. They were gone almost as soon as they arrived. I haven’t even had any coffee yet.”
“Wow, they’re really popular. So I don’t get any?” Dr. Surya said amiably.
“I already gave you and the village chief ten pieces, Doctor. Lina usually sends more in the afternoon if she isn’t busy with orders.”
Meanwhile, Lina had finally delivered all her orders. Now she just needed to go to the market to buy the ingredients she had run out of, as usual. She would put her earnings back into her business capital for the next day.
“Ow...” Lina cried, clutching her stomach.
Lina rested for a moment because the area around her surgical incision was still hurting. She sat beneath a shady tree by the roadside. Sweat dampened her forehead, and her left hand pressed against the aching spot around her incision. Her breathing was labored, while her old motorcycle stood parked a short distance away, its delivery basket now empty.
“Please, God... I hope it’s nothing serious,” Lina murmured, trying to calm herself.
In the distance, the sound of a motorcycle approached. It was Dr. Surya, who happened to be passing that way after riding around with the village chief. When he saw Lina sitting by the roadside with a pale face, he immediately stopped his motorcycle.
“Lina, what’s wrong? Why are you so pale?” Dr. Surya asked anxiously as he shut off the engine.
Lina tried to smile, though she was clearly exhausted. “It’s nothing, Doctor. I’m just a little tired.”
But Dr. Surya’s sharp eyes caught the way Lina was clutching her stomach. “This isn’t just fatigue. You must be feeling pain in your abdomen.”
Lina fell silent, unable to deny it. Her eyes began to glisten with tears, but she still fought to endure the pain. “I’m fine, Doctor.”
Dr. Surya didn’t waste any time. “Lina, we can’t leave this untreated. I’ll take you to Ms. Dewi’s place now so she can examine you.”
“But, Doctor, my deliveries...” Lina tried to refuse, feeling uneasy because of her goods. She was already being watched by the village women.
“The deliveries can wait. Your health is more important,” Dr. Surya said firmly as he helped Lina to her feet. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride. Don’t worry. We can leave your motorcycle here.”
Carefully, Dr. Surya helped Lina climb onto his motorcycle. Lina felt awkward and afraid of becoming a burden, but she was too exhausted to resist. Dr. Surya started the motorcycle with Lina riding behind him.
“Hey, look! Lina’s riding on Dr. Surya’s motorcycle! She still has a husband, too. This is so wrong.”