“Leman, she will be your wife.” Said mother toward a woman
in front of me.
I can’t believe my eyes. She has eyes that giving murder
intent!!
“(whisper) psst! Mother! That woman is scary!”
“Huh? What are you talking about? Look again, isn’t she
lovely?”
And I look at her again. This time she looks lovely. Is that
my imagination?
“Leman, you are having problem in your eyes, next time wears
the spectacles, got it?”
“…yes mom…”
Maybe I do have bad eyesight, but I can’t forget that
menacing look….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“hua…” I yawn while cover my mouth. But I’m still sleepy.
Well, of course I’m still sleepy, it’s not even dawn yet. I walk to the window
and open it up to look at the small ‘garden’ that has been raised carefully.
But compared to me who just woke up, she already ploughed
the small ‘garden’ that she has raised.
“oh, you have woke up?” said my wife, Dayah who still
planting potato seed without even looking at me.
“wife…” said me in monotone.
“say it louder, I can’t hear you.” And she keep planting the
potato.
“you’re the wife of the minister of Raja, don’t do the work
of the commoner.”
And she look at me straight into my eyes. “you’re just among
the lower level of minister, don’t be so full of yourself.”
Allah! She said it very straight! Can’t she say it in more
subliminal way?!
“besides, I want to eat what I have raised in my garden.”
“then, the chicken that I have bought…”
“you give it to somebody else. I don’t want to eat it.”
Why? Why?? WHY???
Why you don’t want to eat things that I have bought you?
Even the last time when I want to bought her something, she doesn’t want it!
why??
And I look at her angrily.
She gave me a sharp look “what?”
That sharp and menacing look give me fear. All the anger
that I have gone like it never exist and be replaced
with fear “no… nothing
dear…” and I look away from her. “then, I go to work…”
“take care then.” And she continue to work in her garden.
I am not fit to be a man…. I can’t even dare to fight her….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“I tell you Leman, you should never marry her.” Said
minister Sakti.
“But, she’s the person my mother wants me to marry before.”
“your mom is dead now, so divorce her.”
“s-still…”
“come on, why you still want to be with that kind of brute
woman? don’t you remember what she has done to me and other minister months
ago?”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Months ago
Many ministers are
making gathering for the meeting in my house. We want to discuss about the
raise of taxes among the citizen.
But….
“I tell you, Leman. Young woman is the best!” said minister
Sakti with please face. “someday I’m gonna divorce the old wife that I have!”
“but minister Sakti… about the taxes…”
“oh come on! Stop talking about that!” said the other
minister.
“yeah, the discussion
is over!”
“we will raise the tax! Period!”
I understand what they mean, but still, “they also need
money like us, we can’t raise them just as we like…”
“what are talking!? We just do what we have to do?! It is
their job to keep up with the taxes given.”
“oh, wait, maybe Leman mean something.” Said other minister.
“I see Leman, you want to join our circle, huh?” and they
grinned at me.
Seeing their grin, I can’t help but to ask “what do you
mean?”
“well, Leman, to follow us, you need to do a favour-“
“I’m sorry sir, but all of you have to leave for tonight.”
Said Dayah while she come without giving a warning.
“Dayah?”
“woman,” said minister, “we are having an important
discussion, please go away.”
“but all of you are having fun right now don’t you?” said
Dayah without even flinch.
“damn you woman! go to the kitchen and bring us something to
drink!” said the minister.
“unfortunately, in our house we don’t have that ‘haram’
water that can make people drunk like what you
ministers have always love to
drink.” And she reply them back with a grin in her face.
Hearing that, the minister get up. “tch, what’s with that
woman. forget it, I want to go back home.” And they walk away from the house.
“that’ll do some lesson.” Said Dayah.
“Dayah… what have you done..?”
“me? I-“
“You have lost my chance to do my work! Don’t you see
that!?”
“….” Dayah didn’t say anything.
“now what should I do when I meet them? My status as a
minister… I might not be able to even get a raise…”
“so you also just like them?” and then she sigh.
“huh?”
“nothing.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Yeah if I recalled back, that’s when she starting to raise
the garden at our house, and refuse to take what I give to her. She’s acting
very weird since then.
“poor you, “ said minister Sakti. “your wife is acting cold
to you, it must be hard. I understand it well.”
“oh, no…”
“no, it’s alright. I think it’s time for you to join our
circle.”
“your circle?”
“at the evening, meet me at the port. I will show you
something good.”
What does the minister mean by that?
So I come to the port at the evening. There are not many
local that live here except foreign merchant. But as I not mistaken, we have
nothing to do here as a minister, why do we have to come here?
“here you are.” Said minister Sakti.
“minister, i…”
“don’t say anything. Let’s go in.”
“in? you mean this big ship?” as me while pointing a big
ship.
“yep. People are waiting for us, you know.”
“w-who?” ask me as I still in wonder.
But he get in without even looking at me.
“welcome, Minister Sakti!” said a small man with happy face.
Minister Sakti reply him “yes, thank you. Is everyone
arrive?”
“yes they are! and who is the man behind you? He looks so
herbivore!”
Does he mean me?
“yes, he even being ‘queen controlled’ you know.”
“aiya, that is bad. You should come here!” and he welcoming
us inside the dock.
Inside the dock, all the windows is shut but it still light
inside because of the lamp. The inside is large and
filled with lots of room.
This place is also smelled like… perfume?
“and now, please come inside this VIP room!” say the man as
he open the door.
“HELLO MASTER!!” shout the beautiful girls while they
welcoming us.
“allah! What is this place?!” shout me as I am very puzzled
right now.
“come on now. Just get inside and enjoy.” Said minister
Sakti with joy “ wait for me girls!”
“Wait minister Sakti! Don’t you know what this is?!”
“of course I know. That’s why I want you to do something.”
“what do you mean?”
“you’re a minister that can give the citizenship to these
people. So please, Leman, please give these girls citizenship so they can live
here.”
“and open a shop where they can work like in this ship?”
“precisely! I know you are a smart person. And when you do
that, you will join into our circle and live luxury like a raja.”
Suddenly I understand why Dayah chase him and other minister
out of the house. He and the others are
trying to bribe me to do dirty work.
But I very ignorantly thinking to build my relationship with them. No
wonder
she treat me coldly.
“well, Leman? What do you say?”
“no.”
“what?”
“this is wrong, minister Sakti. As a muslim, drink and
prostitution is illegal.”
“then what do you want to do?”
“I will report this to Raja.”
“hah? Hahahahaha!! You must be joking.” Said him while
laughing. “even his prince come here occasionally, and you expect him to come
and take action?!”
“I have to do what I have to do as a minister.”
And he become silent. “what a shame.” And then he point his
hand outside “do it. you will finish your career as a minister, and at that
time, I can’t help you to work in the palace anymore.”
And I walk out away from that place. At that time I really
believe what I am doing is right.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
At home, Dayah is eating rice with vegetables that she grew.
Then I open the door slowly to see her eating the food with her hand.
Dayah then notice me “you come early today.” She stop eating
and raise up “I’ll make some-“
“Dayah…”
“hmm?” and she turned around.
“I’m sorry.”
Then she clean her hand and come near me. “for what?”
“I …”
“tell me everything.”
And I tell her everything that happened between me and
minister. And how I take my action to tell Raja about that but ended up being fired from my position as a
minister by Raja.
“now all the things
we have, from land to this house will be taken away. We have to moving out soon…”
“good.”
“what?” surprised me as Dayah said like that.
“it’s good that you make the right decision to reject them. I
have known about the corruption in the palace a long time ago. They have done
so many things illegally that the money that you earned can be considered
haram.”
“but we lose everything.”
“nah, we still have our small garden. If we sold these
vegetables we can earn some money and even make some trading with the merchant.
It’s not the end of the world yet.”
“so that’s why you planted vegetables and don’t want to take
anything I give you?”
“no, I just don’t want to soil new blood with the corrupted
money.”
“then you…”
“yeah, I’m pregnant.”
“….” I can’t say anything. “you’re so amazing… and you know
so many things.”
“before I got married, I learned many thing and read a lot
of book. And then I learned about the corruption in the palace, so I refused to
marry with anyone who work with the palace. But then, when I met you, I can’t
believe you’re such an herbivore.”
“herbivore…”
“I mean, you don’t even want to look at me straight in the
eyes, you scared to say anything and you even try your best to please others
but not yourself, that I can’t help but want to help you. And the rest as you
know, we become husband and wife.”
“hahaha…” I can’t help but laugh at myself. I’m such a wimp.
“chill out, let move out from here and start a new life. I teach
you how to sell vegetables.”
“yes dear.”
