"The groceries are twenty thousand rupiahs. This is the change,"
"Thanks, Ms. I'll eat first. Ms. Ningsih, just keep the change."
"Yes, ma'am. I have to change Dinda's diapers first, it's already full."
Fera reached into the black plastic bag that Ms. Ningsih had bought. Inside there are several vegetables and spices. There are potato fries, spinach, etc. During her marriage, this was the first time she purchased a cooked dish for the food menu at home. The increasing hunger made her like a person who hadn't eaten for many days. The woman was used to eating breakfast.
Meanwhile, it's already lunchtime. Of course, being hungry will make her a monster in an instant. One to two mouthfuls, she eats without pause. As the third mouthful entered, she suddenly slowed down the chewing of her mouth, and her eyes hinted at something strange just after the spoon filled with food it's chewing.
"Ugh, i think i'm gonna throw up."
She rushed toward the kitchen sink by covering her mouth as if she wanted to spit out something. Instead, her face flushed with eyes that slightly oozed liquid.
"What happened, mam?!" Ms. Ningsih asked in a panic.
Fera didn't answer, and she kept holding her chest and pulling something out of her mouth into the sink.
"Watre, please give me a glass of water," Fera said breathlessly.
Ms. Ningsih then gave her mineral water to make Fera feel better.
"Where did you buy this food, Ms Ningsih?"
Fera wrinkled her forehead.
"At the rice stall near the gate of the complex, ma'am. It's not good, mam?! Oh my gosh, I'm sorry."
"Never Mind. We also don't know if it doesn't feel good there. This is really strange, there is a fishy smell. That's it, it's all about it. Try it and you will know.."
Sure enough, the expression on Ms. Ningsih's face did not lie after she tried the food. She couldn't even afford to swallow it.
"Ugh, you right, It's really not good," she said with a wrinkled face.
As a result, Fera did not enjoy the food at all today. Only two mouthfuls of rice and side dishes had time to enter the esophagus, unknowingly because they were already starving. Finally, the woman slammed her body into the sofa and fell silent.
"So, what would i do to make you fell better? Or just cook the groceries bought this morning?" Ms. Ningsih asked.
"Nope, just lost my appetite. Later, I called Daffa to bring food."
It was true. Fera had to return to the café immediately because it was her job. She probably didn't have to go back there, but it was her first day on the job again. She begged her husband for this opportunity. But, of course, she would be embarrassed if she complained to her husband.
"Come on, cheer up, come on. Definitely can," she said, mumbling.
Just a step away from the house door, Fera heard her little angel crying and struggling to call her name."
"Ma-Ma-Maaaaa ....."
Never before had he felt this way. Her mind said to keep going, but her heart could not hear the child's cry. It's not that Ms. Ningsih doesn't want to deliver the child to his mother. However, she also understands that Fera has to work, and it is her job to calm the twins down when they are fussy.
"Uuuh, Honey. For a while, mama work first, later also pul...."
Fera lowered her ego and returned home as Ms. Ningsing calmed her child. A decision that surely all mothers will make. None of the mothers could bear to hear their children cry calling her name.
"But, you have to work again, don't you?" Ms. Ningsih asked.
"It's ok. That's an easy matter. I can't bear to make the kids fussy like this."
The woman put away her clothing bag and took off her shoes. Then, without lingering, she directly held his child from Ms. Ningsih's hand. Dinda was still fast asleep on her mattress, while the cranky Devin became quiet as Fera hugged her.
"Mama's boy, really spoiled, huh? Mama's here, Baby."
After Devin returned to sleep, she changed the clothes that she used to wear at home. But, of course, she immediately contacted Fahmi to confirm her current absence.
"Fahmi, I can't go back to the café anymore, the kids are fussy again. But today's report is still sent to me, huh?" Fera said on Fahmi's phone.
"Ok, mam. So it's not sent to Mr. Daffa, huh?" Fahmi asked, ascertaining.
"yes, nope. From now on, the report will be sent back to me again as before."
"Got it."
In the evening, Fera waited for her husband to return home. She was puzzled. Why didn't Daffa ask him how she was doing in the slightest? Right, her husband knew that today was her first day working again.
'Ah, maybe Daffa is busy,' she said to himself.
Fera sat on the couch in the living room of her house while waiting for her husband to come home. She had sent a short message to Daffa to bring food from outside because she was not cooking at home.
Not long after, Fera's car engine was very familiar with the sound. Her husband came over and was immediately warmly welcomed by her.
"Have you gone home? How about a café?" Daffa asked.
"I'm only half a day in the café. But, you see, children are cranky. So I just went home to eat and bought it at the front rice stall, knowing it was not good," explained Fera.
"Oh so that's why you told me to bring food?"
"Yes. Bring it?"
"Yes." Daffa gave away a bucket of flour fried chicken that he bought at a fast-food restaurant.
They also continued their activities by having dinner together. Unfortunately, Fera's appetite that went back up made her look like a starving person this morning.
"So, you haven't eaten at all? Watch out, you'll have a headache yourself," Daffa told his wife.
"yes, just now my appetite was as good as it was because of that unpalatable food."
Fera didn't bother Daffa's jokes about her physique. Instead, she was focused on finishing her meal and wanted to go to bed in peace.
"By the way, why didn't you want to hear me all day earlier?" Fera asked, chewing her food with gusto.
"It's really hectic today, I'm meeting with four clients in a long period of hours."
"Isn't it just one client that you told me about this morning?"
"Yes, but because there are changes in the schedules of some clients. So advanced today all. It's really dizzy, but it's settled anyway, everyone."
After the two finished dinner together, they were exhausted, trying to take a break without watching tv first. Unfortunately, Fera just remembered that she had to record the café's report today. She desperately wanted to ask her husband for help. However, it was impossible. Daffa looked exhausted even when he was already fast asleep on the mattress with his loud slitting sound.
Just now, she wanted to open his laptop to record a report. One of the babies woke up and didn't want to be carried with Ms. Ningsih.
"Aarrrghhhhhh ...." She said indignantly.
"You need a help?"
Daffa suddenly said that to Fera even with his eyes still closed and many yawning.
"You don't have to. Just go to sleep again," Fera retorted.
"It's ok. Tomorrow I'm on leave, so tonight I can stay up late."
"Convinced? I'm afraid we're tired."
"It's ok, for the sake of the child."
The two then headed for the twins' room. They took turns guarding and putting Dinda and Devin back to sleep lovingly. They joked jokingly while whispering, singing sleeping songs, and reciting prayers for their children—necessary cooperation in a household. Fera looked at the smile of the husband holding Dinda and sang it again. Although he occasionally yawns, her love trumps her fatigue towards the child.
'Thank you, Babe,' she said to herself.
Now, it's Devin's turn to be awake. Fera then carried him while circling the child's room with a melodious sleeping song. That worked until Devin finally slept asleep.
After the situation was safe, the couple returned to their rooms. Fera then reopened her laptop and resumed her delayed work. While knocking on the table, Fera was suddenly startled by the two obstacles wrapped around her body from behind.
"Babe, don't you continue to sleep?" Fera said, holding back the amusement of her husband's breath on her neck.
"It's not so sleepy."
"So? Want to help me work on this?" Fera asked again.
"Hmm, Pretend you don't know."
"Hahaha, just a moment, yes. I'll work on this first, it'll be done in a while."
"Don't want to be intermittent. I want it now," Daffa retorted, spoiled.
Of course, Daffa missed this. Because he hasn't had intercourse anymore these days, seeing her husband's girder that began to code that he was 'wanting,' Fera then turned her body in front of Daffa and started it all with a peck affectionate on the lips.
It was fortunate that their children woke up last night. Otherwise, Daffa probably wouldn't wake up and enjoy the intimate time with his wife. The night of it became the most beautiful night for the umpteenth time in the relationship between them. Having two children at once is troublesome, but perhaps, that is God's destiny.
Knock Knock
Early the following day, Fera was startled by Ms. Ningsih's loud knock on the door. Of course, Daffa wouldn't hear that because they slept so late. The man was still wrapped in a quilt with a mouth still gaping.
"Coming," she shouted Fera from inside the room as she put on her outer pajamas.
Still, with messy hair and eyes forced open, she opened the door to her room.
"yes, Bi. What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, mom. I think Dinda got fever."
"What?"
Panicked, Fera then headed for the child's room. The twins slept peacefully, only that Dinda's body did feel hot when Fera's hand touched her forehead.
"Try to grab a thermometer on top of the cabinet," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am."
How surprised Fera was to see the temperature of her daughter, who was already in the category of high fever, which was 39 degrees Celsius.
"Ms, get the bag ready. We'll take Dinda directly to the pediatrician, now, hurry up!"