64. Their Concern

With a glum face Dayyan entered Zahra's house. The man with the burdens of life was beset with problems that made his face look older than his years. Zahra welcomed Dayyan with a bright smile. But that smile soon faded when she saw Dayyan pull up a chair and drop his buttocks on the chair in a sluggish manner. "Thanks for coming early, Mas. Why is his face bent like that?" Zahra asked. It's not that she didn't know the father of one was facing a difficult problem, but seeing Dayyan's lackluster face made Zahra want to pull Dayyan's weight. "It's normal, ma'am. The condition at home is still the same." "Is Athaya feeling better?" asked Zahra as she offered him a cup of sweet tea. She always kept mineral water near the display case for the ojek drivers waiting for their orders to be completed. But especially for Dayyan, a cup of tea felt good to serve. "Thank you, ma'am." Dayyan nodded and drank Zahra's sweet tea. "I'll just prepare five more boxes, it won't take long," Zahra said, leaving Dayyan still glued to his spot. "That's too bad, Mr. Dayyan. A man as good as him is being tested with such severe domestic problems," she muttered to herself. "Zahra, how many boxes are still missing?" asked Mursida. Zahra, who was preparing the food boxes, didn't hear her umi's shout. "Zahra, umi asked how much is still missing, there are only a few eggs left, I'm afraid I'm not enough!" Mursida exclaimed in a slightly raised tone. "Eh, five, five less, Umi, Zahra's getting them ready." "You're working while daydreaming, work while praying silently, so that the food is also a blessing." "Yes, Umi." Zahra didn't want to argue anymore. She immediately prepared the order for five boxes of nasi rames as ordered. Again, her mind was drawn to Dayyan's problem. A little girl had to be sick, the father was busy fighting the dust of the streets to deliver the order, then at home there was also the wife who had to struggle with all the household chores. Whoever was undergoing such a severe test, Zahra was sure that Allah would raise their status. Tring. The loud sound of orders coming back to her cell phone broke her reverie. "Alhamdulillah, I got a lot of orders today," she thanked herself. Zahra was grateful that lately the faucet of her fortune had been opened wide. "Umi, are there any more eggs?" she asked as her eyes searched around. "You said you needed five, umi already took them all out. I put the rest in the fridge." "That's okay." "Any additional orders?" asked Mursida in surprise. "Yes, just one." Zahra hurriedly took the eggs from the fridge and warmed them up for a while. She also picked up the rice and all the side dishes she'd made. There was sambal goreng potato, fried vermicelli, pickles, and dried tempeh. Now a plate of nasi rames was ready to be served. "Mas, have breakfast first," Zahra offered to Dayyan who was closing his eyes while leaning his head against the wall. Seeing Dayyan stunned, Zahra felt guilty. "He must not have slept last night," she thought. "I had breakfast earlier. Farah cooked fried rice, and asked me to eat it before I left." "Your wife must really care about her family," Zahra whispered. "Yes, as a wife, she must pay attention to her husband with all her heart. I feel sorry for him too. Lately it seems like he hasn't had enough rest, his face is pale because he often stays up late waiting for Athaya." Dayyan's gaze wandered, as if regretting himself. Because he lost his job, Farah now had to live a difficult life. "I can imagine how your wife feels. Come on, let's eat it first. The order is ready, I'll wrap it up first." Zahra deliberately left Dayyan eating. She didn't want her presence to make Dayyan feel awkward. Since last night, she had also been thinking about how heavy the burden of Dayyan's family's life was. "She must be a strong woman, taking care of a sick child requires mental, physical and financial readiness. I can't imagine being in her shoes." Again, Zahra's thoughts couldn't escape Dayyan and his family. After waiting for a while, Zahra decided to return to the terrace. "Have you finished eating, Mas?" "Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much, I don't have to eat lunch outside." "Well then, you should eat lunch here every day, it'll save money and you can buy snacks for Athaya," Zahra suggested. She had never met Athaya, but suddenly there was an affection in her heart for the poor little girl. "Don't be troublesome, ma'am. It makes me feel bad. Street people don't have set hours, so it's easy to eat anywhere." "From now on, don't eat anywhere, Mas. It has to be here. Doesn't Dayyan want to eat lunch here because my cooking isn't good?" Zahra asked. "Well, no, it's really good. It tastes very good on my tongue." Zahra smiled. To her, Dayyan's honesty was a compliment. "Well, here's the food, Mas, I've shared the delivery location, be careful. No need to speed, the important thing is to arrive safely." Dayyan started his motorcycle after saying thanks and greetings. Zahra smiled at Dayyan's departure until his body disappeared around the corner of the alley. Ehsan, who had been sitting in front of Zahra's house, clenched his fist. "How insolent is that motorcycle taxi driver! I'm the one who looks after security here every day, and I've never been offered a meal. He's only been a regular for a few days, and suddenly he's being fed!" Brak! Eshan kicked the trash can hard and groaned in pain. The unemployed youth immediately appeared in front of Zahra. "Did you finish cooking, Neng?" he asked casually. "Just now," Zahra replied shortly. Ehsan, who was expecting to be offered a meal, bit his lip. Later that evening Ehsan went to see Mursida. Zahra was reciting the Quran in her room. "Umi, since when does Neng Zahra serve meals on the spot?" Ehsan asked. "What does that mean?" "This afternoon I saw Neng Zahra offering to eat with a motorcycle taxi driver who often comes." "Oh, that. Zahra often, really, shares food with the motorcycle taxi drivers who often come here. Well, it's just like sharing sustenance. Zahra usually cooks a lot on Fridays, to share with those in need." "Yes, I already know that. But this is different, Umi. Zahra is giving a plate of rice to the motorcycle taxi driver, who lately has been like taking medicine a day to come back and forth here to pick up orders." Umi frowned. Were the eggs that Zahra had asked for this afternoon for the motorcycle taxi driver? Her heart wondered. "Even I, the future husband, have never been offered food, Umi, this unknown motorcycle taxi driver suddenly gets a privilege? I, anyway, know myself. If it's a matter of eating at home too, it's only attention that I expect. At this rate, it feels like it's all in vain that I'm waiting, Umi." Mursida became increasingly frantic as she heard Ehsan's chatter.