Chapter 2

After buying fried chicken for her husband and in-laws, Aisyah returned home. And seeing the woman coming home, Andre immediately grabbed the plastic that was in her hand, then he and his mother immediately ate the fried chicken without any leftovers.

''Mas, why did you finish the fried chicken?'' Aisyah asked when she saw that three pieces of fried chicken were finished.

''So what? "You have tofu, tempeh, and tamarind vegetables too, so just eat those!" snapped Andre.

Aisyah just kept quiet, then she walked to the back of the house to wash clothes. The woman saw two large tubs of dirty clothes, she took a deep breath.

'Bismillah, may this be a field of reward for me. You have to be sincere, Aisyah,' thought Aisyah, encouraging herself.

Then he started to squat down and took the washing soap then started brushing the clothes one by one, even his hands which were previously smooth, now felt rough, often even calloused.

BRUCK!

A fairly thick jacket landed on Aisyah's face, and that was Andre's behavior.

''Wash my jacket! Tomorrow I'm going to use it for motorbike taxis again!" said Andre, then he left the laundry place.

Aisyah could only take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. While purifying her mind, she wandered around the world, thinking about Andre's attitude which had changed drastically.

A flash of longing suddenly emerged in his heart for his parents. She really missed her mother and father, Aisyah had left them and preferred to live with Andre.

''Oh Allah, is this karma for me, because I dared to go against my parents who didn't approve of our marriage? Is this the reward for a disobedient child like me?' Aisyah thought while shedding tears.

Aisyah still remembers clearly in her mind and thoughts, the time she asked for their blessing to marry Andre, but her parents did not allow it, on the grounds that Andre was not a good man.

In fact, they had arranged for Aisyah to be married to a man Aisyah had never met, but when her parents said that she had an arranged marriage, Aisyah firmly refused. And she said she would marry Andre.

That's when Aisyah was removed from the family name by her father, and she preferred to live with her husband.

"Aisyah!" shouted someone who was none other than her mother-in-law.

The woman immediately wiped her tears, then washed her face so that it didn't look puffy, then she walked a little fast until she slipped, because her robe was wet so the floor was a little slippery because of the water droplets.

''Aawwh!'' Aisyah groaned.

''Aisyah!'' Again she heard screams from her mother-in-law.

"Yes ma'am, just a moment!" Aisyah answered, no less shouting.

When she got there she found a tug on her hijab. ''It's really tiring being a woman, being called from earlier. Don't you have ears? You're stupid!" Mrs. Lisa snapped.

''Sorry ma'am, Aisyah was washing, and---''

''Hey! You have lots of reasons. Make me a drink! I have a friend who will come too, so make 3, hurry up and don't use it for long!"

Aisyah nodded, then she walked to the kitchen and made a drink. And sure enough, when he took it into the living room two women came, then the woman put it on the table.

"Please drink the tea, ma'am," said Aisyah.

''Oh Miss Lisa. Is it just tea? There are no other snacks, right? Then your daughter-in-law smells really bad, hasn't she showered yet? It's so dirty to be a woman. Sis, SIS. If you are a woman, you should be clean, neat, beautiful, not dirty like that. How does your husband want to feel at home?'' quipped Mrs. Lisa's friend, Mrs. Aan.

''Yes ma'am, I haven't showered yet because I'm still washing clothes behind me. If that's the case, I'll excuse myself." Aisyah got up from there to continue washing again.

He didn't take the woman's words to heart, because they didn't know what Aisyah's life was like and what it was like in that house.

''Oh ma'am, don't forget about bathing, cleaning and grooming, just showering sometimes once a day ma'am, it's really dirty. That's why Andre never felt at home in this house. My husband comes home instead of being greeted with a beautiful face, but instead his body smells of onions, plus, ma'am, he is sometimes lazy. "I'm the one who cooks, I'm the one who does the washing, but I just want to find face with my husband, that's why she washes the clothes," slandered Mrs. Lisa.

Aisyah rubbed her chest which felt sore when she heard the slander from her mother-in-law. Even though she was used to hearing it, it still made Aisyah feel unappreciated.

He was always silent out of respect for his mother-in-law. Even so, Aisyah understood more or less about religion, so she could only give in.

.

.

Exactly at 22.00 that night Andre came home, he threw his jacket on the bed, making Aisyah suddenly jump and wake up from her sleep.

''Mas, are you home?'' Aisyah asked while tying her long hair.

The man didn't answer, then he opened the cupboard and rummaged through their clothes, making Aisyah suddenly surprised.

"What are you looking for, Mas?" asked Aisyah.

''Where's your money? Here, I'll ask for it!" Andre raised his hand while rummaging through the cupboard.

Aisyah immediately got up from her seat and approached Andre, "What for, sir? Tomorrow I want to pay for the electricity and AC installments, Mom."

''Oh! You don't need to say much. Come here, I'm asking for money!" asked Andre, shouting a little.

He saw there was a can of brain in the corner of his cupboard, and the man immediately took it. Sure enough, it turned out that the contents were Aisyah's savings.

''You've been so stingy with your husband all this time, you have this much money but you don't share it with me. "Too much!" Andre growled as he took all the money in the can, then he threw the empty can.

"Sir, don't take it to pay for electricity and AC installments!" Aisyah asked while trying to get the money back.

However, Andre immediately pushed the woman's body until she fell to the floor. "I need this money, and don't wait for me to come home!" Then Andre came out of the room carrying Aisyah's savings.

Seeing this, of course Aisyah didn't remain silent, she chased Andre and held his hand. ''Sir, please don't take that money, sir! We don't have savings anymore. If you wear it then---"

PLAQUE!

Aisyah's words were stopped when a slap landed hard on her smooth cheek.

''Noisy!'' Andre snapped, ''You are a wife, don't talk too much, obey your husband! The wife's money is also the husband's money, understand!" After saying that Andre left the house.

Meanwhile, Aisyah held her cheek which felt hot, and soon Mrs. Lisa came out because she heard a commotion between her son and daughter-in-law.

''What's going on at night so noisy? I don't know if anyone is sleeping!" Mrs. Lisa said in a curt tone while rubbing her eyes.

"That's it ma'am, Mas Andre came home and took my savings. "Even though the money is to pay for electricity and Mum's AC installments tomorrow," explained Aisyah.

''Hey! Besides, you are really stingy as a wife. Have savings and don't share them. Just let Andre take it, after all it must be Andre's money from motorbike taxis, right? Besides, you don't get much from your sales?" teased Mrs. Lisa, then she went back into the room.

Aisyah walked unsteadily into her room, her body collapsed beside the bed. She cried remembering the attitude of her in-laws and husband.

His gaze was fixed on the empty can, even though he collected the money from sales and put it aside, while Andre didn't give any money from the motorbike taxi. Once you give only IDR 20,000 and what is that enough for? Because nowadays everything is very expensive.

''Oh God, where else am I supposed to get money from? My savings have been taken by Mas Andre. "Strengthen me, O Allah," muttered Aisyah while sobbing, until without realizing it, she fell asleep with tears drying on her cheeks.

CONTINUED....