About half an hour later, Lisa came out of Jumbo supermarket with some big plastic bags. She purposely didn’t contact Kumala first, because she wanted to give the middle-aged woman a surprise.

This time, she called a taxi online via her cell phone because she had too much in her hands. Although the distance between Jumbo supermarket and Kumala’s place is not too far, maybe about 10 minutes walk, Lisa can’t walk that far while carrying several large plastic bags.

Not long after she arrived and knocked on the door, Lisa heard approaching footsteps. The door to the house then opened from the inside, revealing the face of a middle-aged woman whom she had not seen in a long time. Kumala’s hair was white and in an untidy ponytail, and as usual, she was wearing an orange negligee.

“Lisa?”

Seeing the woman’s wrinkled face made Lisa smile widely. In that second she felt guilty because she rarely visited Kumala or just bought her something. Whether it’s food or monthly shopping.

“Hello mom.” 

“Gosh, what are those? Why are you carrying so many bags?” Kumala asked curiously when she saw her daughter carrying several large shopping bags. The middle-aged woman reached out her hand and took them away so she could help Lisa.

Lisa walked after Kumala from behind and saw the condition of the house that the woman was living in now. The inside still looked the same as Lisa remembered. Small but neat and clean.

“Fruits, vegetables, soaps, your favorite cake and everything else.” Lisa replied as she put some of the shopping bags on the dining table. 

Kumala gently hit her arm. The woman’s eyes seemed to be filled with love but her lips spit out spicy words. “Are you finally sober now? Why are you only visiting me now, huh?!”

“Sorry, I’ve been really busy lately, that’s why I couldn’t visit you. This… I just got home from work and stopped by the supermarket near here to buy your daily needs,” Lisa replied as she took out the things she bought from a plastic bag, “Look at this, I bought your favorite cake.”

“Gosh why did you buy me this much? Just a waste of money!” Even though Kumala said that, her eyes and lips curved into a wide smile. “Just visit me with your sister and I can never be happier!”

“It’s alright, mom. I want to buy things for you once in a while.” Lisa replied simply. “Today, you haven’t cooked dinner, have you? If not, let me cook something for dinner tonight.”

Kumala cleared her throat, “I haven’t cooked dinner tonight. I see… You should pay attention to me like this!”

Although Kumala’s face looked flat because she was busy storing vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator, the woman’s heart felt warm. 

She spent her youth working hard to support her two daughters. She left her comfortable home and friends for Lisa and Bella. Even if she had to go to bed at 2 am and wake up at 6 am every day so she could provide for their little family and make Lisa and Bella happy, Kumala still did it.

It would be a lie if someone said that she was not depressed. Black coffee is her everyday companion. But of course Kumala didn’t tell how she felt to her two children. She loves Lisa and Bella too much that she doesn’t want to worry them.

Kumala never expected their life to get better, she only hoped that Lisa and Bella would find a comfortable home with all their needs met. Kumala doesn’t want to be rich, she just wants to provide for their daily needs and shelter them so that she can protect them from the hot sun and heavy rain.

Lisa washed her hands, tied her hair up, and started cooking.

If she remembered again, she had not visited her mother’s house for 3 months. Let alone visiting the house, Lisa didn’t even have time to contact the middle-aged woman. Therefore, Lisa decided to cook the most delicious dish she had ever tried to make.

Lisa was not good at cooking like Kumala, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t cook. She had tried to cook Rendang before even though it was burnt, and several other dishes.

After cooking and tasting dinner that luckily tasted good, Lisa got compliments from Kumala. So they both decided to walk around the complex, with the excuse of letting the food they just consumed to fuel their bodies.

Lisa felt stupid for not wanting to spend time alone with Kumala. She always avoided anything that could bring them both together, whether it was dinner, or just watching TV in the living room.

And now Lisa missed everything and regretted her rude actions. While walking hand in hand, Lisa couldn’t stop embracing Kumala’s arm. Even though the middle-aged woman protested and said that it would be difficult for them to walk if their arms were hooked to each other like now, Lisa ignored it and instead tightened her embrace even more.

That afternoon, accompanied by the chirping of birds flying in a hurry to catch the sun, Lisa and Kumala exchanged stories. Kumala asked about Lisa’s current job, and the woman answered her question. Just like what Lisa did. The woman asked what Kumala had been doing lately, and the middle-aged woman answered her question.

Arriving back at Kumala’s house, Lisa felt her stomach was empty and shaking. Maybe the route they took was too far to make her feel hungry again. The woman finally made a fruit salad complete with mayonnaise and cheese sprinkled on top.

In the not-too-large living room, Kumala opened the rectangular window wide. The hot wind came in fiercely, making the window curtains fly. The sun had not yet fully set, causing the afternoon sky to turn red to orange.

Lisa brought the large bowl of fruit salad into the living room and sat down next to Kumala. They saw some locals walking, enjoying the afternoon. Some brought their pet dogs, some pedaled their bicycles leisurely, and some were busy capturing the evening sky with their cell phone cameras.

After getting Kumala and herself a fruit salad, Lisa sat down beside her mother. She turned and asked in a low voice, “Mom, has Bella ever visited you while I’m away?”