About half an hourter, Lisa came out of Jumbo supermarket with some big stic bags. She purposely didn''t contact Kum 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 Kum''s ce is not too far, maybe about 10 minutes walk, Lisa can''t walk that far while carrying severalrge stic 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. Kum''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 Kum 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?" Kum asked curiously when she saw her daughter carrying severalrge shopping bags. The middle-aged woman reached out her hand and took them away so she could help Lisa.
Lisa walked after Kum 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.
Kum 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 busytely, 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 stic bag, "Look at this, I bought your favorite cake."
"Gosh why did you buy me this much? Just a waste of money!" Even though Kum 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."
Kum cleared her throat, "I haven''t cooked dinner tonight. I see… You should pay attention to me like this!"
Although Kum''s face looked t 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 herfortable home and friends for Lisa and Be. 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 Be happy, Kum still did it.
It would be a lie if someone said that she was not depressed. ck coffee is her everydaypanion. But of course Kum didn''t tell how she felt to her two children. She loves Lisa and Be too much that she doesn''t want to worry them.
Kum never expected their life to get better, she only hoped that Lisa and Be would find afortable home with all their needs met. Kum 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 Kum, 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 gotpliments from Kum. So they both decided to walk around theplex, 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 Kum. 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 Kum''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, apanied by the chirping of birds flying in a hurry to catch the sun, Lisa and Kum exchanged stories. Kum asked about Lisa''s current job, and the woman answered her question. Just like what Lisa did. The woman asked what Kum had been doingtely, and the middle-aged woman answered her question.
Arriving back at Kum''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 sdplete with mayonnaise and cheese sprinkled on top.
In the not-toorge living room, Kum opened the rectangr 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 therge bowl of fruit sd into the living room and sat down next to Kum. 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 Kum and herself a fruit sd, Lisa sat down beside her mother. She turned and asked in a low voice, "Mom, has Be ever visited you while I''m away?"