Freewrite || The Warmth of Afternoon at a Rice Stall

It's a quiet afternoon at a small roadside stall. From behind the slightly open door, two women are busy going about their daily routine. One, wearing a black hijab, stands at a wooden table, while the other, wearing a pink hijab, is scooping rice and placing it in a large green bucket. Outside, traffic slowly passes by, motorbikes and cars, and the sun's heat filtering through the bamboo blinds casts a dim light inside.

This stall may seem simple, but it's where the pulse of life revolves every day. The aroma of warm rice, chili sauce, and fried foods freshly removed from the oil signals that lunchtime has arrived. The table in the center of the stall is filled with plates, spoons, and banana leaf wrappings silent witnesses to the never-ending hustle and bustle. From morning until evening, their hands tirelessly prepare the dishes, serve the steady stream of customers, and ensure everyone who stops by leaves with a full stomach.

Despite the scorching heat and exhaustion, their spirits never waver. There's patience and sincerity in every movement in measuring rice, scooping side dishes, and greeting customers with a warm smile. Behind that simplicity lies a struggle for family, for life to go on, even if it's sometimes hard.

Outside, sunlight shines onto the busy street. But inside this stall, life moves at a different rhythm slower, warmer, and full of meaning. The daytime rice vendor, with his hands perhaps tired but his heart strong, is a small symbol of a resilience that's often unseen but so evident in everyday life.

Note: I am writing in Indonesian and using the help of Google translate to translate into English.

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Warm Greetings From

@gunting