A Woman Coffee Shop: A Short Story by Bambang Kariyawan Ys.

Coffee. A black drink caused troubles.A home life trouble.Discoursing between a man as a husband and woman as a wife.
Am I wrong to open a special woman coffee shop? A coffee shop without any man. I noted on the door, “Men are forbidden.”
All staffs and I are women.
“Are you crazy to have that coffee shop, Salmi?”asked my husband, Bahar.
“Am I? you always stay at that coffee shop. From morning to night, like a security,” I replied.
“But you are a woman. It’s not good for you.”
“Who said that we’re not allowed? Egoism!”
That was a purposeless debate. I had ever throwed away all dishes at the kitchen. I couldn’t accept to always be left to coffee shop by a man who is my husband and said that he wasthe leader of the house and had power to accompany his wife to keep the house.
Almost every single time they sat at a coffee shop with their friends. As I knew, men sat at coffee shop for breakfast, then talked timeless, and the generous one would pay all the things. Bang Bahar, my husband, was too welcomed to do that. This what made me disappointed. He was too economical for our own needs, but it was loyal for his friends.
I know, I was not a good woman for a man’s egoism. But I never asked for divorce from him. I just wanted to against with my style. I won’t let my only child suffer because of his parents’ divorcement. I usedto get some advice from such a good woman that I asked or not about my husband. In reality, they experienced the same thing. They felt so sad due to their husband’s behavior. In fact, their husband did worse. My husband still got home for sleeping at night, having lunch in the afternoon, but their husbands stayed all the day at the coffee shop, they looked for coffee shop open from morning to late afternoon then moved to late night till morning coffee shop.
“So what time are they at home?” Lenny, who always cooked for her husband’s needs, asked. She thought it was not a good advice when someone said shehad to care of his stomach’s needs to make him comfortable.
“House is like terminal!” Wiwik said abruptly who did not care whatever her husband’s time to get home.
My idea got great appreciation from my friends. Several reasons came up.
“Can add our salary.”
“New job vacancy.”
“This is our against for our husbands.”
And other reasons supported my idea for opening a coffee shop especially for women.
Since then, other women and I who supported and helped the financial capital for my coffee shop prepared for all things to make it true sooner.
We also needed discussion with women in the same fighting for choosing the name of the coffee shop.
“How about Female Coffee Shop!”
“How about Coffee of Cik Salmi, like your name?”
“Or women coffee shop, only.”
That was a happy little debatation. Took from this idea, asked others and so on, when we discussed with a high educated woman who wasa politics scientist, she thought COFFEE SHOP WAS FROM, BY AND FOR WOMEN.
“Her reason is like a famous one’s statement about democracy that is government is from society, by society and for society.”
My coffee shop was officially established. For the first time, only the women fighter came to my coffee shop. But then, in case of whistleblowing news that my coffee shop against the man’s action or people of power of women by Doctor Savitri, the women came bigger time by time. They talked about such reasons as we said before.
“The point is, we are so bored to be only as wind by our husbands.”
This coffee shop became more famous after being visited by women media. Since then, many women activists held meeting about gender. I was interviewed for sometimes. I used to be afraid with anything about interview. But I became brave when I was accompanied and motivated by Dr. Savitri.
“Just take it relax, Cik Salmi.”
Since then, my braveness to speak beforethe audiences spread inmyself. It was unbelievable that my coffee shop became hot topic in some cases. This made women came to coffee shop every morning and night.
In fact, this made husbands got confused because their wives forgot about their daily works. Let alone bang Bahar, my husband. Did this make me happy? I was not sure yet.
“Salmi, I am so tired to listen to others’ statement because the women coffee shop, cause of my friends’ wives about work at kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.”
“So, what do you want now?”
“I just want you to obey me!”
“If a wife should obey their husband, why should not on the contrary?”
“That is taught in our religion.”
“Which religion, Bang? Show me! Is that Islam? Don’t we should understand each other?”
“If you object me again, you should be ready for being a widow, Salmi”.
“It is up to you!!! Egoistics!!!”

Bambang Kariyawan Ys., 08117595971 (WA)