Free Shadow Play by Barbara Ismail Page A

all of a sudden, he comes home one night and tells me he’s taken a second wife.” Her guests both gasped with dismay. It was a middle-aged woman’s worst nightmare.
    â€œNow, mind you, my husband is in his fifties, and we have children who are already married. He’s getting ready to be a grandfather, so what does he need a young girl for? More kids? We already have five, and my eldest daughter is having a baby.”
    â€œCongratulations.”
    â€œThank you. So, he brings home Faouda. I thought she was a nasty piece of work, but, of course, I would, wouldn’t I? He tells me he’s rented a small house down the end of the road for her and that I should learn to treat her like a sister.” She snorted. “Right. He was crazy for her for the first three months or so. Like a buffalo led by the nose: kerbau cucuk hidung.
    â€œIt was so hard,” she said calmly. “He gave her almost all the money every week, and I had to make do with what I earn to feed myself and the kids. He just didn’t care.” She looked bemused, and Maryam whispered, “I’m sorry.” Maimunah shrugged.
    â€œWhat can you do? You just have to keep going and hope for the best. And I did just that, Kak; I kept my mouth shut and waited. And what do you know? He got tired of her, just as I thought he would. One day, he came back here and started complaining: she didn’t know how to save money, she didn’t know how to cook, she always wanted to go out to the movies, she wanted to have a baby.
    â€œShe was a young girl; of course, she wanted these things! And you’re an old goat, I thought, and have no business having a baby who’ll be younger than your first grandchild. But I bit my tongue, aswe women often do. I smiled and made him dinner, and he was glad to be back. Pacat jatoh kelumpur , like a leech falling back into the mud. He couldn’t have been more relieved.
    â€œTwo days later, Faouda shows up after dinner and starts yelling at him. The whole kampong could hear! Alamak ! You know, I decided to stay out of it. I had nothing to gain by jumping into the middle.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Rubiah agreed solemnly.
    â€œYou’re right,” Maryam chorused.
    â€œSo,” Mainumah flicked her cigarette over the side of the porch and lit another immediately. One of the goats came by to investigate. “My husband says to her, ‘I divorce you with three talak.’ Three talak at once. That’s great. I’m happy. And he stomps out of the house right then and there to see if there’s anyone around to register it. She can’t believe it. She’s standing there with her mouth open. What happened?”
    Maimunah laughed. “A man his age, how’s he going to keep up with her? He’s exhausted, and besides, does any man like spending that much money? Especially after he’s decided he doesn’t want what he’s bought.” All three laughed at the folly of men and the naïveté of young women.
    â€œShe looks at me, like she’s going to cry, but there’s no sympathy for her here. I told her, ‘Go get your stuff out of the house and go back to your parents. I’ve had enough of you to last me forever! She pouts for a minute and then I give her a little push to guide her to the door, you know.” She nodded, smiling slightly. “That was it, really. By the next morning, she was gone, and the next week I heard she married a musician from Dollah Baju Hijau’s troupe. Fast work, wasn’t it?” She shook her head, wonderingly. “Is it even legal?” she asked. “You have to wait before you marry again, don’t you?” She shrugged. “Well, itisn’t my problem. Anyway, she went up to see him in Kota Bharu and I heard the first wife wasn’t happy to see her. I’m not surprised.
    â€œI heard in the market … you know: angin bertiup , the wind blows and