A Single Elderly Has Her Own Way to Enjoy Her Life

TASIKMALAYA (May 29, 2022) - Her voice was hoarse, as she wiped away the tears that were pressing down between the wrinkles on Romnah's (72 years old) face when she talked about the toughness of being a single elderly. It has been 10 years since her husband left her for Jakarta, there is no news until she is now old.

At that time, Romnah did not lose her mind to continue to support her 3 children since her husband left her. At 2 a.m., she started to wake up, it was time to pray to God about his increasingly weak position in facing the world.

After praying, she continued to make market snacks that she usually peddled around the village every 08.00 to 11.00 a.m.

Bugis cakes, Banana cakes, Uli, Oseng Vermicelli, gemblong, and Odading are some of the types of market snacks that are sold. She is good at making this snack thanks to her mother. Everything was made in the kitchen which only measures 1 x 1.5 meters.

She sold her cakes on foot, to Sukakarsa Village, Sukarame District, Tasikmalaya Regency. Now and then Romnah smiled, when she told the story of her cakes being bought but not paid for at that time.

"Yes, it's okay, the important thing is that it doesn't take long to pay. Sometimes the next day the buyer will pay (the snacks)," said the elderly who has 13 grandchildren.

She admitted that her initial capital for trading was only IDR 200,000. One day, if her cakes were sold out she can get a profit of IDR 100,000. Some she saves, some she uses to increase capital. If it doesn't, she gives it to her children and grandchildren at home.

She had run out of capital, in addition to increasingly expensive raw materials, she also had to pay for flour millers at the market. "I wish I could have a flour milling machine so that it doesn't go to the market, it doesn't cost money to grind flour," she said.

Coming home from selling, after the midday prayer, Romnah went back down the path to look for banana leaves. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes to the banana plantation. She took enough for 2-3 trading days.

Romnah had been 15 years living in Sukakarsa Village, in a 3 x 3.5-meter house. The house she bought for IDR 1.5 million is in the form of a stage under which there is a pond containing goldfish and tilapia fish. This fish can be harvested to be eaten with the family.