At six in the morning Ajsa was already peeling potatoes for a hundred servings. Her friend Mara kneaded dough while Senada counted plates borrowed from neighbors. The village food festival was to begin at noon. The poster named the association president, sponsors, and musicians. The women appeared as "household support" in small print below the phone number.
Ajsa's husband Faruk was the president. For years she had said public appearances simply suited him better. She disliked microphones; he could not roll dough, so the division seemed natural. This year she heard him on the radio describing recipes he supposedly devised and an organizational system allowing the event to grow without major expense. That system was called their unpaid weekend.
She asked why he had not mentioned the women. He said there had not been time and promised to thank everyone at the opening. He promised no fees because the budget was already spent on the stage and a visiting chef. The chef was supposed to demonstrate a dish Mara had been making since she was sixteen.
At noon Faruk began speaking. Ajsa switched off the burner, washed her hands, and removed her apron. Mara and Senada did the same. They did not throw away food or leave guests without lunch. Everything was finished and safely stored. They sat at the first free table and asked an association member to serve them. He laughed, then realized none of them was joking.
Confusion broke out behind the stage. Faruk left the microphone and demanded an explanation. Ajsa said their part was finished and they now expected the same treatment as invited guests. When he mentioned embarrassment before cameras, Mara calmly pointed at the poster. "Our work isn't there. Presumably someone else knows how to finish it." The visiting chef approached their table, listened, and went to fetch a tray.
Lunch was served more slowly, but it was served. On camera the chef named the women who had prepared the dishes and said he had come to learn from them. Faruk could not tell the same story again. That evening he and Ajsa sat in the yard for a long time. She did not ask for public humiliation. She asked that before the next festival application they discuss who worked, how much, and under what conditions.
The following year's program was smaller. There was no expensive stage, but the kitchen team received agreed fees. Ajsa spent part of hers on a spa weekend with Mara and Senada. Faruk stayed home and prepared lunch for guests alone for the first time. He called only once to ask where the large pot was kept. She told him exactly, then continued drinking her coffee while it was still warm.