The West Season is the hardest season for the fishermen of Dusun III, Sei Nagalawan Village. Locals refer to this season as "bakat" or "wak uteh," a period of bad weather and high sea waves, rendering the fishermen unable to go to sea. October to December is the peak of this difficult season, when economic problems tighten around the families of fishermen. During the bakat season, men cannot go to sea, and their wives cannot go to the market due to financial constraints. Eventually, with no other option, the wives are forced to seek loans or borrow money from local moneylenders or shop.

During the bakat months, the most common topic of conversation among the mothers in this fishing village is debt. "Where did you borrow, Las?" Nanik asked one afternoon as she passed in front of Lastri's house, her neighbor in Jawa Alley. Both are residents of Sei Nagalawan and are still young; Nanik is 38 years old, while Lastri is eleven years younger than Nanik, and each has two children.