Mother is Not a Night Woman

Forced back

That night, still with the rest of his fear, Via told Mr. Gunawan everything he experienced. About her life and the reason that made her willing to become a comforting woman, made the middle-aged man look at her with pity.

"So you're doing all this for your sick son?" tanya Mr. Gunawan accompanied by a nod of the head by Via.

"I don't want to go into that world either. But I have no other choice."

"I can understand, son. This must be hard on you. But didn't you say the boy was just your adopted son? And you're willing to do all this for the sake of a child who doesn't have a blood relationship with you?"

Via rubbed his tears. "For me Lyla is everything. From whatever mother she was born to, to me she is still my son."

The man smiled faintly, there was great admiration for the figure of the young lady in front of him, who for him had such a gentle heart.

Not long after, a hotel employee came into the room with a paper bag. "Excuse me, Mister. Here's your order."

"Put it on the table, thank you." He grabbed the wallet out of his pants pocket, took out some money, and gave it to the hotel employee. Afterward, slide the paper bag in front of Via. "This is your clothes. Change your clothes in the bathroom."

Hesitating, Via grabbed the thing and stepped into the bathroom. Inwardly there was a slight sense of relief, yet also puzzled, as to why the middle-aged man was so kind to someone newly known.

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"I'll take you home" he said shortly after Via came out of the bathroom.

"No need, sir. I'll go home by myself. You saved me already."

"It's okay. I'll drive you. Outside these nights it's dangerous for a girl."

Along with an assistant, Mr. Gunawan drove Via home in a luxury car. Along the way, the middle-aged man asked a lot of things and Via replied as he was even though he still looked quite embarrassed. The two men sitting in the front seats even looked quite astonished by his master who was not usually happy to talk to strangers.

Less than thirty minutes, they arrived at the orphanage ...

"So you live here?"

Via replied with a nod, accompanied by a faint smile. "Sir, thank you for helping me and taking me home. May one day I repay you for your kindness."

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"Assalamu alaikum .." said Via as he entered the house.

"Greetings hallaikum." A middle-aged woman came over, with a worried look on her face. "Via .. Where are you, son? Why just got home?"

Ms. Retno, a middle-aged woman caretaker of an orphanage. A woman who has been considered Via as her own mother.

"Bluff, Mom... I'm taking odd jobs."

"Switch work? What'sthat?"

"Help a friend to finish the order, ma'am," replied Via lying. He could not be honest with the woman that he accepted a job as a comfort woman. If Miss Retno knew, she would be very sad. Because after all Via is a good child, polite, and diligent in worship.

The woman rubbed the top of the head of the girl she had raised, there was sadness to be seen there, watching how much Via was fighting for a child who was not her flesh blood.

"You've worked hard for Lyla, son. God will repay all your kindness." He wiped his tears. "Yes, now eat and rest. You must not have eaten."

"Yes, Mom!" he replied slowly, without daring to stare at the middle-aged woman's shady face. "Mom.this is a little money. It's good to add to the cost of Lyla's treatment."

Via handed over several hundred thousand bills to Ms. Retno. He could see the slightly surprised face of Bu Retno, as if there was a question from where did Via get that amount of money which was even more than his salary at the boutique where he worked.

In order to avoid questions that Via could not answer, he chose to go into the room. That's where she cried. A very big feeling of guilt. It is not the results of halal work that he gave to Ms. Retno, but money that for her is illegal.

Via recalled the bad incident he had experienced earlier, regretting his own decision. Satisfied with crying, Via went into the bathroom and ablaze. The girl even felt embarrassed cleaning herself with ablution water.

Am I still worthy of prostration after the great sin I committed ?

The night is getting late...

Shortly after performing the evening prayer, his feelings were now more peaceful. Via decided to no longer go to that entertainment venue. He thought he would look for a more decent and lawful job.

*****

The next day ...

That night, Via was guarding Lyla who was having a high fever. Not one bit of Via left his little girl. He took care of Lyla with great affection.

"Who, Dek?"

"Not known, Brother. Said he wanted to see Sister Via."

Via thought for a moment, because there was not usually anyone who came looking for him. "Yes, big sister Lyla first yeah..."

The young lady immediately swung her steps towards the vestibule, where two large tall men were already waiting for her. Via doesn't even know who those people are.

"Sorry, what's up, huh?" ask him without a stale base.

Without a word the two men pulled Via's arm towards a car parked in front of him, so the rebellious Via attempted to break away.

"You who? Please let me go!"

"Don't say much!" sniff the man. "Follow it! You've made a big mistake!"

Roughly, they pushed Via into the car. It even gripped the arm of the woman who continued to rebel. Thirty minutes later they arrived somewhere.

Via's pair of eyeballs were rounded, when he realized it was the place he had been to last night. The two men then dragged him inside to meet someone.

"Cleopatra... Welcome back," said Marco with a terrifying grin.

The two big men pushed him so hard that he fell right under Marco's feet.

"So you want to run away after making trouble? You're paid a fortune to please Aldi. But you ran away instead. Are you trying to trick me?" Marco's tone sounded relaxed, yet frightening in Via's ears.

"N-no! Please let me go, sir! I can't do this job." Via holding onto Marco's feet. He begged the man to forgive him.

"Do you know how much I've lost to you?" his yell.

"Ma. forgive me, sir," he said stammering with fear.

"Yeah, sorry and you think that's enough? You'll have to pay for all my losses as a result of your actions."

Via's eyeballs went around every corner of the room, as if looking for help. Until his gaze caught the figure of Laras. The woman and a few other friends just stared with pity.

"Scarlet, take him to the dressing room. Because tonight, he's gonna have to finish his job serving Aldi."

"Okay, boss," replied Laras.

Two of his men then dragged Via into the dressing room. They stood guard at the door so that the girl could not run away from there. Laras entered the room at Marco's behest.

"Cleo. You know, the boss is so mad at you," said Laras reaching for a garment hanging from a closet.

Via rubbed his tears. "I'm not Cleo, Ras... I'm Via," he insisted.

"But in this place you are Cleopatra. Not Via. So from tonight on, you're going to keep working here and be Cleopatra" Laras said.

Via dropped his body, kneeling before Laras. "Ras. Lyla's sick and I have to keep her company."

Laras did not heed Via's words. It is dangerous to oppose the notorious Marco. "Quickly wear these clothes. I heard from the boss, the man who paid you yesterday is coming tonight. I beg Via, for your safety and for Lyla's treatment, do your job well."

"But I really can't, Race. I'm not a night woman. I don't want to sell myself."

"You started it yourself, Cleo. So you have to take the risk. Once we get entangled into this black world, we won't be able to get out easily."

Via was silent to hear the words of Laras, it was true that he had started it. He came to the barrel to ask to be given the job, although Laras had initially warned before.

Baras forced Via to put on the open clothes and then decorate it as beautiful as possible. While Via cried again to remember Miss Retno and little Lyla.

Miss Retno and Lyla must be looking for me. I should be able to get out of here.

Tok tok...

The sound of knocking on the door was quite loud, making Via gasp in shock.

"Open the door!" shouted one from behind the door. Quickly, Baras ran to open the door.

"Where's Cleopatra? The boss was already waiting for him," asked a man impatiently, making Via return in fear.

Because they did not go out, they finally chose to drag Via out of the dressing room.

"Please let me go, sir." Again Via tried to beg Marco for forgiveness.

"detach you? It's so good you asked," she said cynically, then looked at her bodyguard. "Take him to that room. Mr. Aldi will be here soon."

"Please forgive me, sir. I beg you," he tried to rebel. But no one cared or listened. They just look at each other.

"Take the girl off!" There was a heavy voice of a man who had just entered with two men dressed in black behind his back.

***