The Sandwich Generation's

Tuition

Time has shown at 6:45 but Alin my sister number 1 has not yet moved from the dining table her face looks tangled and like ogah ogahan to go to school.

" Sister there's no money yet to pay for my spp, I'm ashamed " hearing that I became angry Alin as if he did not want to know the condition of his brother who only spg in a shopping center would have to wait until the payday date arrived.

" You understand the situation your little brother Kira brother has a money trial?!."

" But I'm ashamed you've been 3 months in arrears."

I was silent for a moment to hear Alin say I had just been in the position of Alin , had to put up a thick face because oom could not pay money at that time.

Father who only works as a tailor does seem to pay for school to my 3 younger siblings and as the only child who has worked and not married must be willing to be the backbone of my family .

Two brothers and one sister I have no share at all in this family will not help support the economy of their own family is already kembis kembis.

My two brothers and one older sister are married that's why they can't help ease dad's burden .

I glanced at the ring that was coiled around my middle finger I was planning to sell this ring before I left for work later it just so happened that today I was in the day shift, so there was a time to stop by the gold shop where I bought this ring 3 months ago.

To be honest it was hard for me to resell this ring, but hearing my sister kept asking the teacher when to pay her spp money so not hearty.

" Sa dad's machine has to be fixed otherwise how can you do the whole suit you take."

It felt like crying ,tadi morning Alin who complained about money spp now dad said that his sewing machine was broken.

To pay money spp alin only I have to be willing to take off the ring that is available I made savings ,the ring sales money is nothing after being cut to pay for spp alin probably will only be left about 1 million or less more.

And now just entering the middle of the month until my payday date arrives there are still 11 more days of money leftover sale plan I make a reserve until I receive a salary.

Three years of work I have absolutely no savings in my account, payday money just passing by.

Fortunately Jaka mas is very understanding probably because the same from the same family background that fit pasan, mas Jaka can understand my situation , not infrequently mas jaka give help even though the salary is the same as mine according to UMR.

Mas Jaka one job with my brother number two Johan, the same as a shopping center employee, as well as me just different company where we work.

" Patience deck insha allah if you sincerely help your sustenance parents will be smooth" said mas Jaka comforting me. When I complain about my situation.

The next day I gave money from the sale of my ring to Alin.

" Nich paid for your spp, a school that really values your brother's sacrifice!."

" Yes, brother, I'll replace all of brother's sacrifices."

I walked over to the pensive father in front of the stall looking at his broken sewing machine there was a hue of sadness visible on his face.

" Well this is money to fix dad's machine."

The old man I called the father looked pensive while smoking a clove of smoke coming out of his mouth and his nose his eyes looked distant.

His body looks frail eaten by age , father doesn't seem to hear my words because he's still cool with his cigarettes.

I approached and sat on the bench right in front of him in his sewing stand that my father had built in the yard next to our rented house .

" Yes." call me once more.

Dad looked a little surprised to see me who was sitting in front of him then turned off the cigarette that almost lived cork.

" Is there money already?."

I immediately thrust 3 pieces of fragments a hundred thousand to his hand father seemed relieved because he could immediately fix the sewing machine.

"You've already paid?." I asked him as if he wanted to know where the money came from.

" I didn't sell rings yesterday to pay for spp alin." I said.

Dad sighed long his face looked to be moody once he heard where the money I gave him came from.

"Later if you get your wages changed."

"No need to think about it, the important thing is that your machine can be repaired."

Sometimes I feel life is unfair to my family since young until now before dusk my father has never felt the taste of life prosperous.

Father is not a slacker even with the right skills, father tries to change the fate of the family but fate is not on his side.

Until having 7 children the fate of the father does not change remains a tailor, a tailor, while mamak helped father by entrusting peyek packed with the price of 5 thousand that he put in the stall and the proceeds of sale can not be taken every day sometimes 1 week can be taken.

Of the 30 packs that he entrusted to each stall he titipi not necessarily sold out.

The unsold peyek we made as a side dish, sometimes also mamak received the order to make a puffer cake when he got the expertise from his late grandmother.

Yuni my sister is married in trouble, her husband is not responsible despite the gift of two children, his work is lazy and often drunk liquor.

Often sak Yuni brought her two children to the father's house so they could eat full and her son could get pocket money from the father or me.

The condition of Brother Yuni and bang Nasrul my oldest brother made the burden of the mind of father and mother increasingly heavy.

While bang Johan life though better than kak Yuni and bang Nasrul but can not help because it is still fit.

Under Alin there are still Dita and Arif who are still in elementary school, because they are in public school so I am not so burdened with school fees.

But still I am the one who has to think about their needs, especially when the holiday arrives.

Salary money and THR spent for them I rarely think about myself, for me to see my family happy alone has become a pride.