The Thorn in the Family

Mother's request

My name is Bethari Ambarwati comes from a very mediocre family that can even be said to be below average. Our family life was so alarming that a fate made me able to slightly change my family's life.

“Assalamualaikum Tar mom need money thirty five million”.

A sentence was written on my cell phone screen which happened to be from the person who had given birth to me mother.

It was seven o'clock at night, when I had just come home from work and wanted to enjoy the dinner I had bought at my boarding shop.

My appetite suddenly disappeared just like that after opening my mother's message. The rice wrap that I had imagined the pleasure throughout the trip suddenly changed not show the pleasure. I grabbed a glass in the kitchen and sipped it until it was gone, not left to cool my heart and brain a little.

“What kind of request is this?”. My chest rumbled up and down, I tried to hold it to make it calmer.

I sat in the chair for a moment so I could think sanely to take a stand.

A few minutes later my phone rang again this time not just incoming messages but voicemails, I want to ignore it but unfortunately the person who contacted me is the person I love the most and I fight in this world “ibu”.

“Assalamualaikum bu what is it?”, I replied to the mother who was there.

My mother and family live in Jombang, East Java. I have one younger brother named Saiful Bagus Krisnawan, now he is on the bench of Junior High School. My father has been dead since I was nine years old. I currently live in Jakarta and work there.

“Waalaikumsalam, Dance have you read mom's message?”. Ask my mom in a hurry.

“Bu”.

“Lantas how?”. Mother asked again with a little affirmation.

“Let's Dance again yes ma'am, Tari just came home from work want to clean up first”. I closed my mother's phone in a slow tone without wanting to offend her feelings at all.

I went from the chair in my living room to the bathroom with a shaky step.

Ten minutes later I had finished the bath and intended to return to the stomach filling that had been from noon thrashing want to ask for his right. I re-opened the rice wrap containing sambal lalapan with a simple side dish.

My phone rings again.

“Tar has it cleaned?”.

“Iya bu already how?”.

“Mom need Tar money about thirty-five million to fix the house, now it's a precarious rainy season at home on all leaking, all, I'm afraid our house will soon collapse if it is not immediately fixed”. Mum said at length without pause.

“Is it that bad bu?”. I asked my mother to make sure.

“Yes you don't trust the same mom?”.

“Oh no bu sorry not Dari dubious mother just that Dance has one year not come home so do not understand the state of the house with certainty”. I tried to give an answer to my mother by slowly fearing the wrong talk.

“So how Tar do you have money for home improvement, in addition to precarious mother also wants to replace ceramics in the house that has been cracked all together in her house paint”.

My mom hasn't worked since I graduated from college, she was a housemaid. It's a fortune for me to get a mission bidik scholarship at one of the state universities. Thanks to my cleverness and determination to change the family life, I again got the opportunity to continue my master's education in London, of course with the help of LPDP scholarships.

Right now I work in one of the big, bona fide companies that are growing. My position as a research analyst gives me my own advantages. My salary is quite large if I enjoy it myself unfortunately I have to be the backbone of my family.

I was still silent and could not answer my mother's question. Mother spoke back.

“Oh yes Tar money for spp my sister why has not sent? Now it's past the tenth date, kasian your sister if not immediately pay later can not take the exam”. Mom explained it at length to me.

I massage my temples slowly.

It felt like crying right then and there but I tried to hold it in, I didn't want to look weak in front of mom.

“Sorry ma'am for money spp Saiful I forgot to transfer, tomorrow morning before leaving for work will I transfer”.

“How are the funds that make home renovations already collected?”.

“Sorry mom please be patient first yes, the money is not there yet. Dance is still trying to collect it”.

“Ya already then, but please immediately try not to wastefully live there”.

“Good bu”. I quickly closed the phone.

I took a deep breath and tried to breathe a lot of air.

“From where to get that much money in near” time. I said in my heart by pressing my temple which felt very heavy.

Like the previous months if payday I'd split into several posts. Right now my salary is twelve million with no pieces at all. For the size of single girls should be a salary of that size is more than enough, unfortunately not with me I feel still very lacking. Whether I'm less grateful or what?, it feels like such a big salary almost never rested.

Not my wasteful life, my office is in SCBD but I chose to stay in Depok not without reason just want to save money because the rent of vocabulary in Depok area is still relatively cheaper. I have to pay eight hundred thousand dollars a month. Whereas if near my work place rent costs reach one million five hundred thousand.

I've never been with friends eating out, even just eating in the office cafeteria I never. I withdraw from the circulation of office friends not too follow their lives. I prefer to bring provisions at work, while on Monday and Thursday I get used to fasting in addition to learning tirakat also to save money.

Out of the total salary of five million I send to my mother for the cost of living at home including the cost of food, electricity and water, one million I send for the cost of school saiful every month. One million more I keep hidden specifically for the preparation of saiful tuition later.

Five million for just one month of home operations, outside the event, bicycle service and tasyakuran.

You ask me if I have any savings?.

For now I have a little savings, but the amount is not up to what I asked for.

“Ah good I ate first so I can think better after this”.

I reopened the bag and wanted to eat it, unfortunately the rice pack was swarmed by ants when I received a phone call from the mother.

My step stumbled towards the mini kitchen that was in the room to make Indomie soto.