The Winter Promise
Chapter 107: Let's See, As Complex As What Problems He Has.
Cling...
“Welcome.”
A cafe waiter cleaning a table near the entrance greeted us.
I looked around the cafe there were still very few visitors who came to the cafe. I looked at the clock and now it's ten o'clock over, the cafe I think just opened.
We went straight to the barista table to order and there I saw Akbar cleaning the glasses with a cloth.
“Message milk shake one... Same brown toast one.”
“I espresso one.”
Riki and I ordered our order.
“What are you two doing here?”
Akbar was a little surprised to see me and also Riki came to his place of work.
“There's something we want to talk to you about.”
Akbar looked me in the eye seriously, as if he already knew what I wanted to talk about.
“You must wait for me to finish first.”
“What our arrival bothers you?”
Riki felt bad about it.
“No, you don't bother me. I'll ask my friend to replace me for a while.”
“Thank God then.”
Akbar went to the back to talk to his friend.
We moved to sit somewhere else to talk comfortably. Because if we talk about it near the barista table, someone else might hear us.
“Why don't you do the pleasantries first Mar?”
Riki looked a little upset by what I was doing just now.
“I'm not used to doing that, and it's even faster if I directly talk to the core of the conversation.”
“Almost the atmosphere there is tense because of your actions Mar.”
“I'm sorry.”
I feel a little sorry for that.
I'm not so used to doing pleasantries because it's troublesome. I prefer to talk directly to the core of the conversation. But I don't always speak directly to the core, sometimes I do pleasantries too, depending on who I'm talking to.
“Lain times let me just start the conversation first.”
That's exactly what I want.
After waiting not too long, Akbar came to us with drinks and food orders from both of us.
“This is your order.”
Akbar placed the order in front of us.
“So what do you want to talk to me about?”
“I just came to your house.”
At least it can make him understand what I mean to come here.
“Where did you get my home address?”
Akbar was surprised when he heard that.
“I got it from Mr. Febri, he told us to come to your house.”
“We also met your aunt and sister while there.”
Riki added my words.
“Did you tell them my work?”
Akbar looked panicked.
She was very worried if I told her aunt that.
“I didn't tell him.”
“Why?”
Akbar didn't really believe seeing that.
“I have no business to say that to your aunt.”
Hearing that made Akbar become a little calm.
“So what do you want to ask me?”
“Tell us your problem, nothing you hide from us.”
I started looking at him seriously and deeply.
“What is your business interfering in my affairs? Let me finish this myself.”
“I know all the files you submitted to the school were signed by your guardian. I also know that you're not living with your parents right now, so what exactly happened?”
“Amar actually just wants to help you Bar, but his language alone is difficult to understand.”
Riki was trying to decipher what I said to Akbar.
“What you two can promise not to talk about this to others, especially Mr. Febri.”
“K-”
“No problem.”
Riki wanted to say something but I interrupted.
I know he must have wanted to ask me why Mr. Febri shouldn't know this.
“So two years ago, exactly when I was in Junior High. My family is not a harmonious family.”
Riki and I started listening to Akbar's story carefully.
Riki started sipping his coffee to concentrate on the story Akbar was going to talk about.
“Both of my parents were always fighting because of the nature of my father who loved to play gambling, drinking, and playing women.”
Waw... It's so deep.
“My mother always scolded my father and when my mother scolded him they were both always fighting, not even infrequently my father beat my mother because of her overflowing emotions. Being not strong with my father nature, my mother secretly left home while we were all asleep.”
“Does your father work somewhere?”
Ask him.
“My father used to work as a laborer, but all his salary money he always used for his pleasure and gave a little part to the family. My mother always covered the economic shortcomings of our family by working as a traveling washerman.”
“Then when did you start moving to your uncle's place?”
“After my mother left home, I was still living with my father at first. But because my father also sometimes likes to use violence against me and my sister, especially when he is in trouble at work, his emotions are uncontrollable. I finally could not stand it too and finally decided to go to my uncle's house with my sister, because only they were brothers who were in Jakarta and I can trust.”
Okay, until here I've gotten a big picture of Akbar's problem.
“And what made you decide to work?”
“I know that the income from my uncle who mediocre, coupled with the arrival of the two of us, surely it will be a little burdensome even though he did not say that to us. Therefore I decided to work to help the finances of my uncle.”
“Since when did you work here?”
“From third grade SMP, I've been working here.”
Three Junior High? It means just one year ago. But it was also great that he was able to find a workplace that accepted an Junior High School disciple like him.
“What time in Junior High did you miss your exculature as you are now?
“When SMP I can balance between school and work. But ever since I heard that my father was fired from his office for being caught doing something with a female employee who was there. He often came to my uncle's house to ask him for money.”
I glanced at Riki and she still listened to Akbar's story seriously. He did not even realize that the coffee in his glass was over.
“Your problem turns out to be more complicated compared to what I thought.”
Riki finally spoke.
At least I already know what Akbar's problem is.
“Why do you want to tell this to both of us?”
“You two asked me to tell you Mar! Did you forget? You just said that a few minutes earlier.”
“If the problem is this complicated, it doesn't matter to me if you don't tell it.”
“How else, you threatened me... Anyway I also want to get a suggestion from you.”
I could have helped Akbar in his family's economic matters but that wouldn't have solved his family's problems. Would I interfere too much if I entered that realm? Hmmmm... But I don't think there's any harm in giving Akbar input on this.
“What you expect from me.”
“You definitely have a way to get out in this.”
Actually I already have a way to get rid of this problem, which is to get rid of his father as soon as possible.
“Where does your father live now?”
Riki asked Akbar.
“I don't know where my father lives, I only know when my father sold our house to someone to play gambling. When all the money from the sale of the house was up, he finally came to my uncle's house to ask for money.”
“You better not pamper your father like that, if it is like that your father will continue to eat.”
“I agree with Amar.”
Anyway, I just heard there was a father who was that bad.
“My uncle also plans to do just that as well. My uncle's finances are also not many who can give money so easily to my father.”
If his uncle had thought of such a thing, it should have been easy. Akbar stayed to help his uncle so his father would not come to his uncle's house again to ask for money.
“But what if my father did something to my uncle and aunt. I don't want my uncle and aunt to be hurt by my father's harsh treatment.”
It's a real hassle.
“If indeed he has committed such an act of violence, you can report it to the authorities.”
“If it is like that, I think there is no other way.”
“I want this kind of problem to be solved by kinship.”
It turns out Akbar is a good boy too. He can say that when he himself knows how his father treats him. I salute him, maybe I should learn some things from him.
“You are a good boy Bar.”
Riki praised Akbar.
“You however I am the son of my father. Without him, I could not have been born in this world.”
“Do you know how your mother is doing now?”
“My mother returned to her village and stayed with her brothers.”
“You still communicate with him often?”
“I only occasionally talk to him over the phone, usually he only asks the state of the Princess only.”
His father was like that and his mother was gone from home. For a child of Akbar's age, he has been described as a tough child as well.
Maybe I'll give Akbar a choice.
“Do you want to keep like this Bar?”
“Actually I want to find a job that does not interfere with my school, but until now I still have not found it. There is no one job for a child who is still in school.”
You haven't been looking for him in Comic Universe's office.
“In the office where I work today, there are vacancies that are open for interns. And there is guaranteed not to interfere with your school because there are already many children in the classroom who work there.”
“Who works there?”
Ask Akbar back to me.
“I, Riki, Natasha, and Maul.”
Maybe Maul doesn't need me to mention it because she doesn't belong in my class, but that's it.
“How about the payment?”
“The payment depends on the work you do.”
“Thank God, I finally got the bright path too. When can I go there Mar?”
Akbar seemed very happy to hear that.
“Maybe when you just entered the second semester, I will contact you again later.”
“Alright, I'll wait for him... Thank you Mar.”
Just this time I saw a very happy person like this.
The pleasure Akbar felt at this moment was different when I offered the job to Riki and Maul. The taste that Akbar showed this time felt very different, somehow seeing Akbar happy made me happy too.
“I'm happy if I can help you.”
“So now you better solve your problems with your father as soon as possible Bar. Because if you don't finish it, want you to move work is free.”
“I will talk about this first to my uncle and aunt. Because the two of them will also be involved if I have a quarrel with my father.”
“That's a good decision.”
All right, if if this problem is smooth and there is no problem at all. My affair with Akbar was finished and I was able to report this to Mr. Febri without needing to tell Akbar the problem.
I don't know why there's still something on my mind. Just this time I felt insecure after giving someone a suggestion. I was afraid that the advice I gave was wrong and would cause something bad. I hope it's just my hunch.
“By the way why can you offer this job to me Mar? What is your position in that office?”
Akbar became curious about me.
“I'm just an intern just like Riki and the others.”
I also saw Riki glancing at me with a small smile. I only elbowed him a little so that he would stop doing that, because Akbar could have suspected Amar's words just now because of Riki's behavior.
“I'm so happy to tell you this, I know that there's no harm in telling you this.”
You might be able to say that, Mar, but what you're going to do in the future and what's going to happen is in it. Every thing that will happen in the future I may have to take responsibility because I have suggested it to Akbar.
“Oh yes, how about you join us in burning at Miyuki's house during the new year Bar?”
Riki invites Akbar to the burning event.
“I could not promise that day, because at that time usually the cafe was crowded, maybe if I could come it late.”
“It doesn't matter if it's too late that important you can come to the show.”
“Then I will contact you how later.”
“Oi Mar!”
Akbar waved his hand in front of my face.
“What's up?”
“Do you think of anything?”
“No.”
“Hmm... So.”
Right now I am only thinking about what I said to Akbar is true or not. Because only this time I meddle in the affairs of people up to this deep let alone complicated matters like this.
I used to not care about this because it had nothing to do with me. So I don't really care what happens to me as long as I'm not involved in the problems he has.
But now I'm willing to get dragged into someone else's problems and want to solve them even if they're troublesome. It seems like a lot has changed from me lately.
the End Chapter 107
