They Say, I'm a Liar

New job

Beautiful get a commission because he has brought a tenant in the boarding house. Evelyn paid the rent for three months.

“Smart you are looking for tenant. Pay three months anyway. Usually, tenants here are told to pay only monthly like late! Great you Ndah! Know where with that tenant?”

Beautiful laugh out loud. That woman was so happy to be able to lie to Evelyn. Thanks to the innocence of the middle-aged woman he could get a wage of fifty thousand rupiah.

“Know in the food stall. Yes it is Mak. I want to see the Mba. I want to borrow a mat. Pity if he has to sleep on the floor,” said beautifully. The young woman approached Evelyn with a mat. It was done Beautiful as a thank you because Evelyn wanted to rent the boarding room for three months.

“Thank you yes Ndah. Later I return the mat if I have bought a mattress,” said Evelyn.

“If Mba wants, Mba can buy my used mattress. I sell cheap. Just a hundred thousand. It's a little thin already. His name is also one hundred thousand. I plan to buy a new mattress, tomorrow.”

Accustomed to seeing the price of a mattress with a nominal dozen million rupiah, making Evelyn flabbergasted. It turns out that with just one hundred thousand rupiah, he can already get a mattress for sleeping mats. Evelyn is okay even though the mattress is a used mattress. He won't stay long in the slums. If she gets a job, Evelyn plans to find a decent place to live.

Evelyn followed Beautiful to see the used mattress. The foam mattress looks very thin. However, compared to just sleeping with a mat or struggling to find a new mattress, Evelyn finally agreed to buy the mattress. Evelyn had even directly paid Indah back then.

Beautiful face so sumringah when Evelyn gave a hundred thousand rupiah note to him.

And in the afternoon, Indah accompanied by her husband, bought a new foam mattress at a price of one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah.

“Kok he wants to buy a thin foam mattress. Though he only needs to add fifty thousand to get a new mattress,” said Tarman— husband Indah.

Beautiful of course laughed out loud hearing it. The woman felt today was her lucky day of being able to meet Evelyn.

“He was so stupid, Mas. He told me that he had been tricked by his friends into bankruptcy! Yasudah, I tried to trick him. Uh. .. he was fooled too. In fact, he also believes that renting in Kos Mak Yati must pay for three months at the beginning. I got fifty thousand deh, from Mak Yati.”

“So, this new mattress of ours, actually he bought dong?!” ask Tarman. Lovely nodded her head enthusiastically. Tarman and Beautiful laughed out loud.

***

Evelyn's life in that place, certainly did not go well. Close to the surrounding landfills, plus a very dirty toilet makes Evelyn's body immunity decrease. The woman often felt pain in her body. Apparently, the plan to find a job had to be buried. Certainly no one would want to hire a sickly weak woman.

Since the first day she became a resident in the boarding house, Evelyn always asked Indah to buy her food from a food stall where Indah worked. Of course Indah raised the price of the food, in order to get more money from Evelyn.

“Today buy any side dish, Mba?” tanya Indah before leaving for the shop where she works.

“Fry only, Ndah. The rice as usual, two servings,” Evelyn said.

“It has been three days Mba Ev only use fried side dishes. Don't want any other food?” tanya Beautiful's. In the first month of living in the boarding house, Evelyn always bought a variety of side dishes every day. However, in the following month, when she found her savings were running low, Evelyn only ordered fried foods or eggs for her daily meals.

“I haven't got a job, Ndah. My money is also gone. So I have to skimp,” shriek Evelyn. Just eating twice a day plus the disease continued to eat away at her body, making Evelyn look very thin.

“How to get a job if Mba is only at home!”

“I can't walk Ndah. Not strong to work heavy. Who would accept me. Even to walk to the hospital, I couldn't. Though my medicines have run out,” elicited Evelyn.

The owner of the boarding house who felt sorry for Evelyn, was several times seen giving food to the woman.

“Work with my sister only, Mba,” said Mak Yati when delivering a plate of fried bananas to Evelyn.

“I can't work hard, Mom. My body was all sick,” eloh Evelyn.

“Sit only. No need to move much. If you want, I'll tell my sister. I will go home and go with my sister. Mba just pay the daily fee. Than at home and no income. Two more months, Mba must have paid the cost money,” said Mak Yati.

Evelyn exhaled a heavy breath. True what the owner of the house said. The money in his wallet was just a few more. Evelyn predicted that the money could only last for the next month.

“How's Mba? Just sit around.”

“Alright Mom. I'd like to try it. My money is also gone. I also need to take medication. My body has been all sick,” shrieked the woman.

Mak Yati also told her brother.

And the next morning, Mak Yati introduces Evelyn to Danu— her sister-in-law. The man watched Evelyn's thin body.

“Wah ... Right Brother. Fit nih,” says Danu. That morning, after receiving food from Mak Yati, Evelyn left with Danu. The man pulled Evelyn onto his motorcycle. With Danu cradled, Evelyn was brought to a modern wholesale center. The man pushed Evelyn into a closed and deserted place.

“This outfit of yours is too good. Let's change!” danu orders while handing over the pouch containing shabby clothes.

“Use this!”

Evelyn took the clothes. “Where is the dressing room?”

“This is not a Mall. Just change here!”

With her back to Danu, Evelyn undid all her clothes. Danu's eyes bought as she stared at Evelyn's body. Although the woman only lived bone wrapped in skin, but Evelyn's snow-white skin made Danu flabbergasted.

Seamless as well as him.

Danu continued to stare at Evelyn's body without blinking. The man had already devised various plans in his head. After Evelyn changed clothes, Danu returned to the woman and gave Evelyn a seat.

“You just sit here until afternoon. I'm sure there will be plenty who will give you money. If you're hungry, eat from my brother. Your income will be cut by fifty thousand. Thirty thousand in exchange for my gas money and twenty thousand for the food brought by my brother.”

“So I was told to beg?”

“Why? You don't want to? Where do you want to work? No one will want to hire a sick skull like you. Just so you know, from begging I already have some rented houses. You just have to sit quietly from morning until Maghrib. You can also sleep here. So relax. Not exposed to the sun too!”

Evelyn nodded her head. That day, Evelyn's new fate begins.