To Mutia

The same pain

"There's no need to strain so, Mutia." Yudha spoke in the laughter she was trying to stop. "Why are you acting like I'm a cold-blooded psychopath who will kill you in the most excruciating and painful way? Or... Are you currently looking at me like a judge, who will give you the death penalty?"

"Sorry, Mas." Mutia's voice sounded nervous. His cheeks were embarrassed. Mutia mistakenly draped the hair blocking her gaze behind the ears.

Back Yudha let out an amused piety. Mutia's apology, indirectly justifies his words. Not because he was a psychopath or a judge who would give the death penalty, but especially because he looked scary in the eyes of the tiny woman.

"Just relax Mutia, I'm not a cruel person. Except. Something is troubling my territory and making me lose my sense of comfort. I... won't let that person live a quiet life!"

Mutia swore, she caught a humorous tone in Yudha's speech at the beginning of the sentence, but a second later the man's voice sounded cold, while her black bead shone sharply. Just like a killer who is ready to eliminate his victims at any time.

Unknowingly Mutia gulped violently, then gripped firmly the handle of the chair and further slid her back. He hoped that the soft chair could sink his tiny body and make him disappear from the sight of Yudha.

"Oh Allah, Mutia. Your face is pale." Yudha spoke calmly, while commenting on the smile. His facial expression was in stark contrast to his words that sounded alarming to Mutia.

For God's sake, what kind of man am I dealing with.

"If you don't make a mistake, you shouldn't be afraid of me, Mutia."

Yudha's words made Mutia flinch, as if she had just regained her consciousness. Yudha's right. He did nothing wrong with the man, so why should he be afraid?

Oh. of course because of the aura that Mas Yudha gave out, and how to intimidate me with just his words and eyes. Everyone will definitely shrivel like a leaking balloon, when I am in my position.

"Looks like you need a drink to relax you a little bit." moving from sitting down, Yudha rolled up her shirt sleeves, then walked over to the medium-sized refrigerator near the bookshelf. "What do you want to drink, Mutia? Soda, juice, coffee or Tea?"

Just as Mutia opened her mouth to answer, Yudha spoke again.

"Ah. You are pregnant. Cold drinks aren't good for your womb." Closing the refrigerator door, Yudha turned to look at Mutia. "Coffee or Tea?"

And it repeated again. Before Mutia said her choice, Yudha had already made her decision first.

"The weather is currently too hot to drink coffee or tea. So... Mineral water only, huh?"

In the end Mutia just nodded slowly. What else he can do besides agreeing to Yudha's decision, which incidentally is the owner of the room where he is currently, as well as his prospective boss.

Yudha took an empty glass. Fill it with water from the dispenser. Then he approached his desk and thrust the glass filled with clear liquid at Mutia.

"Drink." After Mutia took over the glass, Yudha again sat her body before Mutia.

"Drink, Mutia. I don't want you to get tense, then make your stomach contract and I end up having to take you to the hospital, when I haven't even started the interview." urged Yudha, complete with a piercing glare.

Shaking Mutia drank the water Yudha gave, making the man in black smile with satisfaction.

"Good girl." Without turning her gaze away from Mutia who was now putting down the glass, Yudha opened her laptop. "It's quieter?"

"I-iya, Mas." nervously under Yudha's gaze, Mutia sat down uneasily.

"We start with your full name." one eyebrow raised, waiting for Mutia to respond.

"Mutia Haruka, Mommy."

"Haruka? Are you of Japanese descent?"

As he asked, Yudha's fingers moved agilely over the keyboard. Still without turning his gaze away from Mutia, as if he had memorized the location of the letters on the keyboard without having to see them.

Mutia shook her head. Her lips covered in a smile, as the shadow of the Mother appeared in her mind. "Mom loves everything that smells Japanese. Starting from traditional clothes, culture, to food. I was born when they were in Japan for a holiday and cherry blossoms were blooming. So then... Mother pinned Haruka's name behind Papa's given name."

Finding Yudha staring at him in silence, Mutia made an awkward smile. "Ma-sorry, Mom. I'm the story's release."

Yudha smiled. "You miss your mother?" the conclusion, when looking at Mutia's gaze that looked laughable.

Mutia nodded. "But I can't see them anymore."

"Why?"

"The different world." Mutia smiled bitterly.

While Yudha managed to catch the meaning of Mutia's speech, making his gaze instantly soften. "Your parents are dead?"

"Yes. A few years ago." Mutia explained briefly, a sign of not wanting to extend the discussion about her parents.

Yudha nodded, understand. "Date of birth?"

"Prabumulih, December 12, '95."

"Fraudulent?" Yudha knitted her eyebrows, while returning to typing.

"Yes, Mas. One of the cities on the island of Sumatra. In fact South Sumatra. About two hours drive from Palembang city, otherwise it gets stuck."

Yudha smiled a little. He did not not not know the location of the city that got the nickname as the city of Pineapple. Only, he was a little surprised to find people who came from the same city as him.

"So now you're twenty-three years old?" Mutia nodded. "You're the same age as my sister-in-law. And now he has two children. Sometimes I feel amused to call her brother-in-law, when she was four years younger than me."

Yudha smiled amusedly, even with Mutia. The interview continued, until it came to a question that Mutia hoped Yudha would forget. Unfortunately, reality rarely matches expectations.

"Then...how is your husband? Does he mind if you work? Remember now you're pregnant."

Mutia. Hiding his eyes from Yudha. He was afraid that the man knew he was lying, as he looked into his eyes.

"He. is dead. Work accident."

"Have you ever worked before?"

"Yes, Mas. Graduated SMK I once worked at a cafe, about a year. Keep fruit juice stores, dress shops, cell phone counters and lastly housemaids."

"At the juice shop, you work as a waitress?" Mutia nodded. "If a clothing store and a cell phone counter?"

"In the dress shop, I'm the cashier, Mas. While at the cell phone counter, I'm also a waitress, but the system works like a cosmetic BA. Buy the product I hold to the buyer. For his salary, there is a base salary and every successful sale of the product, will be in love monthly bonus."

"Mobile sales?"

"Yes, Mum."

Yudha smiled broadly. "That means you're no stranger to marketing techniques, right?"

This time Mutia nodded slowly.

"Good." linking his fingers on the table, Yudha nailed the attention to Mutia. "Maybe Keyla has said that this dealler now needs a lot of employees in the marketing department, so I'll give you a picture first, before you decide to go ahead or not."

Mutia remained silent, but inwardly waited for Yudha's explanation impatiently.

"This building has four floors. On the ground floor there is a workshop and a car rental place. Showroom on the second floor. Employee room on the third floor. While on the fourth floor there's my room and the prayer hall."

"Nine people have passed the interview. If you make it through this session, you will join the nine other sales candidates. After the interview selection, you will enter the field selection. For the next three months you will be on probation. You and your other colleagues will share the brochure that has been listed your mobile number, in the places we have specified."

"In three months, you have to sell two cars of any brand. If in a period of three months, you only managed to sell one car or not at all, then that means you failed and with a heavy heart I can not accept you as an employee. But..."

"...if you manage to sell two cars before three months, at that time I will immediately appoint you as a permanent salesperson and work in the office, like Keyla. So then... Mutia, what's your decision?"

Mutia looked at Yudha with determination and a steady heart. "My belief hasn't changed at all, Mom."

"okay." Yudha smiled in satisfaction, then returned to her laptop.

For a while the man focused on the electronic object, before then the sound of the printer. A second later Yudha thrust two sheets of paper at Mutia.

"It was a provisional agreement for the next three months. Please read carefully, make sure your data is correct and if you agree, you sign on both papers. When you make it through probation, this agreement will be renewed and you will get a contract."

"So. I passed the interview, Mas."

"Read, Mutia. After that sign."

Mutia smiled widely. Although Yudha did not give a clear answer, but the man's words were enough to tell Mutia that he had made it through one stage.

It took her fifteen minutes to read every sentence on the paper and understand it. After reading it over and over again, Mutia felt sure to put the signature on the six thousand seal, then handed the two pieces of paper to Yudha, who was immediately taken over.

"Over these three months you and the others will be out of the office. But. at exactly eight in the morning, you should be here to miss entry, pick up brochures, identification cards and meal money, etc, after that the office car will take you to the point where you have to spread the brochure. Twelve o'clock, time for a break. Please eat and pray, until half two in the afternoon. Your work hours end at half-five. At exactly five o'clock, you've returned to the office to be absent. For holidays, once a week and will be divided into schedules."

Mutia responded to Yudha's explanation with a nod of her head.

"Then..the salary, during the trial period, you will receive a quarter of the salary of a fixed sales, plus food every day." reached out his hand, Yudha asked for a swipe, which was immediately welcomed by Mutia. "Welcome to join Barata Mobilindo. I see you as a firm figure, eager and unyielding. I hope my judgment is not wrong."

"I will prove that Mas Yudha's judgment is correct."

Yudha nodded to respond, then thrust out a piece of covenant paper at Mutia. "After this you go down to the third floor. Meet the man named Junet, then hand over this agreement letter along with your diploma, identification card and other files to Junet. He's gonna copy that file to put it in the database."

"Good, Mas. Then excuse me." Get up from sitting down, Mutia picked up her bag and brought along the paper of the covenant that Yudha gave.

"Wait." Yudha's remarks successfully stopped Mutia's movement from making a move. The woman looked at him with a question. "You said you've been living in Bali for a few months, but why do you look like you just arrived in Bali with the bag around."

"Before this I lived in the employer's house. Then when I stop working, of course I have to get out of the house."

"Why did you stop? With your condition being pregnant, it will be difficult for you to find a job. But when you have a job, you decide to quit."

"It was a misunderstanding that made me no longer be there."

"What kind of misunderstanding?" Yudha raised an eyebrow, as her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"My female master found me sleeping in her bed." bowing her head, Mutia rubbed her distended stomach slowly.

"You're having an affair with her husband?!" there is an emphasis in Yudha's speech. The man's voice sounded cold, cynical, disappointed and full of anger.

Mutia raised her face. Challenging Yudha's stern gaze with a bitter and poignant smile. "When we know what it feels like to be hurt and betrayed, we will be more vigilant to guard the heart. I've felt that pain, so I wouldn't give the same pain to anyone else. For I believe that everything I do will be rewarded. It sounds hypocritical, but when the person speaking occupies my position, he'll understand."

Like Mutia, Yudha also now commented a bitter smile. "You're right. When we feel the pain of being hurt, we will be a person who is always careful. Just so that we do not hurt others and also feel the pain again." he murmured. The wounded highlight that had previously adorned Yudha's black bead, had now disappeared and changed with a gentle warm gaze.

"I provide one house for employees who come from out of town. There are still plenty of rooms there. You can occupy one of his rooms. Meet Keyla and ask her to accompany you, tell her I asked for it."

Mutia nodded. "Thank you, Mum."

"Oh yeah, almost forgot." the corner of Yudha's lips was drawn to form a sweet arch. "It's good to see you again, Mutia."

So Mas Yudha was the guy who helped me in the toilet hall at the time. Mutia returned a smile Yudha was no less wide.

Then Mutia breezed away, leaving Yudha who was now leaning tiredly in her chair with her eyes closed.

"Feeling the same pain, huh?"