"Ah... I don't think so. Tomorrow's Saturday, and the day after that, Sunday, I can work all day. Hmm... I'll definitely earn some extra money to pay my rent this month," I muttered enthusiastically, the worries that had plagued my mind yesterday instantly dispelled by the wages I received from my labor.
Living in the city is indeed a struggle, especially for me, who comes from a poor family.
I lifted the lid of the rice container and found there was only one piece of fish left for one meal, and the rice in the thermos was the last of it, as it had run out.
I ate heartily, having only had four fried foods and about a liter of mineral water all day while working. After only a few minutes of sitting, my eyes felt heavy. It was only 8:00 a.m. I went to bed earlier than usual, at 10:00 p.m., due to my overeating and exhaustion.
****
The central market in P City is not far from my school, so I decided to walk to the market and Ko Aheng's shophouse where I worked. As soon as I arrived at the shophouse, I immediately went to the bathroom to change into the clothes I had packed in my bag.
I resumed my work as I had yesterday afternoon, carrying a plastic bag filled with crushed ice to the top floor of the central market where the meat and fish vendors were. I repeated this several times. My lunch was again just a few fried snacks, this time with some corn on the cob. I felt quite full, excited to work at Ko Aheng's business, whom I considered a very kind person.
Ko Aheng's kindness and consideration for accepting me to work, even for half a day, compelled me to repay that kindness by working hard and avoiding anything that would upset him. On the second day of work, I still felt the weight of carrying the crushed ice in the plastic bag on my shoulder. Besides the weight, it also felt cold all the way down to my shoulder blades, but I ignored it; I had to finish my work before going home.
I received my wage of Rp. 4,000,- when the shop closed and the workers went home, I, who was still in my first year of vocational school, was cheerful again while riding the public transportation to my boarding house, because I had successfully completed my second day's work with the same wages as I had received yesterday afternoon. Not only that, when I wanted to buy a fish to make chili sauce as a side dish for the next three days, the fish, which actually cost Rp. 1,000,- per fish, was only given to me for free by the fish seller because he knew I was one of Ko Aheng's porters.
The fish seller was a regular customer of Ko Aheng's ice shards that I delivered yesterday. Was it out of pity for me or was it really an act of charity because that day his fish sales might have exceeded normal days? Only the fish seller himself knows, but I was certainly very grateful to the fish seller who gave me the fish for free.
I only used the money from my work wages of Rp. 1,300,- which Rp. 1,000 IDR buys 1 liter of rice, and 300 IDR is for public transportation to my boarding house because I'm not wearing my school uniform. The public transportation fare charged me is the public transportation fare.
Upon arriving at my boarding house, I showered and cleaned the fish the fishmonger had given me upstairs at the central market. After cooking the rice, I continued making chili sauce for the next three days. I barely felt any fatigue because I was so enthusiastic about working and receiving wages. I was also optimistic that by working this way, I would be able to cover the shortfall if my parents were having difficulties again and sent me money like I received this month.
Like last night, after dinner, I went back to bed early, even though it was a Saturday night when most people in P City spend their time going out with friends or loved ones. For me, even though tomorrow morning was a holiday and I didn't have to go to school, I wanted to try working all day for full pay, as Ko Aheng had said.
****
Dawn had broken over the eastern horizon, its light illuminating the entire landscape of P City. I, who had woken up and showered early, prepared supplies to take to my workplace at the central market. I would use these supplies for lunch later during my break.
After packing everything into my bag, I left my boarding house and headed for the central market by public transportation. That Sunday, I had planned to work at Ko Aheng's shophouse all day. I had already finished washing my school uniform, which I would wear on Monday, before showering and dawn.
I wasn't worried about hanging the clothes I had washed outside my boarding house to dry. Before leaving for the central market, I met Ningsih, Sugeng's wife, who was also hanging clothes. Ningsih asked me where I was going so early in the morning, already looking in a hurry. I replied that I was going to work at the market and asked her to help me hang up my clothes in case it rained.
Even without being asked, Ningsih would definitely do it all, because to me I was like her own younger brother, my closeness with the Sugeng family was very close, especially with Arya almost every time I was at their son's boarding house, he always played and joked with me.
About 10 minutes later, I arrived at the shophouse where I worked in the central market of P City, as usual, I went straight to the bathroom to change clothes. Every time I went to work, I always wore a t-shirt and shorts, so that I felt it was easy to walk up the stairs to the upper floor of the central market stalls to deliver the ice cubes that had been wrapped in plastic bags.