Beginning

"'Mom, your cough is getting really bad, ah!" I told Mom from the kitchen where I was busy cooking our lunch. He didn't answer right away because he was busy coughing and coughing.

Until I couldn't stop it anymore and I put down the spoon I was holding to check on him, I also brought water.

And since the house we rent is only a small one, I am only a few steps in front of the pallet where Mom is sleeping.

She is very thin, due to the cancer that she has been dealing with for several years and even if I want to treat her, my income as a vegetable sales lady is not enough.

I only get paid two hundred eighty pesos per day and that's enough for almost our daily food, if I can save anything -

"ARIANA!" It's really good and I was able to hand the water I was holding to Mom before I was surprised by the loud shout of Uncle Armando, my step-father.

"ARIANA!" He shouted again and just by the tone of his voice I'm sure he's drunk again!

I just breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't nearly twelve o'clock in the afternoon. He looked like he was drunk again! I was still young when my real Father died, in a raid here in our barangay. He was mistaken for a drug dealer so the Police shot him.

Three years, after the death of the Father, the Mother met Uncle Armando. Based on the story of Mother, Tiyo is said to be a salesman Armanda with taho in the morning and wrapped in the evening. He is said to be hardworking and kind and while he and his mother were courting, they gradually fell in love with each other until it was decided that they should live together in the same house.

He said there was no case with Tito, who already had me in Mom's life when he said he wanted to like me, considered a real son. I don't remember because I was still very young at that time.

Until the long-awaited day came of Mom and Uncle Armando, Mom found out she was pregnant. The mother is happy that she will have a child with Uncle Armando, but nothing beats the joy and excitement that Uncle Armando feels.

Even though, the mother is only a few weeks pregnant, she is already thinking of what to name my future brother. He also became more and more diligent in working, determined to be able to save and give us a good life.

the mother's pregnancy.

Everything was done to save the child in her womb but it was not enough in the end the mother was caught in the sixth month of her pregnancy.

Everyone is saddened by the loss of what would have been my brother, but even more so, no one can match the sadness that Uncle Armando felt during those times, not being able to talk to him. He hardly eats, he doesn't leave the house to work anymore, he said he did nothing else but talk inside the house we rent, which Mom understands.

Until one day, Uncle Armando came out of the house, having no idea where the Mother had gone. Thinking that she had left him after three days of absence, he tried to find her, but no matter who he asked about Mom, he still couldn't find her.

After three days, Uncle Armando came home covered in bruises, wounds and a black eye. The mother was very worried and immediately asked if what happened while he was getting more medicine for his uncle, but he was so surprised that his uncle suddenly yelled at him, very angry.

Until the ending, he had already hurt the Mother and that same day Uncle's attitude towards Mother and me changed.

The kind Uncle Armando disappeared like a bubble and was replaced by another person. Always angry, drinking, gambling and stopped working. So in the end the mother lost her choice and she took over Uncle's responsibility, he worked for the three of us.

"PO?!" I answered immediately before the third time that Uncle Armando called me, because I was sure that if he called me three times, he would beat me again.

"Mom, just a moment." Mother nodded slowly while I stood up from my knees to go to Uncle.

"You're sore! I've been calling you for a while now, ah! Why did you call me to come here?!" I saw him sitting on the floor, dirty again and your eyes are almost closing due to sleepiness.

What I do know is that after two days, the Uncle has just returned home, so he is fine again.

"What the hell are you going to watch me here?!" He still screamed at me with the force of his scream that even made me jump from where I was standing. Due to Uncle drinking too much, his healthy body gradually lost weight, but even after Uncle died, I was also thin and every time he asked me to help him walk when he's drunk like this, it's really hard for me.

"Here it is!" It's just a case of me being able to lead him, just like I expected I had a hard time standing with him.

"It's really bad! You're useless!" And then he slapped me on my head, not satisfied yet and he pushed me so hard that's why I hung myself from being led by him and fell into the mud. My clothes are dirty!

"You're really a woman! You're worthless! You look like your mother, guys you and Ina are really worthless! Bullshit! B ullshit is alive!" And Uncle Armando himself stood up, pretending to enter our house.

I was stunned for a while until I gradually smelled something burning and my eyes widened just like that when I remembered what I was cooking!

It was three years ago that we found out that Mom had cancer. His fever is coming back and forth for reasons we don't know, even though it's Albularyo When we went, there was no explanation as to why Mom's fever was on and off, so even though we wanted to know the reason for Mom's illness, we went to the Doctor with our eyes closed.

And that's when we found out the news that not only changed Mom's life, but also my life. It was even more difficult for us because Mom's body weakened so quickly that her body could no longer handle going in as a helper.

Third year high school when I was stopped in learning. Because we don't have any money to support my studies, everything has become even more difficult because Uncle Armando hasn't changed, he still gambles a lot and if he wins, he just drinks. He is also often angry when there is no food to catch at home every time he comes home. Only a few weeks passed, I couldn't stand watching Mom at home anymore and not doing anything to help.

Even though I was fifteen years old at the time That's it, I know if I can earn a living to feed us every day.

Aling Rebecca, a friend of Mom's who also lives here in our barangay, has a large vegetable store in the market. He is my only hope for me to get a job.

That's why I'm so grateful to him that even though he was hesitant to hire me as a salesperson at first, he still considered his friendship with Mom and in the end hired me as a salesperson.

I'm also easy went inside the house to see what Uncle was doing. Maybe later he will pour out his anger on Mom again, that's what he often does, that's why I felt so relieved when I saw that Uncle had fallen asleep on our old sofa made of patchwork wood.

"Mom, I'll just take a look at what I cooked." The mother nodded but didn't say anything so she walked towards our kitchen, since it was a few steps away that's it.

That's why it smells so bad because the smell of what I'm eating is quite strong. Sigh.

Fortunately, when I looked, he was not burned. Since the rice and some dishes I cooked are okay, I also prepared them so that Mom and I can eat. I'm going back to the market later and Aling Rebecca only gave me one hour to take a lunch break and this is what I usually do when I go home during lunch break to cook for Mom and Uncle but when I get extra money sometimes, sometimes because there is money left over from my salary from the previous day, or a tourist is happy with my beauty so instead of taking the change they say it's mine, when that's what I do to save time and effort in cooking, I'll just buy something to eat at the grocery store and I can do other housework.

"Mom, eat first so you can take your medicine." I told Mom and then I put it on my side plate where I put rice and stewed okra for our dish. And then I supported him again to sit on his bed.

"You, do you want to eat?" Mom asked me in her soft voice.

"Later Mom, you first." And then I smiled at him. He held your hand and I saw that his eyes were crying again, so my lower lip was so swollen, I started crying too.

"Nak, forgive me for my sake you're having a hard time..." And then he coughed one after another. I said it! He's going to apologize again because of our situation now.

"Mom..." And then I took a breath so I wouldn't cry.

"It's not your fault... come on, let's eat."

"Imbiss, you should be studying right now while you are still working for your Uncle... forgive me son." And the mother started crying all the time, of course I cried too.

"HEY! YOU AND YOUR MOTHER ARE REALLY GOOD! YOU CAN SEE IT NOW SLEEPING HERE, YOU'RE DRAMATING AGAIN JAN!" Uncle Armando immediately shouted, he wasn't satisfied yet and he reached for the broom that was next to him and threw it at Mom and me.

Fortunately, I was able to block my body quickly so that the stone hit my back, causing me to shiver.

"Armando!" Mother said angrily but the Uncle didn't speak again, he seemed to have gone back to sleep. Thank goodness!

"Mom, let Tiyo go, it's okay."

"Son of –" I shook my head one after the other.

"Mom, come and eat, I'm sorry I'm not rushing you, but it's almost time because you'll be running out of time if you break, I have to go back to the market later." The mother sighed tiredly and thankfully she understood me.

After taking care of Mom, I ate quickly and then washed the food. I also left some food for Uncle Armando when he woke up, because I'm sure he won't be there the food he will catch when he wakes up will beat me again when I get home tonight.

While walking to the palenge, I ran into one of my childhood slash schoolmates, Ally. He is only two years older than me, as far as I know he is eighteen years old. He was late to study because of the poverty.

"How are you? I just saw you again Ally!" Excited said as we walked on my side of the train track.

"Yes indeed! Long- - time no see Ari! You're still here! Oh, it's often at this time that I sleep at home because you know that I work late at night." I slowly nodded at what he said, at the same time I suddenly remembered the gossips that I heard from our neighbors and also from my friends. in the market, that Ally works in a bar.

It is said that she has become a prostitute, so if you see her now you will be surprised that she is only eighteen, because she is the type of The body she has is so sexy, you'd think she's about twenty-five years old.

"You know, instead of laughing and selling vegetables to ALing Rebecca, why don't you apply with us?" And then he looked at me from head to toe as we walked. I was surprised by what he said and shook my head one after the other.

Yes, I can feel the hardship just to earn money to support us every day but my stomach can't stomach to get money from immoral methods.

I was a little embarrassed because I felt like Ally read my mind, maybe because of the reaction on my face. He just laughed and then licked the upper part of his lips.

"Ari doesn't mean selling meat! We have a lot of other jobs at the bar where I worked, there is only a waitress who brings the customers' orders to their table, but most of the time they only serve alcohol You can talk to drunk people but it's safe because my bouncers are scattered inside the club where I work. There is also a janitress because they come home later than us waitresses because they will clean the whole club when it closes."

"I'm not sure because -" Just before I could finish what I was going to say, Ally cut me off.

"Eight hundred will be paid to you per night, not including your night differential, that's why my eyes widened when Ally said "I hope your offer is good, just in case I need a daily wage, you know I'm the only one expected..."

"You know, I have something saved. Anyway, I can lend it to you. I think you still have a budget while you wait. Then give it to me when you get your second salary." Ally's offer was tempting but because –

"Also think about when you worked at night, when you come home in the morning you can take care of your mother before you go to bed. It's still nine pm because your work time let's see, in case you want to apply."

"Ally!" Ally and I both caught our attention when my girl yelled at him. I immediately noticed that they were dressed the same as Ally, so I thought that the girl was his co-worker.

"Olga!" Ally shouted back and then waved at the woman.

"Oh! I'm sorry Ariana! I still have a walk today with Olly! We're going to have overtime at work and we got a VIP with a big offer! Too bad right!" I nodded one after the other at what he said, at first I was a little confused and had almost no idea about what he was saying, but as it slowly dawned on me what he meant, he tapped one of my shoulders and then said - "Tomorrow I will go out again at this time, you don't even have a cellphone! I'll wait for you, right? For your decision! Alright, I'll go first!"