Sweet as Sugar

"Yun, we've run out of rice at home. Don't forget to buy it when you come home," Mother shouted from the door of the house.

"Yes, Mom, Yuni will buy it later." I said while looking down.

I don't know what I should do to buy rice for my mother. Meanwhile, the money in hand was only ten thousand.

"Father, his chest is tight, Yun. Later, please buy medicine from the pharmacy." The father's order suddenly came out from the back door. He limped back towards his room.

I just nodded, but my mind was blank. For some reason, I carried all my parents' burdens while my two older brothers, Radit and Gino, just stood idly by.

I let out a rough breath, my job as a shop assistant was not enough to support my parents.

My name is Yuni Aria, I have just turned 18 years old. I was born to a husband and wife couple named Mr. Doni and Mrs. Nina. My father used to work as a worker in a factory, but due to a work accident he was laid off by his company and given severance pay, only able to last for 2 years. while my mother is just a housewife who only relies on her husband's salary. My two older brothers have graduated from university but they are lazy to work, because they are embarrassed. With a firm determination to help with my daily food needs, I finally took the initiative to drop out of second year high school to work as a waiter at a school supply store.

I've only been working as a shop assistant for a year, but I sometimes still owe my salary for daily food at a neighboring stall to cover the monthly shortfall.

I have a proportional body, clean white skin even without excessive makeup. and the men in the village sometimes approach me, but I never pay attention to them. The most important thing for me is how to get money for my parents' needs.

Sometimes when I come home from work, I have to leave the tempeh chips that I made at night. everything I do is to help my family, especially as my two older siblings often ask for money to buy cigarettes. I sometimes get angry at both of them and tell them to work, but my mother just scolds me. because I, as the only daughter, have to be at the forefront to provide for them. What a backwards statement, I am the one who should be their responsibility.

I stepped on my bicycle to the shop where I work, maybe I will borrow it again from Mrs. Tari, the boss who owns this shop.

Throughout the trip I felt useless, I should have been able to do more for my mother, especially for my father, who was suffering from pain due to an accident that happened to him two years ago but had not been treated seriously due to limited funds.

because maybe along the way I thought a lot, until without realizing it my bicycle had arrived at the shop where I work. I parked my bicycle in the area outside the shop.

"Hi Yun, your face looks like a tangled clothesline," quipped Erin, my co-worker who was walking towards me.

I just responded to Erin's words with a smile, it was no use telling her because it was enough for me to keep it to myself.

"Eh, why are you asking why you're silent." Erin chimed in while patting my shoulder.