Finally in my 2nd year of Senior High School.
The past bites back after a year of tranquility.
I must work again, luckily this is not my first time.
Again, I'm working as Janitor but not as an assistant this time, but a full one.
At the end of each month, I will get a salary. My first official salary. Not much but very important to keep my family from starving. Father disappears in an unfortunate accident in the forest. Mother works part times in many houses. My 2 sisters still too young to ease the burden.
Rp 100.000,- may not much for a family with 4 members in 1998.
While my friends busy chasing girls, make them their girlfriends, broke up, and repeat the cycle, I, for one, wake up in the morning thinking what can we eat this afternoon?.
I do have a crush, but once I saw the difference in our social standing and economic condition, I'm sure it won't work till Hell freeze over.
I make it my style to work anonymously, I go to school as usual in the morning, and in the evening when all class over, I transform inside an empty classroom into the masked Janitor, armed with broom and cleaning utensils.
No one knows my identity until one of my close friends reveals it at the end of the year. No problem though, I do no crimes, so no shame on me.
But it was one incident that makes me called to Teachers office.
I am poor alright?, so I think it's fine to eat some leftover foods in the garbage and trashcan. I choose carefully. Unclean one is out, as well as food that already going bad. Sometimes those Bourjouis students brought too many snacks in the canteen that they forgot to bring it home or eat it.
Or they have eaten half of it and left it inside their desk drawer, still in its plastic wrapper. Well...Finder is keeper, although sometimes ants got it first. Hah! easy opponent! just blow em, and the left over-half eaten-bread is mine!
mmm...what a delicacy...I'm golden if it completely untouched and still in pristine condition.
I always look left and right before put it into my mouth, but like the old saying, even a monkey falls from a tree.
Someday during my 'scavenging', someone saw me, and he makes a report to the teachers.
Turn out it was my adult workmate, I'm not angry though, but they give me hurtful advice, "even if you poor, don't show it off "...ouch!, I never have any intention to show my self as a poor person! I'm just hungry! If I can save a couple grain of rice for my family, I don't mind filling my belly with leftover foods that no longer wanted by its owner.
The teachers inquire about why I eat food from the trashcan, so I told them, not like I want to be pitied, I don't want to lie to teachers.
One of them understood my family economy condition and extend her helping hands. She said from that month onward, I'm free from my main monthly education tuition. She will cover it, from her own pocket, and I recommended to receive some education fund aid from the government.
I told my mother and she went to her personally, to express her gratitude. I swear in my heart, someday, I will bring to this angel, my helping hand too. Her name sits on my tongue, a name which means "Light" or " Light Source".
And so my Senior high School days end, but there's a surprise!.
After we graduate from High School, all students must request a mandatory letter of clearance from the police officers. So we all jam-packed to the Police Office.
All my friends must pay some administration fee, but when one of them look at me, he goes to back office and return with some friends of his and ask me; " are you the one that clean that school every day, that young Janitor? " while pointing to my school across the street. I just nodded, no crime committed, no need to fear.
They then look at each other than said: " you're exempt from paying the fee, here, take your money back" and give me back my money, away from all my friend's prying eyes.
Every day when I don't need to spend money is a good day, and I express my gratitude to them.
Some day, I will return the favor to these policemen
Turn out it was my adult workmate, I'm not angry though, but they give me hurtful advice, "even if you poor, don't show it off "...ouch!, I never have any intention to show my self as a poor person! I'm just hungry! If I can save a couple grain of rice for my family, I don't mind filling my belly with leftover foods that no longer wanted by its owner.
The teachers inquire about why I eat food from the trashcan, so I told them, not like I want to be pitied, I don't want to lie to teachers.
One of them understood my family economy condition and extend her helping hands. She said from that month onward, I'm free from my main monthly education tuition. She will cover it, from her own pocket, and I recommended to receive some education fund aid from the government.
I told my mother and she went to her personally, to express her gratitude. I swear in my heart, someday, I will bring to this angel, my helping hand too. Her name sits on my tongue, a name which means "Light" or " Light Source".
And so my Senior high School days end, but there's a surprise!.
After we graduate from High School, all students must request a mandatory letter of clearance from the police officers. So we all jam-packed to the Police Office.
All my friends must pay some administration fee, but when one of them look at me, he goes to back office and return with some friends of his and ask me; " are you the one that clean that school every day, that young Janitor? " while pointing to my school across the street. I just nodded, no crime committed, no need to fear.
They then look at each other than said: " you're exempt from paying the fee, here, take your money back" and give me back my money, away from all my friend's prying eyes.
Every day when I don't need to spend money is a good day, and I express my gratitude to them.
Some day, I will return the favor to these policemen
