The Staircase
Unloading Trousers

My mom's happy not to be upset, "I told you, our son must have passed the selection." His words are full of spirit.

"Thank God then." Dad responds.

"How are you, our son passed the selection even not so spirit." Mother complains.

Dad was indeed from the beginning of my written exam to the city, until now it seems not too excited. Unlike my mother who repeatedly asked, you did not read wrong, right? I nodded flexibly. If you have the energy, maybe you will jump as high as possible, excited.

"It's not so." Answer me slowly, sipping his coffee. As if thinking hard, my father rolled his coffee into his throat very gently.

"Then why? Many have fallen out of selection, our son is one of those who escaped. Lucky loh. Especially the college is famous. Universitas. Uh, what's his name?"

"University, ma'am." My answer justifies my mother's spelling.

"Oh, yes. The University. You know, right, what it's like just elementary school. Here, our son will go on to uni-ver, well, it's hard to call it."

"Mom, remember." My chirps remind mom.

"Oh, yes. I forget. I'm quiet." He said after remembering the agreement without any scolding.

"Dad proud of you, son. From the first grade, until now you still made dad proud, even though you can't rank in school - dad remains proud. You diligently helped us, even father up to this moment never heard you complain. And I know exactly how much money your friends spend at school. Dad knew exactly how often their parents took their son's report card. But a word of complaint I never heard. Except for first, when you were first grade." Dad chuckled softly.

I blushed in embarrassment, "Tibetan boss." I said continuing my father's words.

"Yes, just chased by a Tibetan goose you're complaining." Dad took another sip of his coffee, still with the same sip, full of consideration.

"Then what do you think, seems a little objection." Nimbrung. My right forefinger made mother speechless, remember the agreement.

"You know, son. Dad's just a porters Tibet. Every weekday I sell vegetables at the market. There are not many benefits you can bring home. Fifty, one hundred, sometimes a hundred more. That is not enough for our daily needs, not to mention our contract costs."

I looked down very deeply, especially listening to word for word from my father's mouth. I came to think of what was stuck in my father's head at this moment. I told them before that I wanted to work, not go to college. Until the vow to my mother, this is because the mother seemed to add weight on the shoulders of the father.

"But you've passed the selection. Either way I'll make up for all your needs there."

"He got help, Dad. The cost of education, and the cost of living is borne by the government. Don't you think, son?" I tried to convince Dad.

"Yes, ma'am." Reply slowly. Dad nodded.

Dad took a sip of coffee, "Are you ready?"

Mother's eyes glowed, the reflection of the electric light made me understand very well the meaning of the gaze. Not to mention the message from Desi ma'am who repeatedly congratulated and excited.

I took a breath, "Ready, yeah." Exhaling, slowly. Mom smiled with relief.

"Oh, yes. I just remembered. We still have the piggy bank." Mom said. As fast as lightning stepped into the room, painstakingly lifting his piggy bank into the living room. I helped my mom, it was incredible.

"Who knows this is enough to leave for the city and the cost of a meal during the scholarship has not been liquid." My mother said while hunting for breath.

Dad got up from his seat to the piggy bank, "It took me a long time to count." Sniggering slowly. I agree with what Dad said just now. The contents of the piggy bank are nothing but large chunks of coins that if weighed there are almost ten or maybe dozens of kilos.

Dad took pains to open the piggy bank, releasing every nail that stuck to the corners, already rusted a little. A few strong hands my father managed to open the piggy bank.

"I forgot what year it was. I remember it's been around since Aki moved schools here." Answer father.

I lowered my head in front of the piggy bank, tightly grasping a few coins. "Mom sure this much money is for my college?" Looking up at mom.

Mom's down in front of the piggy bank, "Yes, I'm sure."

"Wouldn't I buy new clothes? I'd like to, too, would you, buy a new radio?" I sniggered slowly.

Mom paused for a moment, "This is for you, son." Rotating the piggy bank, showing the writing, for Aki's school. The writing is obsolete. Even the piggy hole that was once small, has now grown.

"There's gotta be some money matches in this piggy bank, right?" Tanyaku.

I chuckled, "Two times." The answer.

"I forgot how many times." My mother also confessed.

I smiled, understanding, "We count this money, ma'am. If there's more later to buy another." I told my mother.

"How's the city, son? Is it noisier there than we are here?" Ask mom while putting together the coins. Dad also took part, occasionally rubbing his eyes that look cute.

"Seru, ma. It's noisy in there but it's not like here screaming. There was noise because of the passing vehicle. The street lights are bright. Missi's house is nice, ma'am. I ate well at his house."

"But you don't stay in Desi's mom's house forever, do you?" Ask dad.

"Just for a second, yeah. When I go to college, I look for an index that is close to campus."

He nodded, "Okay, how much was this. Don't mix in here, dong. I've already counted." Reject my mother, the count's up, dad's putting the coins up everywhere.

"Yes, sorry." Dad chuckles. "Good coffee, here." Household code. Just finished a cup of coffee just now, I've charged again. Mom seemed dizzy counting this much money. So give up, prefer to go to the kitchen to make coffee for dad.

"If you go to college, don't run around, find the right friend. Take the example of some of your friends who have failed school. Save money, buy needs first. There you will meet many new things, especially not yet know what it feels like. This father had already felt it, and was more challenging when the money ran out, the rice ran out, and there was nowhere to borrow. If you go to college, don't worry about us here. We're doing just fine. If there's anything we still have neighbors, Tibetan sir and the others. Different from you there. Neighbors even one friend of indekos though does not want to help if it is too often." Dad's pile of coins was rising, mom came up to us in the living room with a glass of coffee.

I stared at the goal among the pile of metal inside the piggy bank. The metallic coins were yellow and white, blending in with a sliver of strange things as if they were shining in my eyes.

"What is this." I said lifting the thing. It is shaped like a rolled up paper. I opened it, the still scorching sunlight shining out there managed to shine on it.

"Oh, yes. I just remember now." I grabbed the paper from my hand. "This is an envelope from Tibet. Try to find again, almost every two months Tibetan sir permission me to put this envelope."

"What's it all about, ma'am?"

"Money." I hurriedly tore the envelope. "Three hundred thousand." It's full of enthusiasm.

I found something similar, and so did Dad. There's alot. "Nine, ten." My hit.

There are ten envelopes. I opened them one by one. The money in the envelope varies. One of them contains a million rupiahs.

"It's enough, yeah. The rest can buy clothes and a radio." My word.