TINI SUKETI
7. Introduction to Chicken Cage

Tini was standing at the door of her room still holding a baby whose eyes had no signs of sleepiness that night. Feeling the woman who left the baby long enough to return, Tini sat on a plastic chair on the porch of the room.

Tini's view swept through every corner of the lonely boarding yard. Some doors were closed with no light at all. Several other doors, closed, but from inside they glowed.

The baby in his hand then squirmed. “Mam-mak!” the baby said as he looked at Tini.

“Bukan—buk! I'm not your mama. Your mom works, huh? Here was tipped to mother earlier? Call her what? The oma? Or Grandma?” tini asked the baby in her lap.

Just as Tini finished talking, there was the sound of footsteps with flip-flops from two sides. One was the sound of Mak Robin's sandals, and the other from a woman who walked up to the terrace. When the distance with the woman was only two steps, Tini saw the woman's stomach was slightly large. Tini quickly came to the conclusion that the woman must be one of the occupants of the boarding house.

“Not crying him, right?” Mak Robin lifts her son from Tini's lap and lifts the 1.5-year-old in front of her face.

“No cry, you know, Oma ... her grandson is kind,” said Tini is friendly. He wanted to start his first day at the boarding house by making friends.

“Iya. I mean, you said he was kind. But this is my son,” Mak Robin replied with a riled face.

“Yes, geez. I don't know. Sorry,” said Tini was all wrong.

“You're not the first to say that. I'm used to it,” said Mak Robin. “What do you want, Warni?” mak Robin asked the woman standing near them.

“You need that room. Is it still empty?” tanya Warni, pointed to the room located next to Tini's room.

Tini just silently watched the two people she had just met at the boarding houses.

“I sit, yes.” The lady pulled out a plastic chair and sat in front of Mak Robin. Her slightly tight blouse revealed her enlarged stomach.

“How many months, Ma'am? First kid, huh?” ask Tini to Warni.

“Not pregnant, Ma'am. Ascites disease, fluid buildup in the abdominal cavity. Frequent nausea, vomiting, wheezing, fast satiety. But I'm in the treatment stage. Diet and take medicine,” said Warni.

“Sorry, Ma'am. I don't know,” said Tini. Again he uttered the wrong words. He immediately felt bad and glanced at Mak Robin who was staring at him.

“Nothing. Umpah often,” sahut Warni. The woman's answer made Tini even more unpleasant.

Tini was surprised because the Warni looked relaxed. Didn't the townspeople notice anything strange?

“I won't say anything more over the next week. I learned in silence for a while,” Tini told Mak Robin. Hearing that, Mak Robin nodded in agreement.

“New residents, yes?” ask Warni.

“Iya, new nyampe, Mbak.” Tini smiled politely.

“Have worked here?” ask the color again. Tini shakes. “You want work?” Warni immediately asked that without further ado.

“Don't watch work either hapa-hapa, Warni .... I think he's from the village. Still a virgin girl. Don't you break him,” Mak Robin said, wiggling his legs to put his son to sleep.

Tini smiled bitterly as Mak Robin said that.

“I just offer. Who knows Mbak—what's his name?” ask Warni.

“Oh, yes. What's your name?” ask Mama Robin.

“Tini, Ma'am. Tini Suketi,” reply Tini.

“Indeed, Mbak Warni this ... what is the work? Doesn't it hurt?” ask Tini.

“I pimp. Pimps,” replied Warni relaxed. “Working, right, my mouth. Not anu-anuku. I'm just some kind of liaison and job seeker. But, you can't get me wrong. What I'm offering you is not prostitution. Her name is lady escort. Chaperone. When in karaoke, his job is to drink. Next want to do outside working hours, it is not the business of karaoke.” Colin looked satisfied after explaining that.

“You're here just want to find a girl?” ask Mama Robin.

“Neg. I want to see an empty room. He said there were three empty rooms yesterday. Turns out one was already in the place of Mbak Tini. Make temenku. This one is located nice,” Warni said looking at the room on her right side.

“I want to start working the time is morning to afternoon, Mbak.” Tini politely declined Warni's invitation.

“What graduation? SMA?” ask Warni. Again Tini nodded. “Oh, yes, already. Find it first. Later if you don't get it and need money, call me, yes. You took my number,” pinta Warni pulled out his phone.

For the sake of politeness, Tini pulled out her phone and recorded a series of numbers that Warni read. Then the woman passed from there. Tini never thought the phone number would be dialed someday.

“You must be tired, right? Sleep you. My son has already gone to sleep,” said Mak Robin, standing from his seat while holding a child.

It was the first day Tini arrived at the chicken coop costs, which he said was the cheapest in Indonesia. Located in an alley that can not be passed by a car, but is behind a large mall.

The residents of the boarding houses vary. Starting from SPG mall, housemaids who go home, women at night, to shop employees who are around the area.

Tini had been there for a week and was trying to learn where she lived. He made a job application that he packed in a brown envelope by filling out a curriculum vitae he bought a fifth and then handwritten.

There were dozens of envelopes that he put into various shops and supermarkets. But it seems like good luck has not sided with Tini. Not a single call has been received. Meanwhile, the money is getting thin even though he has been frugal.

Evi and Dayat have called Tini several times. First, they told about the party of the Chefs who failed because most of the guests turned around. At that time Tini was really happy. He imagined the face of Mini who hoped to get an envelope profit after the party, but failed.

After the phone call, Tini's sisters asked about work. Her brother is working. What a great city delicious. How is the atmosphere of the place and its neighbors. And all those questions Tini answered with lies.

Tini lied that she already had many friends. In fact, all day he only listened to Mak Robin who told about the longing for his homeland in Sipiongot. Keep Robin who is actively want to step as long as his mother cook or to the bathroom.

Tini lied about getting a good job at the mall near her boarding house. She says she currently works as a slick-faced cosmetic SPG with sexy black stockings. Tini doesn't want a big mouth. He just wants his brother to calm down. Don't worry too much about him while wandering.

As a result of this lie, Dayat has asked for a pulse for his data package that runs out. Tini immediately rushed to find a stall to buy Dayat Pulse. Again, Tini had to withdraw a piece of her savings.

It's not about what lies he tells. But, for Tini, there are things that he does not need to stick to others. He feels he sometimes has to lie to appreciate or make others happy. Especially sisters. That'sthat's all.

What he felt at the time was not important. The innermost part of him had melted into pieces. All he could do was save his younger siblings' future.

That night, Tini had already made up her mind. If the job Warni offered was not prostitution as the woman said, there was no harm in her trying. His heart did not accept. But, his stomach would definitely be hungry.

With one tap, Tini dialed the phone number of the Warni on her phone.

“Halo? Sister Warni? I'm interested in the job I offered yesterday. What are the terms?” ask Tini. He already thought he would be asked to bring this and that equipment.

“Tomorrow I pick up. Wear your best clothes. The conditions are only semok. The milk is big, and the ability to talk will be a plus. Five o'clock in the afternoon, yes.”

Tini ended the conversation on the phone in a loud cry. What working conditions are those? The only need is a large milk and the ability to talk.

To Be Continued