Voice
Chapter 8's

Today was a very exhausting weekend, how not. I helped my mother trade until the afternoon of this evening. When I was at home the store became so crowded and some of my friends also pinched me a lot because they said I was a big boy. Though I don't know anyone aunty who dares to pinch me. When I wiped the dirty table for all day, I accidentally glanced at the mother who was counting income today with a smile so wide and seemed satisfied. What magic made me also end up putting on a gentle smile as well.

"How much do you want?"

I looked at my mother again. She smiled motherly at me, a smile that always warms my heart and can melt mine.

The woman who is like a queen in my life.

I could even be scared when she shed her tears because of me.

"I mean mother?"

"Baiklaaah, don't pretend you don't understand Yoka."

I laughed, I understood what Mom meant. But my joke did not work on that strong feeling. I thought a little and then I immediately stretched out my hands together with my ten fingers confidently. The mother who saw him responded by nodding then putting aside some money.

"You ask for ten, I give you fifty. You can take the rest of this"

I glared in disbelief, mother laughing at me who was like never getting fifty money in a lifetime.

"Alright, grab that and take a shower. Let me take care of it"

"Who will cook dinner?"

"Key has promised to take us out to eat. Get ready!"

Tonight may be quite encouraging, we rarely have family gatherings to eat out due to the busyness of each. But this weekend, after my sister Mien and her husband Key visited Key's parents' house, she would invite us to eat out together.

"How's your mother Key doing?"

"Mother said yesterday she fell ill, I even almost scolded her for not telling me. Thank goodness I'm healthy again."

I could see that my mother's countenance changed in shock after hearing Key's statement. It's only natural because of the iron. My sister Mien, she's very different from me. She was 23 years old and married two years ago to Key, while I was 12 and still a stable teenager. Dad died 3 years ago from uncontrollable cholesterol and fell into a coma. Mother continued the effort to open a bakery that was originally pioneered with the father from zero. As the youngest child, it was natural for me to be able to look after and protect my mother when my brother Mien could no longer fulfill his duties because also he had to work to meet the needs of his small family life. I mean, Mien just had a miscarriage when she was 2 months old due to work fatigue.

"How about you Yoka, usually you've disappeared in the morning blind with your two best friends. Is it a holiday today?"

I turned to my brother Mien, who was smiling ignorantly. I knew very well when he tried to tease me, but I was safe saying.

"I was fighting with them"

The three human faces before my eyes looked at me in disbelief, especially mother. Whose gaze implies the impossibility, yes ma'am I am far away from them.

"Just this time I heard there is a estrangement in the age of your friendship that reaches 5 years"

"May you guys make up soon, it's not good if you continue to hold out without greeting"

"Especially your friendship has been established for a long time, do not be too disputed"

I am actually confused to respond to all the incoming advice in an irregular manner. But if I tell you again the real problem is not a good idea because I'm sure I'll definitely add in the advice and eventually make my appetite drop drastically.

So I better shut up. And don't forget to smile.

I relax myself by positioning myself as comfortably as possible while looking up at the ceiling of the room. It was my favorite ritual before going to bed and consciousness was taken away from the dream.

Nothing I ponder. I think today was a great day because I started the morning when I opened the store with my mom in the presence of an optimistic smile. And some subscriptions I didn't know hit me and they said I used to be a very cute and adorable kid, too fat.

I think back to the woman who was the same age as my mother when she was choosing some bread on the shelf at the end of the shelf that is a place of bread without special jam that is usually sold toast vendors wear delicious jam on the inside.

Maybe she was a mother, when she put her grocery basket in the cashier right in front of me my mother immediately asked to talk.

"A lot of bread, mom likes to smear with jam. Especially in the morning like a cup of warm milk"

The woman simply smiled in response to the mother's chatter. Naturally, as a seller we must be friendly and happy to talk also give some tips. Not because of familiarity, the rule is only in supermarkets whose cashier faces are so flat and rarely smile unless they are given a shopping fee. He just acted friendly.

"My son loves to feed the fish in the pond near here"

I looked at the woman who was busy looking for some money to pay in her wallet.

"My son has visited the fish pond several times with his sister this weekend. I'm happy because he feels peaceful and happy"

Peace and Happiness?

Mom smiled putting the lady's bread in the bag. Since we have to preserve nature, we have to reduce the amount of plastic and replace it with cloth bags.

"If my son this one also likes to feed fish but also often take some bread without permission on his mother"

I shuffled a bland laugh and the woman laughed softly while looking at me. He also said that the son of a baker could also make his mother lose. I just smiled clumsily looking at the mother who smiled triumphantly at me.

---

"Luckily, I remember waking you up, today there's a flag ceremony!"

I nodded and continued to chew the breakfast of vegetable fried rice made by Mien whose figure had gone to work Mien's cooking was always the most delicious in my opinion, number two after mother's cooking of course.

"Quick finish your food!"

Mom gave me twenty grand and put it on the table. I crisped full of questions.

"Mom, I still have money given me yesterday"

"Take this one, I told you to tube it"

"Thank you ma'am"

I'm really hockey from yesterday.