Night-time story

Muryanto HP

Marni was uneasy. The coaxing words of her friend Lastri were still fresh in her mind.

"You should take pity on your aging and ailing mother. Remember, you have two sisters. They all must survive..."

In fact, she had not rejected outright Lastri's offer to work at her food stall. She would consider the offer and seek her mother's advice. Indeed, since her father left their home four years earlier, the family had struggled to make ends meet, with Marni forced to drop out of high school.

Now that her mother could work no more, Marni took over the responsibility for the family. As the eldest child, she did not want to see her sisters lacking. The job her mother had done was not only tiring but now also almost entirely replaced by machines. The mortars and pestles that formerly pounded away in the familiar rhythm of paddy hulling were superseded by mills.

Marni realized she could not expect too much from her mother. Paddy fields were vanishing as farmers had to sell their land at low prices to allow the construction of buildings, factories, tennis courts and elite estates.

"If you want to earn more, take my offer," Lastri said before leaving, her words haunting Marni. She wavered between accepting the offer and saying no.

It was getting late but Marni found it hard to sleep. The faces of her mother and siblings hovered in her mind.

***

Everybody knew that Lastri's stall near the district market served as a meeting place for lovers. Now, many prostitutes frequented the area, perhaps because of the campaign to close licensed brothels that had forced the women onto the streets.

That was the reason Marni hesitated to seek her mother's permission. She wasn't sure she would get her consent. Lastri's words suddenly struck her: "Every job has its risks. The important thing is to face them with perseverance!"

Then Lastri related how customers would frequently touch or brush against her hips and buttocks. She described it as part of the risks she would also have to face.

Marni inhaled deeply while leaning back in her chair. She glimpsed her mother lying feebly on a divan with a wrinkled, pallid face. She looked much older than her age.

The woman had been ill for three days, sometimes coughing up blood. Marni was worried her mother's condition would worsen unless she received immediate treatment.

"You're not working today, Mar?" she said, breaking the silence.

Marni shook her head slowly. She was doing nothing indeed. Bu Sari and bu Hindun, who usually sent their washing, had not turned up for almost a week. They might now be washing their clothes themselves.

She could understand if it was true because prices of basic necessities were soaring, forcing people to slash their expenses. The two housewives were no exception.

The washing job had been a daily routine before, helping alleviate her mother's burden of earning a living. She had even been able to save some money. But now?

"Bu, I want to work at Lastri's food stall," she said amid another awkward silence.

For a few seconds, the old woman stared at Marni, anger creeping across her face.

Marni's spirit sagged, and she was afraid to look at her mother.

"Have you considered it thoroughly, Mar?"

"I have. Don't you be troubled, I can take care of myself. Do you agree to it, bu?"

There was a long pause. Her mother gazed into space, before saying: "But you must be careful..."

These were her only words. Yet they were more than enough for Marni.

***

Marni had worked at the stall for only three nights when she began to feel uncomfortable. Even with Lastri's warning, she was shocked at the customers' behavior.

On the first night, some people began tapping her on the behind. On the second, men brushed against her breasts. It became the standard treatment.

"I told you that it's normal here, Mar. Don't let it eat you up," said Lastri.

"They won't cross the line. The point is that our stall should stay busy, and you'll get a lot more income."

She didn't want to stay, but she had no other choice. Her sisters and her entire family depended on her.

One night, four men tumbled into the stall, dimly lit by a flickering oil lamp. The strong smell of liquor soon filled the air in the narrow room.

"Lastri, I heard there's somebody new here," said one of them.

"Oh, is this what you mean?" he continued, pulling Marni's arm forcefully.

Marni was startled, looking up and catching his gaze. They stared at each other, the man quickly letting go of his grip.

Marni was overcome by emotion. She ran past the men and out of the stall, stumbling on a rock a few meters away.

The night was dark. Marni rose and walked slowly, as though in a stupor. She could clearly visualize the face of the old man, one that she would not forget her whole life. It was a face she'd always yearned for. It was her own father.

Translated by Aris Prawira Note: Bu = term of address for a married woman or mother.