Rain on My Parade

"Life is not fair" That was cliche statement, wasn't it" How could I say it was fair, when I could not enjoy my sleep even when I was living in my own comfort zone that called 'home'. Every morning, I was not obliged to wake up early and be on time at school but the eager commuters always making their ritual noises which caused a great discomfort in my deep slumber.
My home was a dilapidated disused container truck and the flooring was mere cardboard. It located under the bridge in of slum in the Jakarta city. I lived there with my mother since I could remember.

One morning, my mother was no where to be seen. Aimlessly, I walked to a public toilet at the market near by for washing up. So that I could afford some meal of the day without asked my mother. Unfortunately, it was not a very good morning for me. There were not much can I could gather. I felt tired. Then I made my way to the park near by the National Monument.

I sat alone on the bench while my stomach was growling but I had nothing to stave off my hunger. Looking at my bag, I sunk into hopelessness. There would be no enough cans to sell. Suddenly, my eyes struck a fifty-dollars note which lying on the ground. Well, I was an eight years old boy and never been to school but when came to money I was good at it. Then I picked it up and turned it over and over again. "Is it money or sticker?", yes, it was a real money. I could remember vividly, it looked like the same dollar-note that a tourist had ever gave two years before. Right there, in that a very place.

Sudden euphoria filled my world. I was the richest kid alive. What I could get with that much money: ice cream, shoes, t-shirt, short, toys cars and lego. Endless wild imagination had came and gone in my head.

After I had changed into 'rupiah', the first thing I bought was a cone of vanilla ice cream. No, not that ice cream in the street vendor but that time was from super market one. I torn the wrapper in excitement. I licked it up. It was heaven. The sweet vanilla flavor ran through my mouth and went down to my throat. Life was so sweet indeed. Sometime I licked it, sometime I sucked it. Finally, I had done the first course of my pursuit of happiness. Then it was my time to go for the the next level 'shopping'.

The shopping mall was few meters away. I looked at myself, a rich kid wouldn't go for shopping and carrying a bag of empty cans, would they?
I saw a woman with a two years old girl in tow. She was picking up some empty cans from the rubbish bin. I thought, it wouldn't be a sin if I gave mine to her. Then, I approached them. The woman smile and hug me with a great appreciation so the little girl. "Thank you brother", she said.

I plunged into the crowd in front of the shopping mall, as I excitedly finding a direction toward kid's section. Suddenly I heard a loud noise came from the road intersection. Everyone was running to the same direction, curious to see what was happening. I was not an expectation.

There was a wreckage car which had just smashed a traffic light post. In the middle of the crowd, I was stunned when I saw a familiar face. She looked pale and emaciated, hugging her mother who was lying on the ground, motionless in the pool of blood.
She stared at everyone around her in confusion. Oblivious what was going on, until she saw me, a little boy who had made their day by giving the a bag of empty cans. "Brother..." she called me.

In the bottom of my heart, I wanted to hug her and tell her that she would be alright because her new found brother was a rich kid of the day. But then I was afraid to see her face, "I'm sorry, I can't help you". Her smile chilled me. Then I ran as fast as I could and hoping that they were only a dream.

By Hayati