Column (Ch2- Recalling the past)

Written by Silver Crown Edited

Chapter (2) -Recalling the past(1)

After the cleaning job was done, we were slotted back to the cabin below the deck. As soon as I entered the cabin, I unceremoniously went toward my cloth bag. I pick out a few dry medicinal herbs that will stop bleeding and prevent swelling from my bag. Some brave souls use Sea water for injuries but it is not good for sanitizing wounds. If you are unfortunate, the wound will start swelling or even rot when germs infect your injury.

After I pulled out some necessary herbs, I crushed a handful of them. I drink some water and rinse my mouth. Then put crushed herbs in my mouth and chewed slowly.

Even though I was using my right gum, my left cheek hurt severely every time I chew. I spat out the paste and applied the medicinal paste to my wounds.

My hands couldn't reach the wounds on my back so I asked someone nearby to apply the paste on them for me.

I don't want to flaunt about this but I must say that I'm the boss among the conscripts inside this cabin.

A roommate nicknamed 'Shrimp' came forward and spread the medicinal paste thoroughly on the wounds on my back. It hurt so much that I couldn't hold my voice. I gritted my teeth and groaned in a muffled sound due to the stinging sensation coming from my injuries. When it was done, I nodded at him and lean back on the ship wall or hull.

I closed my eyes and prayed 'Please let me wake up from this Nightmare'.

However, when I opened my eyes, I was still in the same cabin. My fleeting glance landed on the man who whipped me mercilessly. Currently, he is standing beside his superior, occasionally watching us through the cabin's door.

He wore a facial expression that I'm much more familiar with.

I recalled the exact same expression of my previous father when he got summoned to school. I remember what he did after he came out of the headmaster's office.

Twisting my ears, scolding and yelling at me until we arrived back home. When we arrived home, I got grounded. I cried all day in a corner while applying Camphor oil on my bruises.

Later that day, a teacher who caned my butt came to visit our home (not the house since we lived in a tent under a bridge).

He introduced himself as a schoolteacher named 'Aarna'. Precisely coming here to help me attend school.

My father didn't like the idea. He doesn't want me to enroll in school. Since he won't even know what a school looks like until he got summoned. He only knows it will cost money. If he makes me sell shaved ice, the family will have a little less burden to feed.

Objectively speaking, he has neither reasons nor a benefit by enrolling me at school.

Teacher Aarna is a good man. He explained patiently to my parents. He pointed out the perks and benefits of being a literate person. Still seeing unwillingness on my father's face, he finally used his trump card. He frightened father with government policy.

He explained parents have to pay a fine or be sentenced to jail if they were being accused of 'denying their children right to attend school'.

Obviously, it's just a bluff, but it worked like a charm.

My parents agreed to send me to school. The name 'Java' came from the school administrator writing it in English.

My father just nodded like a chicken packing rice at everything they ask. He was doing his best not to pay the fine and show his enthusiasm with his actions. As for me, I don't even know how my name is pronounced much less its meaning.

I got a chance to attend school but with a hefty price (my unusual mental problem).

Teacher Aarna sponsored me with books and pencils but he too wasn't rich.

I went to school every day with coarse grain with a boiled egg. That was a luxury for my family, where half an egg spiced with cheap chili powder was a hefty meal.

Father worked as a full-time porter at the harbor whereas mother makes snacks and pastries to sell and occasionally does other people's laundry.

The school uniform I wore was given to wash but it was old and torn at the sleeve. So I got my school shirt as a fee for mother work.

I wore my one and only uniform with heavily patched short pants to school.

Do you wanna know my motivation for going to school? Of course, it wasn't to learn something and become literate but for the leftover meals I had tasted from others' lunchboxes.

Not only do I eat for myself but also carry some back inside my lunchbox to feed my needy younger siblings.

Who wants to study such boring and difficult lessons, obviously I'm not.

Many students caught me stealing their leftover food again and again, along with the time I got reprimanded by teacher Aarna again and again. It continued for some time and became a daily matter. Although teacher Aarna is strict and scary, he is a good nature man. He was the one who kept pacifying and solving the troubles I caused, due to my lack of conscious. I love him more than my parents as well as scare him more.

At a day, teacher Aarna seem very upset, he stopped me at the school gate. He tagged me along with him and show me, someone.

It was my father spending what little he had to buy paper at an old recycle shop. He was selling his favorite collection of empty spirit bottles. He showed my little brothers and sister playing near alleyways and garbage bins occasionally picking up some short pencils for me.

I'm not gonna lie, the first thing I thought was to drop out of school and sell shaved ice back.

However, teacher Aarna explained a reason to me to study hard.'

Are you content with this?'

After that event, He allowed me to trade my mother's snack and pastry with leftover food which greatly ease the family load.

I'm not a genius but I put twice the effort of my peers. I won a scholarship for mid-school. Whether I'm worthy or not is up to you to decide.

It wasn't because I'm good at studying but because I memorized every single answer until I got it.

I struggled a lot at mid-school because our family moved to the town where mid-school is located.

I have to do both study and work since I got three new little siblings under me.

The town has more jobs but needed to pay more bills, electricity, water, living, etc. Our family has to eke out money for our fees.

At weekends, I sold boiled quail eggs at the cinema.

Riding on a borrowed bicycle in the early morning to deliver newspapers. Studying late at the town library just to ease our high electric bill, helping to clean the canteen to get a few leftovers and many other things.

I just did it to float our family above from piling debt. Others might study for their future but I'm studying to get scholarships and more sponsorship to maintain privileges and rights.

My family situation got better when I entered high school. My parents got their first owned grocery store and two big brothers got decently paid jobs.

With a fluke, I won sponsorship for university from the town mayor.

I don't have to do side jobs anymore in university and got a place to stay in the student dormitory. I don't need to worry about my family which now has a decent income.

The cherry on top, sponsorship included a monthly allowance to buy necessities and a little bit more left after to spend.

My younger self couldn't withstand the torment of being rich overnight. I hang out with likely-minded crocked buddies.

My stringent self is nowhere to be seen. I didn't buy textbooks or tools, I lent them from someone else. The allowance money I got was all spent on our fun activities.

My high score only lasts for one semester, since I couldn't solve quizzes or innovative problems professors made.

I didn't care, my university was famous for its most employed graduate rating in the survey.

The only thing I need was to graduate and get my job. That was what I thought.

I free rein on myself. Me and my boys sang and play guitar at the female and teacher dormitory, involve in love drama, fighting, smoking, drinking liquor, and chewing betel nuts.

I prolonged my six academic years to 9 years after failing classes.

The cause of failure was only a little time was left to cram 'one subject one night' after my fun activity. I got graduated with a borderline pass.

Only at that time, I became aware of I'm being a leaf riding on a breeze. My buddies were doing happy-go-lucky because their supporting background could afford it. I only know my harsh reality, after I entered the real world.