Your Pride And My Broken Heart

Chapter 2: Earning

It was the last Saturday of August, BU's scheduled acquaintance party. The venue was a famous hotel located at the seaside, so the students paid a pretty good amount for the luxurious venue. For a self-supporting student like Jovanni, the lavish party was too costly, so he accepted sideline jobs to fill the spent amount. There were engineering students in his boarding house and their neighboring boarding houses who were lazy, so they paid Jovanni to make their drawings. The midterm examination was approaching, so Jovanni was glued to his drawing table doing loads of sideline jobs.

"Hey, Jovanni. Please draw mine first." Gio said.

"Okay." Jovanni replied as he munches his instant noodles.

"Jovanni, you're eating instant food these days. It's not good for your health." Leandro, who was sitting on his deck with his drawing table on his lap, said. Their room has two double bunk beds. King and Leandro were on the lower bunks while Jovanni and Gio were on the upper. There was a table and chair on the corner where Jovanni sat, doing his sideline job. Their room wasn't big, but it's clean and order since Jovanni is someone who cannot sleep or sit when his surrounding is messy, so he willingly does the cleaning everyday.

"I need to earn. I spent a big amount for our acquaintance party." Jovanni replied.

"Why don't you ask your parents?" King, who was lying on his bed while playing his phone, asked.

"My father didn't want me to enroll in college. He just wanted me to take care of the farm and the animals, but I refused, so he was angry. He told me that if I insist on studying, I should support myself."

"That's terrible!" King replied. His face turned sour.

"So, he didn't give you money?!" Gio exclaimed.

"He didn't. My father is very strict with me. Whatever he said, he means it."

"How did you manage to enroll in BU?" Leandro curiously asked.

"I am an honor student, so my tuition fee is discounted. Then I applied for BU's working student program. Luckily, I was accepted, so I don't need to pay my tuition. In return, I need to do some work at school for few hours after my classes." Jovanni told. "Since fourth grade, I started saving my allowance. When I came here, I opened a savings account, so that I won't be tempted to spend more."

Leandro looked at him. "If you have savings, why are you accepting loads of sideline jobs? Our board mates' projects should be enough so that you won't stay up until dawn every night."

"I don't want to spend my savings. If possible I will save more, so I need to grab any work that pays."

"So stingy!" Gio exclaimed again.

"Because I need to. If I can't support myself, then I will end up farming. Though I don't hate farming, I want to be an architect."

Leandro looked at Jovanni with full respect. "Jovanni, you are a role model! I admire you more."

"If you need money, just tell me. I can lend you some." King offered.

"Yes! We have our mighty King here! Rich and powerful." Gio yelled. "So, Jovanni you can ask him if you need money."

"I am not that rich, but I have a capable big brother. I can ask him anything that I want." King replied.

Jovanni was grateful for his board mates' concern."Thank you, but I can still manage. My savings, though it's not that big, it is still enough since I am earning. Just help me find more customers so that I can earn more."

"Okay. I will be your manager!" King declared. "We will raise your service fee. It will be three hundred instead of one hundred fifty..."

"Isn't that too expensive...? I might lose my customers..." Jovanni objected.

"No! You only sleep few hours every night, so you deserve more. If they find it expensive, then let them draw their projects."

"But they are still students. I can't charge them too high."

"Who told them to be lazy!" King refuted.

"Mighty King, it's not that we are lazy, but Jovanni's drawing skill is really good. Have mercy on us." Gio, Jovanni's first customer said.

"Fine, two hundred. It's a deal or no deal!"

"Okay! I'm fine with it." Gio grinned.

"So, it is settled. Gio and Leandro will inform those customers for you." King said.

"I am very thankful to you all..." Jovanni was truly grateful.

"Don't mention it. We are staying here together for few years, so we will take care of each other..."