What does it mean to truly become an adult? Introducing a series of 11 short stories about Malaysian youth from various backgrounds discovering themselves amidst a national landscape plagued by social issues and the enduring conflict between traditi...
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The sound of cars and loud noises filled the centre of the city. Still, some unhappy issues were happening within the city. There was a little girl named Yen at the age of 17. She was from a poor and single-parent household by her mother, Annie. Annie was the household's sole breadwinner. Like any other parent, Annie's only wish for Yen was to have a well-balanced life like a normal child. But, Yen was rather introverted and rarely opened up to her mother. Yen's reaction towards Annie's idea of moving to a new city shook her as her comment was cold and monotonous. Deep down, Yen was reluctant to move and readapt. She understood her mother's need to seek a better future and reported for class in SMK Taman Sea.
A week after the relocation, Annie turned their home into a private massage parlor. She was a masseuse specialising in foot massages and full-body massages. She did not work under any firm as she wanted to maximise her earnings. Annie was able to keep a few regulars who were in their 40's and 50's. She worked from 9 am to 5 pm while Yen was in school. Annie thought such arrangements were best. Her intention was to have more bonding time for Yen and herself after work, but the reality was otherwise.
As days went by, Annie was drowning in her work and Yen felt lonely. Wanting to earn more, Annie worked overtime. There were also times when she worked till midnight. The only time the mother-daughter duo actually communicated was about house chores. They were more of commands than conversations.
"Yen! Why isn't the floor swept! You aren't busy, right?", the exact words repeated like Annie's customer list. Yen felt the weight piling on her shoulders. Having to complete her assignments, chores, and housekeep her feelings. Trying her best to keep them all in order and not explode. "It's ok, this is only a phase, we will all be ok," Yen had to tell herself every day before bed instead of saying her prayers.
Yen disagreed with her mother's occupation. Their living room was where her mother would offer massage services. She felt embarrassed and often asked herself, "I am sure mum could do better than this. Offering massage services isn't the only way out." To avoid such sights, Yen would try to lengthen her walk home from school. She would spend as much time as she could at school before returning home.
Annie's male customers would often take advantage of her occupation and harass her. Yen twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. Wanting to avoid eye contact with Annie's customer, she could not believe what she saw this time. Her mum's customer stroked his fingers on her hands. The gush of blood sent chills down Yen's back, dispersing into a million ants.
"What was he doing? Why did you allow it to happen? Didn't you tell him to stop?" Yen confronted her mother. Annie replied with a shivering voice, "How do you think I can afford the rent? Sometimes morals aren't as important when you cannot afford clean drinking water."
Yen rushed back to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. She cried herself to sleep. Yen was so sad because all she could do was nothing.
