Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 4

"Why do you keep bothering me? If you want to eat, work, bro! Don't take away people's rights!" said Maxime, annoyed because the thugs kept taking away his rights.

"No need to teach me! You snotty kid, just asking for food is already a lecture! Give me your money!" The thug reached into Maxime's pocket and took Maxime's money.

"Give it back, bro! That's my money!" Maxime tried to get his money back but the thug was so skilled at playing with him that Maxime became emotional.

Maxime hit the thug mercilessly, venting his frustration that had been held in for days. The thug became Maxime's brutal outlet for everything that happened to him. Blood started to come out of the corner of the thug's lips until finally a gang of thugs came and beat Maxime mercilessly. Of the many people who saw the fight, not a single person wanted to help Maxime. Maxime himself finally fell down in the middle of the thugs.

"You think you can fight all of us!" said one of the thugs with a triumphant smile.

"You guys started this! I was just defending myself!" Maxime answered breathlessly. Suddenly, the sound of police sirens made the thugs stop for a moment.

"This isn't much! I'll finish you off another time." The thugs and their gang fled, leaving Maxime injured

"What is this?" asked the policeman loudly.

"I was beaten up by thugs just because I was defending my rights!" said Maxime, wiping the blood away.

"We will carry out patrols so that this incident does not happen again!" said the police and left Maxime.

Maxime, although injured and isolated, reflects on the price that must be paid for courage. He realized that not everyone was willing to stand up and fight even when they saw injustice. In that solitude he found new strength and determination not to give up.

“I vowed to use this experience as a whip to make a change. Even though no one helped me, I promised myself to be someone who helps the weak, turning fear into courage for others. With a heart full of determination, I will try to move forward even though my steps may feel heavy." he said.

Suddenly a car stopped right in front of him. The driver of the car got off with his sunglasses on. "Hey, Maxime who did I meet here? A former successful businessman who is now homeless. What a rapid decline in status!"

"Rafael, what brings you here? Are you deliberately seeking pleasure by mocking others?" Maxime answered calmly.

"I'm just surprised to see you here. In the past, you had everything but now look at your condition." Rafael looked at Maxime with disgust.

"Life is full of twists and turns, Rafael. But that doesn't mean you just give up. I'm trying to get back up." Maxime said.

"Rise? From where? From this trash can? You really deserve to be a spectacle on the streets." Rafael laughed at Maxime.

"Maybe you're mocking me now Aray, but one day you could be in my position. Life is never certain." Maxime looked at Rafael with anger.

"You are indeed clever with words. But look, you are here with all your adversity while I continue my successful life. Good luck, tramp!" said Rafael.

"Thank you for your 'congratulations', Rafael, I will prove that success does not only belong to those at the top, but also to those who are able to rise from failure." Maxime said optimistically.

"Just watch, Fathur. I'm sure you will only sink further into despair. Your choice to become a homeless person is truly sad," he said in an arrogant tone.

"Maybe right now I'm on the streets, but that's not the end of everything. I have the determination to get up and prove that life is not always straight and directed." Maxime started to get tired of facing Rafael, he left Rafael.

"Just imagine! You used to have everything and now you are here celebrating your success in ruin," he shouted.

Maxime stopped and turned to Rafael "Your success now is no guarantee for the future, Rafael. I may have lost a lot but I learn from every mistake and failure. This is a life test that will make me stronger."

"Your inspiring story will not change reality, Maxime. You are still a tramp in my eyes."

"Maybe so now, but one day, when I manage to rise, you will realize that true success does not only belong to those who have never fallen," answered Maxime with full confidence. Maxime then walked away with firm steps, leaving Rafael who was still silent.

A week later, Maxime was still working as a porter and he had collected three hundred and fifty thousand. Maxime is also grateful for what he has now obtained. Maxime's cell phone rang, he got a call from a number he didn't recognize.

"Hello, good afternoon," said a man on the other end of the phone.

"Good afternoon, who is this with?" Maxime asked.

"I from Bank Beng would like to inform you that you have been accepted to work as an office boy," he said calculatingly.

"Thank God, when can I work sir?" Maxime said conformingly.

"Tomorrow at 8 am, please come in black and white clothes," he answered with affirmation.

"Ready Sir." After completing his task, Maxime rushed to buy a white shirt and black trousers at the market.

"How much, sis?" Maxime asked after getting the appropriate size.

"Two hundred and ninety-five thousand rupiah, bro," he answered after calculating with a calculator.

"Can't you do less, ma'am?" Maxime tried to bargain with him.

"I can't, bro, this is already really cheap." Maxime paid him and went back to work.

"Buy what, Max?" asked Maxime's friend, a fellow porter.

"Here, buy a uniform, sir, tomorrow I will work as an office boy." Maxime showed the uniform he bought.

"Do you have to buy a new one first, Thur? You're out of capital, bro!" he said in surprise.

"Yes sir, it can't be helped that you have to wear a uniform there." Maxime put down his uniform.

"Even though it's just cleaning, you have to spend capital first, the salary isn't much. That's the monthly salary. It's better here. Working without a uniform, you're tired and you can get paid breaks every time you work. So you can eat it every day. If you work there for 30 What do you want to eat the next day?" His friend's words made Maxime hesitate. He was silent for a moment and thought about the pros and cons of being an office boy from all aspects.

"Here I can earn 50 thousand per day. I can buy food from my work but I will be stuck here. Not to mention if there are additional coolies working. My income will decrease. The positive point of being an office boy is that there is a mess there, I "You can sleep soundly indoors without thinking about the cold night. This has been my decision, sir," said Maxime firmly.

"Well, I hope you feel at home there. I just want you to reconsider." The man patted Maxime's shoulder.

"Yes sir, thank you for your attention." Maxime returned to work as a coolie with more enthusiasm so that today he can earn more money to live on for the next month.

"Looks like I can work here again in the morning and at 6 o'clock and go back to the mess and work there." Maxime got an idea so that he could live for the next month without relying on a salary from an office boy. In the midst of his enthusiasm for being a construction worker, drops of water from the sky began to wet his clothes but that did not stop him from continuing to work.

"Don't get it wet, bro," said the customer.

"Ready mom." Using the plastic coat he bought, Maxime carried his customers' belongings into the car. He didn't care about his body getting drenched, all he wanted was to be a porter who was responsible for his customers' goods.

"Thankfully, my income today has increased drastically. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can get more money," said Maxime.

That night, Maxime was very restless, he couldn't sleep and kept thinking about his fate tomorrow. "Hopefully this is the last night I sleep here and tomorrow it's time to sleep somewhere more comfortable."

The next day Maxime woke up at 2 am, ready to go to the market to earn a fortune. Maxime walked down a quiet street. It didn't feel like time was passing quickly, "It's already 6 o'clock, even though I only got 25 thousand," said Maxime, rushing to the market toilet to take a shower.

"Finally I can feel an air-conditioned room like my old house," he said when he arrived at the bank. After receiving guidance from another office boy friend, Maxime started working with four-five enthusiasm. Customers started to arrive and at that time Fathur rested in the room. special room for office boys. Feeling bored, Maxime rushed to the bank yard.

"Sir, can you help me?" asked a young man.

"Yes, bro, what can I help you with?" The answer was friendly.

"Bring my bag for a moment, I want to go to the toilet first." The young man went to the toilet.

"Thank you, sir," said the man, taking his bag back.

"Why is there less money?" he hissed, looking at Fathur suspiciously.

"I don't know sir, I didn't open your bag at all!"

"Don't lie to you!" he screamed.