Perkara Mahar Satu Miliar

The sun was too hot that Tuesday afternoon.

Maria Collins stood outside the salon. Something very uncomfortable was pressing against her skin. Her feet were hot and not convenient for her to stand. Her throat was very dry. Her hands were shaking much that she had temp herself for them to stop moving. A lot of People were passing by. Some of them were driving so they had to slow down. Some people who lost focused and plans for the day even stopped. Maria Collins could already hear people gossiping behind her back. They talking about the condition she had gotten herself into.

“This is embarrassing.”

I am thinking about what she did. What she did was so bad, I cannot imagine this fine girl had that kind of mind to do such. Some people were bothered” I really want to know what she did”.

Maria breath so heavily. She felt like something big was hanged on her throat. She had to force herself and swallow it.  the situation she was facing was the serious argument she had with her crippled elder sister earlier that day. Maria not herself at that point.

Laura spoke angrily “I warned you never to do this while you’re here now get down on your knees and say sorry”. You have to apologize to them and make it fast. 

Maria’s manager was really mad this time he may have trusted in her but he could not bear it anymore. His voice was sharp and loud. You could even hear it from, across the street. He stood there with his arms crossed, looking at Maria with a face that said he did not like her all. It was like Maria was something that he wanted to get out of his shop for a long time. He looked at Maria like she was worthless. The manager’s face was in despair as he looked at her carrying a pitiful face.

Maria lamented over her shaking voice “I did not carry your money”. She said this again. Her voice was not all that steady. She requested the confirm the money again. Maria was sure she closed the register correctly with no mistake from her end. 

He laughed. It was very sarcastic laugh.

He looked at her and said "You are a poor girl". He then asked "Who else in this shop will take what does not belong to them except someone who don’t have”.

The words really broke her and hurt her so badly. It hurt her feelings for a while even at the salon. 

Maria held her chest really tightly. This is just not fair. Does it mean that being poor is a crime or sin. The truth that she is trying so hard to make ends meet even in family condition does not give a reason to be treated this way. Maria thought to herself being poor does not mean to lack self-respect and integrity.

Some people standing beside the shade of the salon seeing this unpleasant situation she was going through thought it was funny and made joke out of it. One woman who sales very close to the salon shook her head slowly she felt sorry for Maria but she also thought Maria was at fault. Maria felt so bad that she prayed the ground could just open up and completely swallow her. The people sitting around and the customers there just kept on staring at Maria with disappointment.

She really needed to keep this job because it was very important to her. She needed money so badly for some urgent issues but that does not guarantee them to label her a thief. 

This was the most disheartening part.

Her father was critically ill lying down helpless in the hospital. He had all these machines all over his body to him that she had no idea whether he will survive this painful phase of his life. The hospital bills just kept increasing bigger and bigger by the day. And every day the nurses will be looking at her disgust, imagining if she will be able to that huge amount of money.

She could not afford to be proud at this point in her life, Pride was something she could not even think about in her situation. She could do any job in her condition to get her father out that hospital bed.

Her manager shouted at her to get on her knees. He repeated it again. This time his voice was really firm. He said she has to compile or leave his salon and never come back. Her manager was very serious about what he said and he was not smiling. He wanted her to kneel and apologize or get fired instantly.

The words kept replaying in her head. The words just could not just leave from her head.

“Never come back”.

Marias eyes were so red and heavy. Tears started to drop from her eyes really heavy and hot. Maria had to control herself stop crying. She just finished cried a lot throughout the week. Maria thought that crying never change anything for the better. Maria just did not want to cry because he could not solve any problem or pay any of her numerous bills.

She looked around herself. They were plenty people eyes on her. She was so much in shame because of the people looking and mocking her for what they don’t really know the full story.

Her knees started to bend slowly towards to the ground to apologize for the money she did not take or know anything about.

Is this how you treat people that work for you because you’re the boss here? Do you treat your staff this badly?

The voice was really calm and cold too. The voice was audacious and clear. The voice sounded very commanding and convincing to be someone of great influence.

Everyone turned to see who was speaking. Everything just paused for a moment. 

The people stopped laughing almost immediately. People stopped gossiping about her. His presence brought authority. The laughing stopped. Everywhere was silent.

Maria carried her head up slowly. She was looking around the room to observe the sudden shift in atmosphere. The room went quiet for a while. Maria was thinking about the incident. Her mind was everywhere thinking about what was going on.

A man was standing at the door at entrance of the salon. The man was very huge and tall. He had broadened shoulders. The man was dressed in a black suit too very expensive for the salon. The man was not happy but did not look angry.

The man carried himself like someone with so much influence around town. He had a presence and looked powerful.

His eyes were sharp, smart, and unreadable.

Her wicked manager got up fast. "Sir this is none of your business, or anything about you."

The man took few steps forward. He said "It does now."

He looked at Maria at a glance.

Just once.

He did not take her into consideration but the display at which the manager treats his staffs.

Her heart was jumping around like crazy and shaking.

The manager said “this poor girl here took something that belonged to me” which was not true or yet to be confirmed. The manager was just taking decision based on his mood and motive he had for her at that moment by punishing Maria, for stealing from me.

The Fine looking-man told them that they should fire her. He really asked them to let her go.

Maria breath caught and thought to herself “I thought he came to plead on my behalf but he wants them to take off my only survival of living, truly poverty is bad”.

And he went on by saying if you don’t, I will make sure the salon does not operate another day in this city.

The managers face turned very pale. The managers mouth opened up and closed again. The manager began sweating from his head to his beards. You could see the sweat, from the head of manager’s forehead.

“Sir, please”

The man walked away, not interested in anything they say anymore, or hearing excuses and pleading from everyone who was begging on her behalf. He paused when he got to the door.

The man said "Maria Collins". He was reading her name tag. He did not even turn around to look at Maria Collins when he said her name.

“life can be really unfair to people like you.”

The man walked away.

Everywhere was so quiet.

Maria stood there feeling really frozen. She had just been fired from her job, she begged to get employed and someone she has never seen before just removed from her job just like that because he is a billionaire

All at once.

She just fell to the ground and started crying again. Her hands felt really cold and strife.

People went back to what there were doing. Some people were still looking at her out of curiosity to see what she will do.  While some looked at her out of pity because they understood that she has been through a lot as young lady.

Her manager just went inside without saying a word.

Maria eyes was fixed on the floor. She did not want to say a word so she kept looking at the ground for some time before someone spoke up.

Who the hell was that?

His words really hurt her. I mean a lot of things happened to her that day but his words hurt more than everything else. His words were still locked in her mind.

She did not know it yet. That was the moment, she faced the most embarrassing and hurtful situation she has ever being. That moment that her past will determine her fate in life if it will be pleasant or worse.