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Have you ever encounter a mystery situation that still revolves around your mind and changed your simple life and make it somehow more dramatic? Do you ever thought to call Detective Conan or Sherlock Holmes to solve this mystery since you cannot think of any right conclusion?
And most importantly - although is not related to the intro above, do you love money and will do anything to have it?
Sure, I may sound like a scamming agency or an agent Get Rich Faster or even most pathetically, an insurance seller but don’t fall to my awkward introduction, just ignore it! It just because I don’t have an idea to start the story! In fact, I’m just a typical student who living on and eventually survived with PTPTN loans. Duh. Pity me. Still, this story not going to be what do you think it is or as miracle as I won the lucky draw and suddenly turn to millionaire. Oh how I wish it become reality. I’m only going to write a simple yet mystery true (I purposely bold it because reader get excited if they know it’s a real event) story happened in my house and all the suspects involved are my own family!
So here the story begin..
On that Sunday morning rain is falling, steal some cover share the skin – and why Maroon 5 song lyric is here? Back to the main plot, that Sunday morning as usual, I will do the house chores. My big family consists of nine members lived in a small house in the middle of terrace house (ironically I wrote a poem about it). Every members of the family has their own tasks. House chores also divide into several teams such as cooking team, laundry team, cleaning team and so on. Although the size of this house is cute but the percentage of the house to become messy in 5 minutes is really high. As a permanent cleaner for almost my entire life which the job specification is cleaning stuffs, sweeping the floor and mop it until it shines and can reflect your quite ugly face, I am very particular and concern about the cleanliness and tidiness of the house. Not only I will sweep the floor with full of passion and love, I will also look through fully if there is any side income for me.
Side income?
Now you wonder how sweeping the floor can give you an income. It’s not like an online job or MLM instead it far from that. It all started when I was 10, I made a rule that no one of the family members can object it. The rule is every penny that I found on the floor while I’m sweeping automatically will be mine! And that is my side income until now. People may think this rule is merely a joke but I have bought a bike with my side income that I save in my piggy bank (I don’t used pig as my bank please don’t misunderstanding). Who says this chore not profitable?
But that Sunday morning was slightly different.
I was sweeping like usual though. I was singing and swinging happily to the beat of the song from radio – Klasik Nasional, Segalanya di sini menggamit kenangan. I was getting advised and long speeches from my mother about what girls should learn before they get married and tips about how to take care of your broom so it will be long lasting. And I was also being cursed by my sister that pretended as an evil step sister and I am the poor Cinderella who needs to do house chores. Everything was normal like any other day until that moment where I bend my back and put the broom below the table and swept everything away.
I found something.
That something is not a typical something I always found below the table.
It’s kind of paper, with blue and green colour mix together and it has number printed on it.
It’s valuable.
You can use this thing to buy something particularly; food, clothes or anything. In my case, I just used exactly the same paper like this to buy a new USB camera since all the people in this house were being really responsible to borrow and lost it like nobody cares. Also the other day, my housemate back in a college used this paper to buy vinegar for her mother – all of us feel so scared of how can vinegar have a high price like that. And I just remember that I need to pay exactly the value of this paper to English Language Camp’s fund since our group still not get any sponsor, yet.
It’s RM50.
And by that time you can imagined how I reacted to that. Well, how you will react if you found RM50 while sweeping? I was jaw drop for a second and then pull out my leg and stepped at that blue greenish paper with that creepy greedy evil smile stamped on my face - you might think I’m some kind of serial killer or a desperate robber but I’m not! Remember, I’m still a typical young student for God sake.
Still, there is a RM50 below my feet. And I found it while sweeping the floor.
Is it counted as my side income?
What should I do?
I have so many thoughts that time. It’s like me in a chibi version disguise as a devil with that red colour on my left and anger with pure white as theme on my right. Both keep whispering at me.
“Just take it dude! You found it and remember the rules? It became yours!” said the devil and laugh hysterically.
“No, it’s not yours! Sure if you found it while sweeping but this has a big value. You cannot take it others people’s property. It’s counted as stealing. REPENT.. REPENT..” whisper the angel in a sweet voice yet the devil interrupted.
“Ah, what stealing if you found it in your OWN house? Just take it already and treat me a drink muahaha”
“No, please don’t. It belongs to someone else. At least you ask first whose person the money belongs to. If no one admits to it then only you can take it.”
The angel gave me a good suggestion as I’m a good girl anyway so I took that money slowly and folded it in my palms. I will control myself to not become blinded by money and do such a stupid thing and eventually get free sins.
The only thing I want to know now is,
“Whose money is this?”
“Money?”
“Where?”
“How much?”
“THAT’S MINE!”
Err.. I am sure when I said that question; I am talking to myself with the lowest volume I can make but how supposed those people who most of them focusing on television repeating the same TV show again and again or read a yesterday newspaper or even playing with stranger cat or whatever heard me?
And now they stared at me like I’m such kind of statue in the middle of fountain.
I rise up the money in the air. I can see all of their eyes; my eldest sister, my second elder sister, my first younger sister, my second younger sister, my youngest brother and even my little nephew who still 4 years old shining and blinking like in the manga or anime and the background music turned into ‘kaching kaching’.
“Again, whose money is this?”
“Me!”
My first younger sister was the first one claiming that freaky RM50. She looked confident and her tone of voice also sounded casually like she speaking of the truth. But things cannot be decided just like that. We need to do details interrogation.
“Yes, first offender, give me your evidence please.”
“I think that’s my money.”
“Where did you lose it?”
“Where did you found it?”
“Below that table.”
“Oh I lost it around that table.”
“Oh, so it yours.. Wait, you tricked me? Liar!”
“Yes, she’s liar! That’s money belong to me!” my second elder sister interrupt so sudden. As expected come another claimant tried to get the money.
“Yours?”
“Err.. yes..”
I stared at her eyes – deep inside to it to find the truthiness in this confession. She also wants to stare back but unfortunately, her voice was shaking and her eyes movement seems not that consistent. Obviously we can see that she also lying here.
“Teng! Not you..Try again next time!”
“Damn it!”
“Next!”
“Me! That’s money is mine!”
“Really? Prove?”
“I wish it mine! Haha”
“Next..!”
“It’s all bullshit! That’s mine! Give me back!”
“You only 12 years old! How supposed you have money? Go away!”
“Next, how about you?”
“That’s my money..”
“Ah, you.. everything is yours! Neighbour’s flower pot also yours right?”
“Hey, that’s insulting!”
“Shut up every one!” Command my father with a loud voice. He was there the entire time actually but after things get chaos only he felt the needs to take over situation I guess.
All of us automatically shut our blabbering mouth off. Watched him intensely and wait for another word come out.
He folded the newspaper, looked at us with a very serious looks on his face.
“That’s RM50 is mine.”
And you can imagine all of us were like the popular meme ‘flipping the table’ while my father was smiling with a troll face.
“So it is yours?” I asked to make sure the right owner for the last time. (Don’t bother with the repeating words in my dialogue, I just don’t have anything else to say).The others also nervously wait for the answer.
“Yes.’ He still speaks in that serious tone. “But you can take it, I give it to you..”
“Really?” I was like smiling all ear to ear.
“No! Just kidding!” And he was laughing like no other tomorrow. I am a little bit pissed off but what can make you heart melted other than seeing your parents happy – although because he gets to get on you.
“So whose money is this..” I feel like want to give up (and just run away with the money).
“Hey, what the hustle bustle?” asked my mother who still in her apron came straight away from the kitchen. She’s not there when everyone wanted and claimed that mystery RM50 as theirs without any guilty. Maybe, maybe this forbidden RM50 belong to her since she is the richest person in this house.
“Mom, is this RM50 is yours?”
“No.”
I feel amazed that in this world there still someone that being truly honest. Oh mother, you sure show a really good example to your children. And husband.
“Where do you get it?”
“I found it below the table.”
“Oh.. maybe that’s mine! Haha..”
I know she’s joking but I was screaming a loud noooooo in my mind. Mother, you just broken my hope unto you! Please don’t be like them. They are cheapskate. You’re different. You’re my mentor. Please don’t say this crappy RM50 is yours if it’s not true. I want to know the truth! Okay stop being over emotional here.
“Then, whose money is this?” She took the money and asked everyone again. It’s like the same scene and dialogues being repeated again but with different main character.
Everyone look at each other. The suspense music playing excitedly at the background.
“Maybe it’s your money.” Said my father to me while continue reading his newspaper.
“Huh how come?”
“Do you remember last raya you lost RM50 somewhere?”
Oh yes, I just remembered the bitter memory of my life where I lost my RM50 – duit raya that my father gave to all of us. I was crying, weeping and mourning for the big lost but everything is too late. I cannot find the money no matter how hard I tried. I even consider reporting to the police but they stopped me and accused me for being a drama queen. Yet, no one admit to see it even the shadow of it. Instead, they accused the rat in our house who takes it. I believed on that speculation since our house sure full of naughty and hyperactive rats.
“So the rat that stole my money now already repents and wanted to give me back the RM50! Now, it makes sense!”
“I don’t see any sense in your conclusion!” Shouted the others seem unsatisfied with me.
“Okay so no one belongs to it. But I found it while sweeping so it automatically become mine?” I still insist to have my side income – big one.
“NO!!!”
“How about we used the money to eat satay tonight?” Suggest my mother to all of us.
“YES!!!”
“Right, fair and square!”
“But.. but.. I found it so it supposed to be mine…”
“Want satay or not?”
“I WANT!!!”
So that’s the mystery I told you earlier in the beginning that happened on Sunday morning which still not clearly being solved and make all of us especially me keep wondering whose that RM50 belong to until now. Well, in a high living cost nowadays, RM50 is merely a value that can buy little things yet in our family; it can buy a delicious food and eventually make us very very happy.
Sure, money does can buy happiness.
Right?
How do you think of it? Oh you think this is not mystery at all and this story only wasting your time reading? Who asked you to read this crap at first? Now serve you right!
***
That night, a little greyish rat came out behind cabinet. It walked slowly while pulling some paper. Not that typical paper. It’s a blue greenish paper with a number printed on it.
Squeaky. Squeaky.
The end.
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