...
Petra had just walked into the new house Mia's aunt had rented. Not big indeed, a small rental house, there are only two rooms, a living room that doubles as a dining room and a kitchen that doubles as a bathroom.
A rental house with a room like that alone costs three million per month. Not including electricity, water, and gas costs. If they total their expenses for the cost of renting a house, it is already four million. Not yet for the cost of food, transportation, and others. Petra's temples suddenly throbbed as if an electric current had hit her head suddenly.
Just thinking about the cost of their lives he and Aunt Mia were like this. Petra's heart and feelings went awry. Her first day at Metropol was no longer fun. How will she go through the next days with a light heart?
Luckily, Petra's cousin named Abel and uncle Jon remains in Finelan because of Abel's boarding school. If only Abel and Uncle Jon had moved to Metropol, Petra would not have been able to eat, let alone sleep properly. She will feel bad for just chewing the food that has entered her mouth.
Living happily in the Metropol that Petra had imagined had fallen short of expectations. In the next instant, Petra regrets leaving Finelan and going to Metropol to pursue her scholarship.
In Finelan, the town of Mestonia's agricultural district, the cost of living is not as much as in other big cities. Because of the subsidies from the district government for farmers and their families. Coupled with various living allowances that are very helpful for farmers, making Finelan a very friendly district for farmers. Even so, young people in the country of Mestonia are not interested enough to become farmers and settle in Finelan. It's a pity. The district government has been very helpful in creating favorable conditions for their farmers.
Uncle Jon is a vegetable farmer, still choosing to live in Finelan with Abel. Meanwhile, Petra and Mia's aunt has to migrate to Metropol for Petra's scholarship at the prestigious Metropol High School. It is not arbitrary that the Metropol High School management foundation, the Pelita Foundation, which is well known throughout Mestonia, provides scholarships to children outside the Metropol district, let alone to the humble Finelan. All of that, of course, because of Petra's achievements that have made the school proud since the girl was in elementary school.
If only Petra had known about the high cost of living in a metropolitan city, she would have immediately refused. Petra couldn't bear to see her uncle and aunt working harder just for Petra's school education. Unlike Abel, whose intelligence is average, this nine-year-old boy does not care about formal education. For Abel, school is like a prison. Therefore, Uncle Jon sends Abel to a boarding school so that it is easy to keep an eye on the bad boy.
"Aunt Mia, I'm going to find a part-time job after school. Otherwise, the savings that Uncle Jon worked so hard to accumulate will be exhausted in a few months. Living in this city is like hell Bi." Petra babbled, couldn't help thinking. Her right hand involuntarily massaged her temple.
Why could the circumstances of her life be like this? Money is the king of life in Metropol. The foreign city that Petra had just been in during the seventeen years Petra had lived in Mestonia. A metropolitan city with an aura of capitalism that is depicted. Petra's dream projection was unable to convey it because it was too terrifying for her.
"Does anyone want to hire Petra schoolgirls?" said Aunt Mia, clearly shocked at what her nephew said just now.
Aunt Mia had heard that life in Metropol is expensive, but she could not understand that it was this expensive. Even renting a house is that expensive. Not to mention other costs that may be even greater.
"Of course, there must be an aunt. I already have an identity card and ... besides, there must be a suitable job for schoolgirls. I will find Bi somehow." said Petra confidently. Convince yourself more accurately.
Petra then took out his smartphone, looking for work for school children on the job search site on the popular Mestonia application, CoMet, an application that is on the rise because of its ease of use and more importantly there is no monthly subscription fee like other applications in circulation.
In its regulation, Mestonia imposes a tax on application developers who are not small, therefore making almost all applications circulating on mobile phones within Mestonia's sovereign territory to apply a monthly subscription fee. Except for CoMet, a new application managed by a new company, CoMet inc.
Not much is known about the development company as if its existence is like a ghost that everyone believes but is difficult to prove. That mysterious CoMet in the eyes of the people. No exception in Petra's eyes. Made the girl very curious.
Petra, a smart girl who is always curious, does not escape that CoMet is also a concern. If only the life problems that Petra was experiencing now had not had such a big impact on draining body and soul emotions, of course, Petra would be happy to find out the truth about CoMet inc. Like a detective investigating a murder case. Likewise, Petra's intelligence level which is above average makes her a candidate on the Pelita Foundation scholarship list.
Petra's eyes suddenly landed on a small advertisement in an online article Rubik about coffee, a part-time job opening at a cafe. Incidentally, the location is not far from the new school. You could say being in front of the school.
"Bi, I'll go first," Petra said goodbye to Mia's aunt for an interview at the cafe.
"The sooner the better. I'll be right back. I'll be right home after the interview, okay?" persisted Petra.
"All right. Be careful on the road," said Mia's aunt softly, and maybe Petra couldn't because the girl had run away from the front door of the house.
"Now? Can't you put it off until tomorrow?" Aunt Mia didn't seem to like Petra's crazy idea. Moreover, they have just moved and the brand has not finished.
In less than half an hour, Petra was in front of a cafe with a modern minimalist nuance, clearly showing that the main menu served was coffee and various cakes. With the target market for school children and workers in the office area besides SMA Metropol.
"Are you sure you will work here?" asked the cafe owner, somewhat hesitant by seeing Petra's simple appearance.
"Certain," Petra replied firmly.
"Fine. It's just that, we've never employed school children before ..."
"I already have an identity card, sir. And in the advertisement, it is written that even schoolchildren can register." interrupted Petra.
"But ... don't you go to Metropol High School, right in front of our cafe?"
"Yes, right. So I was accepted, right?" Petra asked a little forcefully.
"Hmm ... Alright." replied the cafe owner, still staring meaningfully at Petra's identity card.
tbc...