Chapter 8 - The Morning Before
The day had changed. The sunlight began to gently wash Lisa's room window, which was getting worn out, and rusty. The streets of the capital that had been fast asleep were now starting to wake up and start a new page to begin the morning.
Lisa should have sat in her office chair and struggled with the unfinished financial reports from last week right now. But the woman was still fast asleep from a hangover last night. Yesterday was the day Lisa got drunk worse than any other day when she hung out in the Sky Lounge. Her head was still dizzy to get out of her deep sleep.
"Lisa, wake up! It's noon already! Don't you have to go to work?" Kumala shouted from outside the room.
The room was so quiet that the noise from outside the window could be heard. Lisa didn't pay attention even though she could hear her mother's voice faintly. For her, today was Sunday. Lisa just wanted to sleep all day thinking nothing. How could she not, the remnants of last night's soju and vodka were still living comfortably inside her body.
Lisa's cell phone alarm went off several times. She reached for it and then turned it off. The woman felt that her head was very dizzy and her eyes flashed when she tried to get out of bed.
She woke up still wearing her work clothes, red blazer and tight, matching skirt. Her black heels laid untidy in the doorway of her room. Even the make up on her face was still visible and starting to fade with sweat.
Lisa tried to get out of bed, her head felt very heavy. She reached for the cell phone that was in the drawer near her bed and saw what time it was. 9 am. For a moment the memory of last night slowly began to accumulate. Just then a memory of Aditya flashed through her mind.
"Damn Aditya!" Lisa shouted from her room. Her whole mind suddenly fell into chaos. Last night, Lisa had deliberately drunk a lot of alcohol in order to forget bad things about her ex-boyfriend, Aditya Satyadibrata. But Lisa didn't think she would be this messy.
"Have you woken up, Lisa?" The voice of a middle-aged woman came from the doorway. Lisa immediately turned to face the owner of the voice.
Lisa hadn't fully regained her consciousness but she knew very well who the figure standing at her door was. She then looked at the figure of the middle-aged woman languidly. Her eyes were slightly swollen from lack of sleep.
"Mother?" Asked Lisa in a daze, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
The middle aged woman shook her head with a concerned face. Kumala never understood why her eldest daughter had repeatedly done bad deeds and was not self-conscious either! How shattered and broken-hearted Kumala felt looking at her eldest daughter at this time, looking messy lying on the bed because of a hangover. Eyeshadow and mascara melted from her daughter's lids. Bright red lipstick that was faded and scratched down to the cheek. Shabby office clothes. What a sad sight!
"Daughter, it should be the mother who asked why you were drunk again last night?"
Hearing Kumala's words, Lisa's eyes widened. Her memory instantly returned to the Sky Lounge where she was drunk last night. The nightclub where she spent her worst night breaking down. How many bottles of soju did she drink last night?
"Forgive me, mom..." She replied languidly. Lisa felt guilty and cursed herself, "I just broke up with Aditya."
"Are you willing to spend your savings that you have kept for a long time just to cry over a man who doesn't even care about you? Moreover, you are wasting your savings on drinking! You should have thought better, Lisa!"
Kumala growled as she couldn't stand Lisa's attitude. She didn't know what else to do to make her eldest daughter understand the consequences of drinking too much alcohol. The middle aged woman sighed as she stroked her chest.
"Look at our house Lisa! Think about Bella, your sister who is still in college. What if Bella is forced to drop out because you can't afford it! Think of your mother who is old and helpless! Who do you think will work and support us if it's not you? You should understand that only you are capable of bringing this family to a better future!"
"Forgive me, mom, I promised not to do it again."
"Never mind, I don't know what to advise you so you better come to your senses next time! I hope you realize that we're gonna get kicked out of this house if we can't afford the tax!" Kumala scolded her daughter.
"Mother is old and sick. Do what you want, Lis, it's a waste of time advising you." She let out a heavy sigh as she expressed her disappointment.
"But mother, who took me home last night? What did I do last night?"
"You just ask your bartender friend!" Kumala looked away from Lisa and walked away from her room's door. Her face looked sad and her heart was hurting.
The clock showed it was already past 9. Lisa was still sitting silently on her bed. Her mind was still in chaos as she tried to regain her consciousness. So the one who drove her home last night was Dimas? Why did her mother tell her to ask her bartender friend?
Lisa reached for the cell phone lying on her bed and called Dimas.
"Hello Dimas?" Said Lisa, her voice a little weak.
"Hey greedy, have you recovered from your hangover?" Dimas replied from across. His voice sounded mocking and irritated.
"Haha funny Dim, seriously I want to ask about yesterday. What did I do last night?"
"That should be my line. Why did you order nearly four bottles of soju and one shot of vodka last night?"
"Ouch Dimas, I'm sorry but I was completely destroyed yesterday! You don't know what it's like to—" Not having time to finish her sentence, Dimas immediately interrupted Lisa.
"Hey! I've been warning you so many times not to drink too much! If I didn't work as a bartender I'd drag your ass out of the Sky Lounge and take you home to your mom!"
"But you're profiting from my money that I use to get drunk!"
"Yes, you can feel rich now, Lis, but don't be so proud of your money. You can't just order that much liquor! Look at how things turn now!"
"But I just need to get drunk yesterday Dimas!"
"There have been more and more drunkards in the Sky Lounge lately and the bar's reputation has been bad since the place was used by men to peddle themselves. Now you want to add an ugly title to the Sky Lounge? Oh, Sky Lounge is a nightclub in the capital known for undercover prostitution and high-end drunks. I don't want that to happen, Lis!"
"I don't care about your company's reputation, it's not my business!" Lisa said curtly.
"Okay, fine then! I also don't care if you want to waste your money on getting drunk. But you are not aware of your family's current state, are you?"
Dimas continued his advice fiery, "Remember that your father is not with you and your mother and your sister anymore! Remember your mother's divorce papers that your father held up to now? It's all because of you Lis! If only you used your savings to take care of the divorce papers, your mother could be more relieved in her life!"
"Dim," Lisa cut him. "Don't go around accusing me of my entire savings wasted on getting drunk!"
"Still want to argue again?"
"You don't know how my saved money disappeared! Let me explain first Dimas!" Said Lisa in a high voice.
Dimas was silent for a moment. He could feel there was something wrong with Lisa, "What do you mean?"
Lisa took a deep breath. Her emotions were at their threshold, about to explode soon, but she tried to restrain herself. Lisa was silent for a while then said,
"Aditya, he. .. ."