Kebus - Background

Tami’s mother had been suffering chills and fever for two days. But although she was sick ... she didn’t rest. She undertook work in the kitchen and made woven offerings along with her work in the rice field. And this … despite her having a teenage daughter. But Tami couldn’t be relied upon. Not only did she not help her mother, she couldn’t even wash her own clothes. Her work every day was just playing on her phone. She stayed inside her room. “Mi … you are in Senior High School and you don’t want to wash your own clothes let alone help your mother in the kitchen or help me with my work. We don’t have anyone else. You can’t even wash your own clothes. I feel sick in the stomach doing all this work. You are a woman … learn to cook and do some work so that people won’t say that your mother didn’t teach you anything.” “Oh … just a minute. I’m busy doing my homework.” “Doing you homework? From the moment you open your eyes in the morning until the night your only activity is looking at your phone! What homework are you doing?” “Everything can be done on my phone Mum. I don’t need to be able to cook or do anything with you Mum. It’s all here on my phone. Now don’t get angry … here let me give you a massage … and you will feel better.” Tami’s mother felt happy as she felt that Tami had taken notice of her advice. She went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. “Mi … come here Mi … you are going to massage me aren’t you?” “Yes … just wait a moment ... I’m getting my phone.” Then she looked for her mother. With her left hand she rubbed some oil on her mother’s back. With her other hand she held her phone and said: “Massaging my Mum who is not well. GWS my Mum.” Then the message was sent to Snapgram. “What are you doing Tami?” “Don’t worry .. it’s young people’s business. Well that’s about it Mum .. I’ll go and do my homework.” Mi … you’ve only just put the oil on my back and now you want to go.”

Later on that day …. Tami was busy on her phone. Her mother staggered and fell to the floor unconscious. There was a thud. “Me … what was that that that fell?” As there was no answer, Tami came out of her room to have a look. She was shocked to see her mother lying in the doorway. Crying she screamed for help from the neighbours. Many people came and her mother was picked up and taken to the hospital. And because she was suffering from typhoid, she was admitted to hospital. “Mi … go to the house and see what is happening there. Here … I have twenty thousand Rupiah left. Use it to buy some food.” Tami went straight home. She arrived home feeling uneasy at seeing the mountain of washing. She picked up a plastic bag, put all the clothes in it and took them to the local laundry. Then she came into the kitchen. She felt hungry. She wanted to buy some rice but the money has been spent on the laundry. And she couldn’t cook rice. She thought for a moment and then picked up her phone. “I’ll Google how to cook rice”. Her phone responded with a “beep” and the message “cant open that page” and an SMS came in “you have zero credit”. “Mum … I’m starving … Mum!!