THE GREATEST FIGHTER

"Is this all you get for singing all night? It's not enough to buy cosmetics!" scolded Mrs. Grace.

"That's all I get, you don't have to scold me like this," Kelly wailed.

"How can I not be angry, huh? I've offered you a job that could make you rich, but you always turn it down," Mrs. Grace was getting angry at Kelly for always fighting her.

"I don't want that job, mom! I'm afraid my sins will increase," Kelly argued.

"Hey, don't be a saint, nowadays there are women who are still virgins at a young age. If you're still thinking about sin, your life will continue to be miserable like this. And where is there anyone who cares about us who are poor. If only you had accepted this job, in a short time our lives would have been elevated and we would have become respected people," Mrs. Grace's gaze sharpened on Kelly.

"Mother, not only do I fear sin, but I pity Father. If I do the job you're offering, Dad will be dragged down and bear the sin too," Kelly replied with an excuse.

"What are you saying? Your father can't do anything. What can he do with his condition getting worse? Every day he's bedridden, and I take care of all his needs. Until I feed him and wash his poop.

As for you, what can you do for your father?"

"All my time is spent earning money, mom! I really want to take care of him," replied Kelly, who had tears in her eyes.

Mrs. Grace grabbed Kelly's long hair and yelled at her,

"Where's your day's work, huh?

It doesn't take me all day to earn money."

Kelly's half-brother Brandon helped his mother pull Kelly's long hair.

"Mercy, mom! I really can't do the job you're offering," Kelly continued to wail at her stepmother.

"You fool, you! How long are you going to treat your father's illness if you keep doing that job as a cafe singer? How much do you think your father's surgery cost, huh? One million? Two million?" snapped Mrs. Grace.

"Never mind, Kelly, you'll just have to do what mom wants. Instead of singing all day and not even having enough to eat," Brandon said.

Hearing her brother's words, Kelly was devastated.

She hoped her brother would defend her against her stepmother's coercion.

"How could you, Brandon! I'm your brother, you have the heart to turn me in too." Kelly looked at her sister with sadness.

"I'm not your sister! I don't have a brother like you who always defies mom's orders. If only you would obey mom's wishes, I would consider you as my brother." Brandon snapped as his hand continued to grab Kelly's long hair.

Since Mrs. Grace was already furious, she dragged Kelly into the bathroom and poured cold pool water over her body.

Brandon also helped his mother splash the helpless Kelly. Kelly, who was still wearing her clothes, was wet from the cold as a result of being splashed by her mother and half-sister.

Kelly's biological father, who was lying in bed, could not do anything to hear his biological daughter being tortured by her stepmother.

Mr. Hasim has been bedridden for five years due to a stroke.

Mr. Hasim could only shed his tears hearing the wailing and moaning of his biological son.

Brandon was his stepson by his second wife, Grace.

Kelly sat crying in the corner of the bathroom.

Mrs. Grace came into her room and cursed Mr. Hasim who was lying weakly on his bed.

"Your son is so stupid, father! I'm tired of telling him to serve the big bosses. If only he would obey my wishes, we would be rich in no time. And you would be able to go to the hospital without any shortage of money. If this continues, you will forever be bedridden unable to enjoy life.

I myself am tired of taking care of you, while your son spends his time singing for little money."

Mr. Hasim was about to speak, but only his mouth was open without any sound.

Kelly, who heard her stepmother swearing at her father, rushed out of the bathroom and headed to her father's room.

Once Kelly was in her father's room, she immediately hugged her father while replying to her stepmother's cursing at her father.

"Mom! Why are you the target of your anger, mom? If you want to be angry, be angry with me! Poor dad, if only he hadn't had a stroke, maybe we wouldn't be living in such poverty. And you don't need to force me to accept the job you're offering me."

"Again Mrs. Grace grabbed Kelly's long hair in front of her father as she cursed him,

"Look Hasim! This son of yours is very stubborn, never follows and obeys his parents."

"Mercy, mother! Don't hurt father, he has done nothing wrong. Please let me go, mom!" wailed Kelly.

"You want your father to recover? Obey my orders and take the job at all costs," ordered Mrs. Grace.

"I told you, I can't, mom! I'd rather die than prostitute myself," Kelly replied.

Mr. Hasim could only hear and see his daughter being abused by her stepmother. But he could not say or do anything. He could only lie on his bed with tears in his eyes.

"What? Would you rather die? So what's the difference between prostituting yourself and committing suicide? Do you think committing suicide can solve all your problems? Don't you consider how great the sin of suicide is? You stupid woman! You always say you're afraid of sin, yet you want to kill yourself. Do you know the sin of suicide? Tell me, is the sin of prostitution or suicide greater?" Mrs. Grace gave Kelly a choice of questions.

"I know the sin, mom! But for me it is more honorable to kill myself than to prostitute myself," Kelly replied.

"What, you talk about honor, huh? Where was your father's honor when your mother left him? Don't talk about honor in front of me when you don't understand the meaning of honor yourself! Still, your sins won't be forgiven if you commit suicide. It's different if you become a prostitute, you can repent and still be forgiven. Do you understand?" snapped Mrs. Grace.

What Mrs. Grace said is true. Suicide is a sin that God will not forgive, while prostitution can still be forgiven by repentance.

Kelly thought about all the words spoken by her stepmother.

Kelly thinks that all of her stepmother's words make sense and can be accepted with common sense.

Kelly herself understood very well, that the act of suicide would not be forgiven her sins, even if she repented a thousand times.

On the other hand, she does not want to prostitute herself even though the pay is high as promised by her stepmother.

On the other hand, her father needed money for his operation.

Like a simalakama fruit, Kelly is in a high state of indecision.