Franklin the Secret Courier

Chapter 2

"Anyway, I don't want to know. You have to take responsibility! You have to compensate. Do I have to accept a package this damaged?!"

A man in his early twenties appeared to be lamenting his unfortunate fate.

Today, he was struck by the misfortune of the contents of the package he delivered to one of the houses in the housing complex being damaged.

"Relax, sir. We can find a solution to this. I really don't know why your package got damaged. We can check with the central store, sir. Maybe there was a mistake in the delivery from there."

"I don't care. I just want my money back. Twice the amount."

"Twice the amount?!"

He's Franklin. The man's eyes widened at the thought of his money being requested back twice.

"But, sir. This  Non cash of delivery item costs 100 dollar. If you ask for twice the amount, that means I have to refund it for 200 dollar, sir?"

"Of course."

Franklin swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, sir. But, I don't have that much money at all. I..."

"Fine. Let me call your boss. Let him handle it."

Franklin tried to stop the customer, but it was too late, he had already gone back into his house, slamming the door in frustration.

A long sigh escaped perfectly from Franklin's mouth. Slowly, he could only rub his chest hoping it would reduce his emotional state.

"I'm done for! If this is how it goes, I could be fired by Mr. Tio."

Franklin rubbed his face roughly.

Ring! Ring!

Just as Franklin was about to decide to return to the office to face all the anger from his boss, his phone suddenly rang, making him check it first.

"Vina? Why is she calling me? This is unusual."

Franklin muttered with many questions.

Before finally, he answered the call from his sister.

"Hello, Vina? What's up?"

"Hey, bro. Bro, earlier a doctor came here. He said, this afternoon Mom's medical expenses must be paid. Otherwise, Mom will be asked to move to another hospital."

Damn it!

As if hit by hundreds of weights at once, now Franklin had to accept the reality that he needed to spend some money again.

"Oh God, what should I say to Vina? I just experienced a mishap but why do I have to get news like this again?"

Franklin closed his eyes, trying to stay calm even though his head felt like it was about to explode.

"Bro? Are you listening to me? The payment deadline is this afternoon, bro. Or Mom will be forced to leave."

"Yeah, I hear you. You take care of Mom first, okay. I'll come there right after I get back from the office. There's something I need to take care of first."

The phone call finally ended.

Franklin then ruffled his hair roughly.

"Argh! Why does my life have to be this complicated?! Why is God so unfair to me?!"

Franklin stared at the sky, trying to blame all the misfortunes on the universe.

He then reached into his pocket, opening his wallet which looked truly pitiful.

"Where am I supposed to get the money to pay for Mom's treatment? Oh God, I hope you'll show your mercy."

Franklin put his helmet back on, driving his vehicle towards his workplace.

"What's this, Franklin?! Are you trying to bankrupt my business?!" scolded his boss at Franklin.

With a face downcast, Franklin had no more excuses to argue.

"Sorry, sir. This is all my fault," admitted Franklin, although deep down he blamed himself for many things.

Tio, as his boss, let out a heavy sigh, returning to sit in his big chair.

"I've warned you not to be careless. It's not even a full week yet, and you've made mistakes countless times."

Tio seemed about to make his final decision.

"If this continues, I'll have to..."

Franklin immediately approached him, kneeling right by his feet.

"No, sir! Please don't fire me! I don't mind if my salary is cut this month. But please don't fire me from this job, sir."

Franklin clasped his hands, pleading earnestly with the man in front of him.

"This job is my only hope, sir. My mom just had a disaster and needs to be treated in the hospital. If not from my income as a courier, where else can I get money, sir?"

As a human with a conscience, Tio looked compassionate towards the man.

A heavy sigh with his difficult decision made the man only able to stare straight at Franklin at the end of his plea.

"Alright. I'll give you one last chance. If you make another more fatal mistake. Remember, I won't hesitate to fire you."

A ray of happy smile now appeared on his face. Followed by a small nod from him.

"Ready, Mr. Tio! I will improve my image."

Franklin was allowed to leave the room. Even though his salary for this month had to disappear, it didn't matter at all.

As long as Franklin could still work in the company.

"I have to go to the hospital immediately. I can't leave Vina there alone."

Franklin worried about his sister.

However, suddenly he remembered the fees he had to pay. While clearly, the money in his wallet was not enough to cover the payment.

"What now? I can't possibly go there empty-handed. I have to find a loan immediately or Mom's condition will worsen."

Franklin tried to brainstorm solutions that he could possibly take.

He then looked around, managing to find one of his friends who was also a courier.

"Andi! Andi! Wait a minute!" Franklin waved his hand.

"Franklin? It's unusual for you to call me. What's up?" Andi asked his friend.

Franklin looked hesitant, unsure where to start.

"Just talk, Franklin. No need to hold back like that."

Franklin nodded. "My mom just got admitted to the hospital, Di. I also just got a problem with a damaged package. I can't borrow from Mr. Tio first while my salary for this month is also gone."

Andi seemed to understand where his friend's conversation was going.

"It's not that I don't want to help you, Franklin. But, I also don't have any money right now. My sister in the village just asked for a money transfer. So, I only have enough money for expenses until the end of the month. I'm really sorry."

Franklin had to accept that bitter reality.

He could only nod his head, trying to appear okay in front of his friend.

"Well then. If that's the case, thank you very much, Di. I'll just go to the hospital."

Franklin hurried away.

Throughout the journey, Franklin truly felt stuck. His mind was in turmoil, not knowing what to do next.

"Don't, sis! My brother will definitely come soon. Don't do this!"

As soon as he reached the threshold of his mother's room, Franklin heard his sister's cries.

He rushed to meet his sister and found a heartbreaking condition there.

"Mom!" he shouted, filling the room.