Naomi is extremely tired and stressed after working for many hours at a supermarket.

She is pushing a basket along a walkway, but her legs are already hurting her because she has been standing and working for a long time. She feels very tired, and even the bright fluorescent lights above her are making her feel more uncomfortable, as if everything around her is making her evenmore exhausted.

You did not clean and arrange one part of those chocolate and Hollandia yoghurt properly.”

Naomi’s manager suddenly spoke to her in a loud and harsh tone while she was still working.

Naomi stopped for a moment and tried to hold back her anger and annoyance before replying to her manager.

She felt upset, but she controlled her emotions and answered respectfully.

“I already cleaned the chocolate and Hollandia, sir,” she replied calmly.

The manager did not respond to Naomi or care about her feelings.

The manager ignored her and told her to go back and clean the Hollandia yoghurt and chocolate again because customers often complain about the dust on it. Even though Naomi was upset, she obeyed her boss respectfully.

Naomi quietly accepted the instruction and replied, “Yes, sir.”

Naomi sounded calm when she responded, but inside she was very , upset, and emotionally shaken.

Oh my God, I’m so tired. Even though she tried to hide her feelings, her eyes showed already that she was very tired .

A woman passing by made a comment to express irritation and complained that some workers are too slow.

Naomi clearly heard about the bad comment the woman made against her this was not unusual for her.

This was not the first time she had heardpeople say things like that.

Naomi politely apologized for the problem or delay, even though the woman was already gone and did not care to listen to her anymore.

By the time her shift finally ended, Naomi was extremely tired after working for manyhours.

Her whole body was hurting so much that she felt completely exhausted, like she had no strength left. When she changed her clothes in the small staff room, where workers usually change, the uniform was already stuck to her skin due to the sweat all over her body.

Just as she was about to leave, her boss called her.

“Naomi, did you remember you are going to handle the stock inventory tomorrow because we are going to restock some goods.”

Naomi answered, “Yes, sir.

I remember. I did not forget, sir.”she replied…

Even though she was very tired.

The breeze was blowing peacefully in the evening, but Naomi was very weak.

She was going home slowly, carrying her bag on her left hand shoulder, feeling so tired as if all the stress of the day was on her shoulders.

Her phone vibrated.

It was a message from the hospital.

“Please ensure your remaining balance is cleared before your next treatment.

Delay may affect treatment schedule.”

It was from the hospital reminding her that she still owed money and needed to pay it before her mother next treatment, or it could delay or affect her mum’s treatment.

Naomi stopped walking for a moment.

For a moment, she stopped and did not even hear the sounds of the streets, the car passing, or people talking again.

Everything kept going as usual, but she stayed in one spot, staring at her phonescreen, as if nothing else existed.

“Not again…” she cried bitterly, tears start to fall down from her eyes, feeling tired and frustrated.

“She started talking to herself… Jehovah, help me.

Holy Spirit help me…

Where will I find the money now? I don’t have any hope anywhere.”

She held her phone close to her chest for a moment, trying to calm herself or feel a bit of control, even though everything around her felt unstable.

When she got home, the quietness of her apartment felt heavy and familiar, but not comforting anymore.

It reminded her of loneliness rather than peace. She was physically and emotionally exhausted , so she dropped her bag at the door and slowly took off her shoes because her legs were already hurting, because the shoes were too tight for her.

“Mum?”

she called gently.

No answer.

She already knew her mum was in the hospital, but she still said it because it helped her cope and not think too much.

Putting it into words made the sadness feel a little bit easier to control , like it eased the pain slightly.

Then she walked to the small table near the window.

On it, she noticed an envelope with the hospital’s flyer placed neatly there, as if someone had intentionally left it for her.

Her stomach tightened.

“No…” she murmured.

She wait for a moment before opening the envelope because she was afraid of what might be inside.

Final notice.

Urgent surgery required. Payment overdue.Treatment may be suspended.

Naomi sat down slowly, as if her legs had stopped working without her permission.

For a long time, she didn’t move.

She breathed out slowly, already shaking and overwhelmed, and softly said to herself,

“How am I going to deal with this?”

Her voice cracked slightly, but there was no one there to hear it.

She sat back on the chair, staring at the ceiling.

“I’m trying my best,” she said gently, almost angrily now.

“I’m really trying my best.”

Her phone vibrated again.

Another message from her manager.

“Then she let out a shaky breath and whispered, ‘How am I supposed to do this?

’”

Don’t forget your early shift tomorrow.

We’re short-staffed.”

Naomi laughed quietly, but it was a fake smile, more of a bitter reaction because she already felt exhausted and frustrated.

Short-staffed, overworked, underpaid this is how she felt.

Her whole life could be described like that.

She stood up and walked to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water.

Her hands had stopped shaking a little, but she was not completely calm.

While drinking, she noticed a small framed photo on the wall.

It showed her and her mother when her mother was still fine and healthy, before the sickness started. In the picture, they were truly happy, smiling without stress.

“I won’t lose you, my lovely mom,” Naomi said quietly, almost like a promise.

“I can’t.”

Her phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence.

She picked it up quickly.

“Hello?”

A nurse’s voice came through, calm but in a serious tone.

“The nurse said, ‘Am I speaking with Naomi…’”

Naomi replied, “Yes, yes.”

“The nurse replied, ‘I am the nurse from the hospital where your mother is staying .

I just want to remind you about your mother’s health because her health is already getting worse, and if the surgery is not done on time, it is very risky.’”

“I understand,” Naomi replied gently, her voice tight.

“I’m working on it. Please… just give me a little more time.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“We will try, but time is not really on our side anymore .”

The line went silent.

Naomi lowered the phone slowly.

For a short moment, she stood in her small kitchen .

Everything around her felt heavy the quietroom, the bills she couldn’t pay, and the decisions that felt too hard to make.

“Then she quietly spoke to herself, ‘I am trying to gather strength and stay strong despite everything that is happening to me.

Naomi is trying to stay strong and says something to herself, but deep down, she is no longer sure that things will get better.

Outside, life in the city continues in a normal way lights turning on in buildings one after the another, showing that the worldkeeps moving.

But Naomi is struggling privately. But inside her small apartment, Naomi feels like her life is about to end.

She is exhausted, broke, and running out of time to pay her mother’s treatment in the hospital.