Chapter 1 — A Gold Bar (Dim Moon in the Sky)

The sun crawled up the equator. The padlock opened, followed by the iron door being pulled up. The staff entered the booth. Bulan turned on the EDC machine. The cashier counted the money while the appraiser rubbed a candlenut on a stone.

“Morning, Sir,” Feri greeted palely while pouring liquid onto the stone.

Angkasa smiled. The branch manager put his bag in the locker.

“If you're sick, you should rest, Feri.” Angkasa entered the service booth.

“Does that mean I can rest at home, Sir?”

“Sure, as long as your targets are met.”

“Sigh, truly 'solving problems without problems'.”

Angkasa’s eyes shifted to Bulan. “Is your mother... doing better?”

“My mother isn't fighting with anyone, Sir.” Feri, standing nearby, turned in confusion.

“Take care of your health.” Angkasa went to the pantry and grabbed a bottle of water.

Staff and interns chatted happily. The EDC machine wouldn't turn on. Bulan tapped the EDC loudly against the desk.

“Just burn the EDC already,” Feri said, annoyed by the noise.

With another tap, the screen flickered to life. Bulan left, sat in the micro team room, and read the pawn numbers one by one. She tinkered with the branch phone, messaging customers whose pawns were due.

“Interns, do some cross-selling.” Ratna took a stack of brochures and approached Bulan and the other interns.

Bulan stood up to take them.

“Here, let me help.” Angkasa took half of the stack.

Feri chuckled. “It’s not every day you see a branch manager cross-selling.”

“You talk as if I’ve never helped before, Fer.”

“You truly are the best branch manager, Sir.”

“Just get back to chasing the outstanding loans, Fer... keep it positive. Bring that NPL down.”

Angkasa stepped out of the pawnshop. Bulan and the interns followed. The CRO team was already waiting outside.

“We’ll spread out. Two people: the CRO takes the brochures, the intern takes the lead list.”

Renon Field was buzzing with the hustle and bustle of a fun walk. Balloons lined every stall. Angkasa handed out brochures to small businesses, promoting KUR loans. Bulan just watched him.

“The interest is 6% per year, with a maximum loan of ten million, Ma'am.”

“Can’t I borrow a hundred million, Sir?”

“You can top up to a hundred million if you're diligent with the installments.”

The woman seemed enthusiastic. Bulan noted down her name and number. The woman thanked them and gave a balloon to both Angkasa and Bulan. They continued walking through the crowd.

“You’re not like the other interns. You remind me of my child... Cold. Quiet. I used to worry when my child wouldn't speak. Slowly, my anxiety was answered—I fell as hard as one could fall.”

Bulan didn't reply, her steps just following Angkasa’s. A bright yellow balloon was held loosely in Angkasa’s hand.

“Perhaps my child would be your age now. I was too late to understand.... Live like a teenager your age. Talk to friends; that’s the basis if you want to live among people.”

The yellow balloon slipped away, flying up among others. The cheers of the fun walk soared toward the sky. Bulan stared at the balloon. She didn't let go of the blue balloon in her hand.

☾ ☾ ☾

The clock struck three. The sun was still scorching, baking the asphalt in front of the office. Ratna printed transactions from the EDC. Bulan pasted the receipts onto clean paper. Her hands were sticky with glue.

“Lan, find pawn letter number 1919,” Feri ordered.

Bulan opened the drawer, rummaged through the stack of letters, and pulled out the one tied with a string. She handed it to Feri.

“Fasten the gold and copy the numbers from the branch phone to the book. Remember to water the plants.”

Bulan took the gold items from Feri's desk. Squatting on the floor, she took a hammer and tapped the iron fasteners firmly, ensuring the gold packaging was perfectly sealed.

“Just use pliers. It’s too noisy,” Ratna grumbled while printing, making Feri chuckle.

The items were placed on Feri's desk, all perfectly fastened. Bulan took a bottle of water and gulped it down. She went out front to water the flowers. Her eyes caught a box left on the customer's chair.

'For Branch Manager Angkasa. Thank you for helping me,' the note on the lid read—a blatant act of gratification.

Bulan took the box, entered the hallway, and closed the door. She slipped the box into her bag. Angkasa came to get his bag from the locker. They prepared to close the shop.

“Thank you for today. Even though the outstanding loan is down, you all worked hard.” Angkasa clapped, encouraging his staff.

The iron door was pulled down. The padlock was locked. Angkasa patted the security guard’s shoulder in thanks. The staff headed to their areas, including Angkasa, who turned to see Bulan walking home.

“GOR.”

Bulan boarded the Sarbagita bus in front of BI. Sitting in the back, she opened the box. A 25-gram Galeri 24 gold bar was sealed perfectly inside. She put it back in her bag. The traffic was heavy; she got off at the GOR Terminal.

“This is how I pay my father's debt.”

At Ketapian Market, she slid the box across the table. Bayu placed a hot coffee next to some files. His eyes glinted with disbelief at the shine of the gold. Seeing the name on the lid made him smirk cynically.

“Angkasa.”

“Sign the proof of settlement, quickly.”

“You stole this, didn't you?”

Bulan lunged to grab the box back. Bayu didn't let go. The cup was knocked over, and hot coffee scalded the back of Bulan’s hand. Her skin turned red instantly. Bulan winced; Bayu laughed.

“Because of you, my father is unconscious!” Bayu hissed.

Bulan stormed out. Her dirty shoes hurried down the stairs. The market's chaos greeted her. Bulan pushed Bayu’s Scoopy motorcycle until it fell over. The parking attendant looked on in confusion. The alarm blared.

Tit-tit-tit!

Startled by the sound, Bayu ran to the window and saw his bike on the ground. He rushed down the stairs. Meanwhile, Bulan escaped through another staircase. Bayu approached the attendant.

“The girl who pushed the Scoopy... I thought it was hers,” the attendant explained.

A sneer formed on Bayu’s face. His eyes flashed with resentment as if he knew Bulan was behind it. Back in the room, he couldn't believe it. The box was gone from the table. Only the lid remained.

“Damn it!”

The lid was slammed onto the table. Slowly, his eyes drifted to the location and the name of the branch manager.

The crescent moon shone dimly amidst the glowing sky. Through the window, Bulan was seen running through the crowded market.

☾ ☾ ☾

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