I'm Not Unemployed

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The 23-year-old man is named Reza. He is my neighbor, his residence is blocked by a fish pond from my residence. Reza is my school friend's brother. He lives with his aunt because his parents work in Malaysia. I don't mean to over-praise, but physically Reza is a handsome man.

Reza has a handsome face, his nose is sharp like the nose of Indian artist Hrithik Roshan, his skin is white, so white that when Reza finishes playing soccer in the hot sun, his facial skin does not turn black but turns reddish white. However, what is often the subject of praise from the girls in the village is Reza's eyeballs and incisors. Adorable.

However, in this day and age, a man's good looks are not considered enough to date if he is not yet economically stable. The old people in the village often say, "Love cannot give drink, food and clothes"

His daily activities are not that impressive. Wake up early, after cleaning the room and yard then have breakfast. Unlike Reza, while other young men were going to work at the market, some were going to the workshop, some were going to the rice fields, Reza was busy with his only rooster and bird.

I often saw when he was about to go to school or when I happened to be sweeping outside the yard, Reza was seen busy bathing his pet rooster and bird. The funny thing was that he himself had not bathed and sometimes his appearance was still messy with his eyes still looking red and he often yawned.

Although handsome, Reza was often thought to be unemployed. Handsome but unemployed and lazy, that's what men his age cursed. In fact, it's not like that.

"Reza is not an unemployed and lazy man. Nor is he a man who prioritizes his hobby of keeping pets over finding work and a career. He's just confused," said my mother when advising me not to join in cursing Reza.

My mother said that Reza once complained to her when he was asked to help lift the cupboard and bookshelf when cleaning the house. Reza also told my mother that he was not unemployed.

"Reza is not an unemployed and lazy man as often cursed by the youth in the village. He is just confused by the reality. Reza often applies for jobs, submitting job application letters to every shop and factory in Garut City and Bandung but fate has other plans," said my mother.

"What do you mean by fate has other plans? Was his job application letter not accepted?" I asked my mother

"That's one of them. Reza has submitted six job applications to every shop and factory. Five times his application was rejected, the other one was accepted but there had to be admin fees so he could work while Reza had no more money" Mother answered explaining

"Reza was embarrassed to ask and borrow money from his aunt just to take care of the job requirements but was finally rejected, especially since the admin fees were not small" Mother said

"Yes, I understand. Indeed, if you watch the news, the job requirements are sometimes strange" I said

"Every night Reza stays up late not because he is a lazy and unemployed man, but he is fighting with his own mind. Looking for solutions and a way out for his life problems. Sometimes the people in our village only speak from what they see. Daring to judge only based on assumptions. Don't be like that." Mother said with a tone of advice

"Ready to do it" I said enthusiastically