The Night Watchman and Scavenger Father Who Struggles for Two Pots: "I Have to Get Tired, So My Children Won't Go Hungry"

Medan City, North Sumatra – (08/02/26) – A middle-aged father was resting when Jestham approached him with good news. "Sir, I have some blessings from God. Do you want to shop for as much basic food as you want?" Jestham asked kindly. But before answering, the father smiled faintly as if remembering something. He admitted that he had received a similar opportunity from Jestham before. Jestham smiled and replied, "So this blessing is meant for you, Sir. Alhamdulillah." When asked about the most urgent need at home, the father answered honestly, "Rice, Ma'am. There's no rice." This moment opened a window to see more closely how hard the struggle is for a father who works daily as a shopkeeper and a scavenger.

Jestham then invited the father to shop for two minutes inside a convenience store. The father hurried, his eyes focused on the shelves of basic necessities. "Rice! Take a lot, Sir!" Jestham shouted. His hands moved quickly to grab eggs, bread, and milk. For him, filling his children's stomachs was the absolute priority. The countdown came, and when time ran out, he just laughed in relief while sighing, not forgetting to prostrate in gratitude on the convenience store floor.

Behind his shopping enthusiasm lies a life story that is far from easy. The father actually works at night as a shopkeeper with a salary of only fifty thousand rupiahs per night. "Fifty thousand a night, and it's all gone just on groceries," he revealed. Because that wasn't enough, he becomes a scavenger during the day. He collects used bottles, whose selling price has now plummeted. "Bottles used to be 5,000 rupiahs per kilo; now they're only 2,500. Finding them is already hard; there's a lot of competition on the streets," he complained. But he had no choice. From his scavenging earnings, he tries to pay for the house rent and his children's school needs. Jestham only fell silent listening to his story, her heart moved by the father's tireless struggle.

The difficulty of life became even more palpable when he admitted that at home, there had been two consecutive days with no rice. "I even borrowed rice from the neighbors," he recounted, his eyes gazing into the distance. During those hard times, he still had to divide his meager income for the family, as he put it. "I have responsibilities here and there. "My salary is only 50 thousand; how do I divide it?" he said, his voice slightly trembling. His wife also tries to earn extra in the morning, while he can only sleep after his children have rested. Jestham asked if he wasn't tired, and the father only shook his head gently.

Although his body is tired, his spirit never fades. He starts work at 12:30 AM and returns at 7 AM, then wakes up again at 11 AM to look for used bottles. "That's my duty, Ma'am. Let me be tired, but don't let the sin be that my children don't eat or my wife doesn't eat," he emphasized. He realizes that as a father, he must balance all needs even though he often feels close to breaking. "I really have to be tired. But for my children and my wife, it's okay. I'm ready," he said, trying to hide the stress that constantly haunts him. Jestham then asked what the hardest thing about being a father is, and he answered briefly, "The burden of life, Ma'am."

His greatest hope is simply for his children. "Father reminds you to study hard. Look at how Father earns money like this. Hopefully you won't end up like Father again. Be better and do better." He dreams that his children will finish school and work more decently than he. "Even if their dream of becoming soldiers might not come true because Father can't afford to put them through college, at least they have diplomas, they have knowledge, and they can work anywhere," he said softly. He doesn't ask for more; it's enough that his children do not live like him now. Jestham only nodded, feeling the bitterness of a father's prayer as he walks alone for his children's future.

At the end of the meeting, Jestham offered extra blessings for clothes and school books. "I didn't count how much earlier. But I hope this can help for your and your children's needs," Jestham said. The father then remembered his children. "Brother Arief, here is some blessed money for your school fees later, for school clothes. I hope you study well, my child," he said with great hope. "Alhamdulillah, thank you, Ma'am. Thank you, Jestham," he said with teary eyes. Behind the simple smile of that scavenger father lies a tireless struggle. He may only be a night watchman and a scavenger, but his love for his children makes him equal to any hero. His story reminds us that blessings do not always come in the form of wealth but also in the steadfast heart of a father who walks alone in the darkness of the night, just to see his children's smiles in the morning.