Jazzlyn watched the dark unit on the tenth floor in her car and knew Isla must be preoccupied with Ellie as she wound down the window a little, pondering on the decisions she needed to make.

  Though Isla waited in the car at the basement, she could also see Ellie's unit on the fifth floor. Ellie came from an underprivileged family, and her sister, who was five years younger than Ellie, had just graduated with a diploma in accounts. Both sisters followed in their father's footsteps.

  It was probably a blessing in disguise as their mother had always been a spendthrift person since they were young. It was also a root cause of their parents' separation when Ellie was in her third year of secondary school back in the East of Malaysia, Lahad Datu, Sabah.

  The divorce did not finalise as during their generation, it was an act shunned by society and would be the talk of the town. Since then, Isla and Jazzlyn have always been Ellie's support system. Because of better prospects in the West of Malaysia that the duo's family were migrating, the duo convinced Ellie to move over together.

  However, Ellie could not leave her mother and sister behind, so the family made a huge decision to migrate to the West from their hometown. Ellie eventually saved up enough to buy another unit of condominium for herself when she graduated. She had always wanted to rent it out but did not want to sacrifice her freedom. One thing she was glad about was that the old house she grew up in in Lahad Datu had been paid off from her father's monthly support and though vacant, she always knew it kept her mother at peace that at least they would still have a home to return to if their life in the West failed.

  Despite this, one thing that was still the same with Ellie's mother was her bad habit of being boros*. She was in her sixties and had been doing cleaning jobs since the migration. Ellie was happy that her mother was still willing to be hardworking and would delay her chance of getting dementia or other serious health issues.

  However, Ellie was wondering if she was making the right financial decision as she found herself spending more on her mother's medical bills lately. Ad hoc expenses aside, her mother had also been taking monthly medication to treat her hereditary high blood condition since Ellie was young. She had paid out of filial duties but slowly finding herself in self sacrifice.

  With the increase in living costs lately, Ellie was beginning to feel the pinch of the heavy expenses she was carrying. Her sister was trying to help, but she was only making enough for her daily expenses.

  "Ma*, why don't you just stop working already?" Ellie asked while sitting facing her mother who was playing jewel gems game on her phone.

  "Aiya*, I know what to do. You don't have to worry..." Her mother just shrugged her question away while Ellie shared an annoyed look with her sister, Elsie, as they both were trying to find a solution to not bleed more money to afford her medical bills.

  "Ma*, if you continue to injure yourself, you pay your own medical fee yourself..." Ellie concluded furiously and knew it was going to end up in a fight.

  "You have so much money to buy another house, don't have money to pay for your mother's medical bill now is it?! You also have a doctor friend whom I can always find for free!" Her mother harrumped angrily.

  "Even if I have enough and give you a million, you would still use everything up and ask for more! And don't you dare to make use of Jazzlyn that way!" Ellie stood, wanting to leave when her mother vented.

  "Don't come back! Leave! Don't have such a daughter, even better! Worked so hard to feed you all! All you all do is only make me angry! Pay a bit also make so much noise! Get lost! Bo Jin Kau!*" Her mother vented inside the house as Elsie closed the main door and led Ellie downstairs.

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  Elsie's height caught Isla's attention. She used to be around Elsie's waist but it had been so long since Isla last saw her. She was now around Ellie's shoulders. Isla could hear their mother's loud, angry voice venting at them as she smiled sadly, knowing there was an inevitable fight.

  "Jie*, don't worry about what mother said... She is just angry..." Elsie comforted Ellie as Ellie nodded.

  "Have you been well? How's work? Do you have enough to use?" Ellie fussed with her as Elsie nodded.

  "It had been well. I'm happy..." Elsie smiled, as Ellie knew it was her sister's way to comfort her.

  "Here, take this and spend for yourself ok?" Ellie online transferred a hundred ringgit to Elsie.

  Elsie smiled happily when the lift reached the ground floor.

  "Thank you, Jie!" Elsie waved at Ellie who was leaving as she waved back. It was not their custom to hug each other, as Elsie particularly hates being hugged.

  Ellie entered the car while Isla unlocked it. "All good?" Isla asked as she started the car engine but only heard a hum in acknowledgement.

  "Alright, who's up for a hearty meal? What would you like to eat?" Isla asked while slowly leaving the parking slot.

  "Ramly Burger..." Ellie said as Isla laughed.

  "Nothing beats your hearty meal aite? Alright, let's get the one near my house since it's nearby then I will drop you home. You can eat on the way?" Isla suggested.

  "Let's eat at your place first. I wanna kill some zombies later." Ellie suggested and Isla knew she wanted to just vent her frustration by gaming.

  "Stay with me! You have some laundry left behind anyway, and it's Friyay today! No work tomorrow!" Isla cheered, trying to boost Ellie's mood.

  "I still have stuff to do..." Ellie said flatly.

  "Is ok, your laptop is with you. You can do it at my place. I will get Jazzlyn over if she isn't working..." Isla concluded as Ellie sighed while cracking her mind to solve her mother's issues along the way.

  Isla knew Ellie needed some space to think after being scolded. Each time, Ellie knew it was just her mother venting. But she was also a human and her daughter. No one would be able to withstand such harsh words, especially from their own mother, but with time and the harsh reality she fought her way out from, Ellie had grown immune. All she cared for was for her mother to not bleed more money off her and stay out of trouble. Sometimes, Ellie felt like she was raising a teenage daughter of her own.

  When Isla arrived at her carpark after they had briefly packed their roadside burgers, they were both surprised to see Jazzlyn in her car and had fallen asleep. Isla, being mischievous, plucked some dandelions by the roadside and blew them inside the small opening of her window. Jazzlyn stirred awake from her blowing sound as they chuckled at the pretty side of the dandelions flying around her while Ellie managed to film the sight.

  "What a pretty sight..." Jazzlyn tried catching the dandelions before winding up her window and alighting from her car.

  "What are you doing here? Have you eaten?" Isla asked as Jazzlyn nodded and checked her watch.

  "Oh my... it's nearly nine, and you both haven't eaten?" Jazzlyn yawned after noticing their packed burgers.

  "Got stalled for a bit. Come, let's head up. Looks like all of you will be staying over tonight?" Isla asked as Ellie nodded while Jazzlyn shrugged and folded her arms following the duo.

  "Maybe..." Jazzlyn mumbled feeling a little relief that Isla was safe and sound for another day.

  "You should not drive when you're this tired... So, who did you eat with? What did you eat?" Isla asked in the lift.

  "How did you know I ate with someone?" Jazzlyn mumbled.

  "Ohhh..." Isla teased Jazzlyn with Ellie, who went closer to her.

  "It's just that well my stomach was grumbling and he was there inviting me for dinner... So..." Jazzlyn mumbled before rushing out of the lift.

  "Ei, who is he?" Isla pestered as Jazzlyn rushed to Isla's front door.

  "Quick tell me is it Dr. Wang?" Ellie teased.

  "Open up... your neighbours will call mata come later. You're so cha si lang!" Jazzlyn complained.

  "Quick then you tell is it Dr. Wang?" Isla teased.

  "Yes... Kaypoh*!" Jazzlyn scolded as the girls burst out in laughter before they entered Isla's house.

  When the trio sat at Isla's living room while Isla and Ellie munched their burger, Jazzlyn went and look for junk food.

  "Look, if someone tells me you're a doctor, no one would believe me!" Isla nagged as Jazzlyn growled at her.

  "Kaypoh*..." Jazzlyn stuck out her tongue as Ellie laughed.

  "So, did he confess?" Isla asked Jazzlyn, who frowned in annoyance.

  "MYOB!" Jazzlyn waved Isla away as the girls laughed together, momentarily forgetting about their own life issues.

  Glossaries:

  Kaypoh: busybody in hokkien dialect

  boros: using or spending too much; wasteful

  Jie: Elder sister in hokkien dialect

  Bo Jin Kau: Forgotten dog meaning forgotten hard times/roots in hokkien dialect

  Mata: policeman in hokkien dialect

  Cha Si Lang: Noisy in hokkien dialect