That morning, Doni’s small shophouse began to look different. The place that had looked empty and neglected a few weeks ago had now started to come alive.
It wasn’t perfect yet.
The tables were still simple. The equipment he had wasn’t complete either. Even some parts of the walls still looked rough because the paint hadn’t been applied evenly.
But to Doni, the place was proof that he’d found the courage to start.
He stood in the middle of the room, looking around.
“There’s still a lot missing, huh?” Bima said as he arrived.
Doni smiled.
“A whole lot, actually.”
Bima looked at the small table in front of them.
“So, aren’t you scared?”
Doni fell silent for a moment.
“I am.”
The answer made Bima a little surprised.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’m scared no one will buy anything. Scared I’ll lose money. Scared I’ll disappoint Mom.”
Doni took a breath.
“But if I keep being afraid, this place will never open.”
Bima nodded slowly.
“That’s what I like about you now.”
“What?”
“You’re still scared, but you keep moving forward.”
Doni smiled faintly.
That day, they began getting everything ready. Doni tried out several recipes he’d been thinking about for a long time. He took notes on the flavors, calculated the cost of the ingredients, and looked for ways to make his products different from everyone else’s.
But reality didn’t always go according to plan.
The first attempt failed.
It was too salty.
The second attempt didn’t work either.
The texture wasn’t what he’d hoped for.
Doni sat in a chair, disappointment written across his face.
“I think I was too confident,” he said.
Bima looked at the food on the table.
“Or maybe you just haven’t tried enough.”
Doni looked at him.
“What if I keep failing?”
Bima picked up one of the foods Doni had made and tried it.
“If you keep failing, then try again until you succeed.”
“It’s that easy?”
“No, it’s not easy. But that’s how it’s done.”
Doni said nothing.
He knew Bima was right.
All this time, he’d expected everything to happen quickly. He’d forgotten that everyone who succeeded had once gone through a period when no one saw their struggle.
That night, Doni brought several of the foods he’d made home.
His mother tried one.
“What do you think, Mom?”
His mother chewed slowly.
Doni waited, his face tense.
“It’s good.”
Doni immediately smiled.
“Seriously?”
“But…”
Doni’s smile instantly vanished.
“But what, Mom?”
“It could still be better.”
Doni chuckled.
“You’re really honest, Mom.”
“If I say it’s good when it still needs work, you won’t improve.”
Her answer made Doni nod.
The next day, Doni began asking several people for their opinions.
He wasn’t ashamed to accept criticism.
Some said the flavor wasn’t strong enough.
Some said the presentation needed work.
Others said the idea was interesting.
One of the people who tried it was Nina.
She came while Doni was busy at the shophouse.
“I got to be the first person to try it, right?”
Doni laughed.
“Nope. Mom got there first.”
Nina pretended to be disappointed.
“Aw, I lost to your mom.”
“My mom’s tough competition.”
They laughed.
Nina then tried the food Doni had made.
She was silent for a few seconds.
Doni immediately looked worried.
“What’s wrong? Don’t just sit there silently like that.”
Nina looked at him, then smiled.
“This is so much better.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Compared to the first time I tried it, this is completely different.”
Doni looked relieved.
“Turns out even a small business can be stressful.”
Nina sat down in a chair.
“Because you care.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be thinking about the flavor, the customers, or the future of this business.”
Doni fell silent.
Nina’s words made him realize something.
Building something wasn’t just about money.
It was also about the heart you put into it.
A few days later, opening day finally arrived.
Doni arrived earlier than usual. He cleaned the place over and over, even though it was already clean.
Bima saw him and laughed.
“You’ve wiped that table five times.”
Doni stopped.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. If you wipe it one more time, it might disappear.”
Doni laughed along with him.
But behind his laughter was a feeling of nervousness.
What if no one came?
What if all his effort had been for nothing?
Those thoughts kept coming back.
The clock began to move.
The first hour.
There were no customers.
Doni began to grow restless.
The second hour.
It was still quiet.
Bima tried to calm him down.
“Relax. It’s only the first day.”
Doni looked at the street in front of the shophouse.
“I’m just scared.”
“Wait a little longer.”
Not long afterward, someone stopped in front of their place.
An elderly man looked at the small sign Doni had put up.
“Is this a new place?”
Doni immediately stood up.
“Yes, sir. Please, come in.”
The man tried Doni’s food.
After a moment, he nodded.
“Not bad.”
Doni smiled.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I’ll buy two.”
Doni was a little surprised.
“Seriously?”
The man laughed.
“Why are you surprised? Did you think no one would buy anything?”
Doni accepted the first money he’d earned from his business.
It wasn’t a large amount.
But to Doni, it meant a great deal.
Because that money wasn’t just the result of a sale.
It was a sign that his first step was beginning to show.
By afternoon, several customers began to arrive. There weren’t many, but there were enough to keep Doni smiling.
When the shophouse began to empty out, he sat and looked at the money he’d earned that day.
Bima sat beside him.
“How does it feel?”
Doni looked at the small place.
“Good.”
“That’s all?”
Doni smiled.
“Proud.”
“Proud because you succeeded?”
Doni shook his head.
“Proud because I finally found the courage to try.”
That night, Doni went home with a different stride.
He was still the same person.
He still had plenty of shortcomings.
He still had many problems to face.
But now he had something no one could take away from him.
The belief that he was capable.
And without Doni realizing it, his courage to start that small business would lead him into a world far bigger than anything he’d ever imagined.