That morning, Wendi woke up with a different mindset. Usually, when he opened his eyes, he thought about school assignments or his plans for the day. Now, the first thing he did was check how his body felt.
He moved his hands.
Then his legs.
He tried to sit up slowly.
He still felt uncomfortable.
Wendi sighed.
“So it really hasn’t gone away.”
He didn’t panic like he had a few days earlier. Maybe it was because he was starting to accept that there was something he needed to pay attention to.
After getting ready, Wendi went down to the kitchen.
Mom had already prepared breakfast.
“You’re getting checked again today?” Mom asked.
Wendi pulled out a chair.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
“But don’t panic yet.”
Mom smiled.
“I’m not panicking.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
“That’s what moms do.”
Wendi gave a small smile.
For the first time, he didn’t try to hide everything.
Even though he was still afraid, at least he wasn’t alone.
After breakfast, they went to the examination center.
Wendi was mostly quiet during the trip.
Mom wanted to ask him something several times, but she chose to wait.
Finally, they stopped at a red light.
“Wendi.”
“Yeah?”
“What are you thinking about?”
Wendi looked at the road ahead.
“What if it turns out to be something serious?”
Mom didn’t answer right away.
“If there’s something wrong, we’ll face it.”
“It’s that simple?”
“It’s not always easy.”
Mom smiled.
“But it’s harder when you face it alone.”
Wendi fell silent.
He knew his mom was right.
When they arrived at the examination center, they had to wait again.
This time, Wendi paid more attention to his surroundings.
Some people had come with their families.
A little kid was crying.
An older couple was speaking quietly.
Everyone had their own problems.
And for some reason, that made Wendi feel a little calmer.
His name was called again.
He went in with Mom.
The doctor looked over his previous notes.
“Any changes?”
Wendi nodded.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“What have you been feeling?”
“Besides my knee, my body sometimes feels uncomfortable. My hands also feel stiff sometimes.”
The doctor began asking him a few questions.
“When do you usually feel it?”
“Sometimes in the morning when I wake up.”
“How long does it last?”
“It varies.”
The doctor took notes.
“Are you still in school?”
“Yes.”
“Are you still doing your usual activities?”
Wendi glanced at Mom.
“Yes.”
The doctor gave a small smile.
“Sometimes young people have a habit of pushing themselves too hard.”
Wendi just smiled sheepishly.
After the examination was over, the doctor recommended some additional tests to determine the cause.
Wendi left the room with mixed feelings.
“What did the doctor say?” Mom asked.
“He said I need more tests.”
Mom nodded.
“We’ll do whatever they recommend.”
Wendi slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Mom.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared.”
Mom stopped walking.
“You’re allowed to be scared.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I thought I always had to be strong.”
Mom smiled.
“Strong people get scared, too.”
That made Wendi fall silent.
All this time, he had thought being strong meant he wasn’t allowed to show his worry.
But maybe being strong meant continuing to move forward even when you were afraid.
After they got home, Wendi immediately updated his friends.
Their group chat instantly blew up.
Dimas: How’d it go?
Wendi: They told me to get more tests.
Fajar: So they still don’t know what’s causing it?
Wendi: Not yet.
Naya: What matters is that you got checked out.
Dimas: Yeah, this human rock finally decided to listen to people.
Wendi: Shut up.
Fajar: Huge progress. Mark the date.
Wendi laughed as he read their messages.
Even in the middle of his worries, they could still make him smile.
The next day at school, Wendi arrived as usual.
But this time, he no longer tried to look like the strongest person around.
When he climbed the stairs, he walked more slowly.
When he felt uncomfortable, he stopped for a moment.
And strangely enough, doing that made him feel more relieved.
Dimas, walking beside him, smiled.
“That’s better.”
“What?”
“You’re starting to realize you’re not a robot.”
Wendi laughed.
“You talk too much.”
“But I’m right.”
In class, a new student was introduced by the homeroom teacher.
His name was Aldi.
“Everyone, this is Aldi. He transferred here from another school.”
Aldi stood at the front of the classroom.
“Hi, everyone.”
Several students greeted him.
Wendi only glanced at him before opening his book again.
During break, Aldi turned out to be sitting not far from them.
Dimas immediately started talking to him.
“You’re the new kid, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Think you’ll like it here?”
Aldi smiled.
“Not sure yet.”
“If you’re confused about anything, ask us.”
Fajar immediately cut in.
“Don’t ask Dimas. He’ll just make you more confused.”
“What are you talking about?”
They laughed.
Wendi smiled along with them.
He hadn’t expected a day that had started out feeling so heavy to turn out pretty enjoyable.
That afternoon, Wendi went home with Dimas.
On the way, Dimas suddenly asked him a question.
“Are you still scared?”
Wendi knew what he meant.
“A little.”
“Still thinking about all kinds of weird possibilities?”
“Sometimes.”
Dimas nodded.
“That’s normal.”
“You’re not going to give me some weird advice?”
“Nope.”
“Wow, that’s new.”
“Because sometimes people just need someone to be there with them, not someone to lecture them.”
Wendi looked at Dimas.
“Where’d you learn that?”
“The internet.”
“Liar.”
“Yeah, I made it up.”
They laughed.
When they reached the front of Wendi’s house, he got off the motorbike.
“Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
Dimas smiled.
“Don’t make me emotional. I’ll get embarrassed.”
Wendi went inside laughing.
That night, Wendi sat in his room, looking at the list of tests he would have to undergo a few days later.
He was still scared.
He still had so many questions.
But now he had family.
He had friends.
And he had courage that was slowly beginning to grow.
Wendi still didn’t know what he would face after the next round of tests.
But at least this time, he was no longer pretending that everything was fine.