Ever since receiving the order for fifty packages of bread, Parman's mind hadn't stopped working. Usually, he only made a few packages to bring to school, but now he had to make a lot more.
He sat at his desk, looking over his notes.
“Fifty packages...”
Parman counted again.
“I need enough ingredients. And the timing has to be right.”
He picked up a pencil and began writing down everything he needed.
Flour.
Sugar.
Eggs.
Milk.
Additional ingredients.
The more he calculated, the more he realized that making a large quantity of bread wasn't as easy as he'd imagined.
The next day, Parman went to Pak Harun's corner stall.
“Sir.”
“Yeah, Man?”
“I want to ask you something.”
“Go ahead.”
Parman showed him his notes.
“I got an order for fifty loaves of bread.”
Pak Harun smiled.
“Wow, that's great.”
“But I'm afraid I'll mess up.”
“It's normal to be afraid.”
“What if I fail, Sir?”
Pak Harun took Parman's notes.
“Take a look.”
Parman leaned closer.
“What do you think is most important right now?”
Parman thought for a moment.
“Making the bread?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Preparation.”
Parman nodded slowly.
Pak Harun pointed to the notes.
“Have you calculated how many ingredients you need?”
“Yes.”
“Have you calculated how much time you'll need?”
Parman fell silent.
“Not yet.”
“Exactly. That's what you need to think about.”
Parman began taking notes again.
He realized that all this time, he'd only been thinking about how to sell things. Now he had to learn how to manage the process before the goods reached the buyer.
After school, Parman immediately discussed it with his mother.
“Mom, I got an order for fifty loaves of bread.”
Mom looked shocked.
“Fifty?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you can do it?”
Parman was silent for a moment.
“I want to try.”
Mom smiled.
“Then we'll prepare everything together.”
That night, Parman's house was busier than usual. Mom helped prepare the ingredients while Parman wrote down everything they needed.
His dad, seeing them, pitched in by carrying some of the supplies.
“You're taking this very seriously.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“Good. But remember, don't be ashamed to ask for help.”
Parman nodded.
He used to think that doing everything himself made him better.
Now he was beginning to understand that anyone who wanted to move forward also had to know when they needed help.
The next day, Parman started making the bread earlier than usual.
He woke up before sunrise.
His hands were busy mixing the ingredients, shaping the dough, and making sure everything went according to plan.
But a problem came up during the process.
“Mom.”
“Yeah?”
“We don't have enough dough.”
Mom looked at the table.
“How much are you short?”
“Quite a bit. I miscalculated.”
Parman looked panicked.
“At this rate, we'll be late.”
Mom reassured him.
“Don't panic. Find a solution.”
Parman took a deep breath.
He opened his notes again.
After thinking for a while, he contacted Pak Harun.
“Sir, sorry to bother you.”
“What is it, Man?”
“I’m a little short on ingredients.”
“How much?”
Parman explained.
“Just take what you need from my place for now. You can replace it later.”
Parman felt relieved.
“Thank you so much, Sir.”
“Don't forget to learn from this.”
“Yes, Sir.”
With that help, Parman was able to continue working.
Although he was a little late, all the bread was finally finished.
As he carried the order to school, Parman's heart pounded.
He was afraid the results wouldn't meet expectations.
When the teacher who had placed the order arrived, Parman handed over the bread.
“Here you go, Ma'am.”
The teacher tried one.
Parman watched her face.
“How is it, Ma'am?”
The teacher smiled.
“It's delicious.”
Parman immediately felt relieved.
“If there's another event later, can I order from you again?”
“Of course, Ma'am.”
After the teacher left, Parman let out a long breath.
Darto, standing beside him, laughed.
“Why do you look like you just finished an exam?”
“This was more nerve-racking.”
“It was just bread.”
“To me, it wasn't just bread.”
Darto nodded.
He understood.
To Parman, the bread was proof that he was starting to grow.
That afternoon, Parman counted his sales revenue.
He'd made a profit.
It wasn't much, but it was more than usual.
He smiled as he looked at the money.
“I did it.”
Darto, who was looking too, said,
“Feeling more confident now?”
Parman thought for a moment.
“A little.”
“Why only a little?”
“Because there's still a lot I need to learn.”
Darto smiled.
“Your answers are getting more mature.”
That night, Parman wrote in his blue notebook.
Today I learned that a big opportunity comes with big responsibility.
He paused for a moment, then continued.
If I want to move forward, I have to be ready to face problems instead of avoiding them.
After closing the notebook, Parman looked out the window.
He used to have nothing but a dream of changing his life.
Now he was beginning to see the path.
Even if it was small.
Even if it was slow.
It was real.
But Parman didn't yet know that his success making bread had begun to attract the attention of someone who would bring a new challenge into his life.