A Button for the Speech

Leif stands in the back room of the kite shop. It is nine in the morning. The festival starts at noon. A hundred kites hang in bright rows on the wall. Every one seems to look at him.

Leif berdiri di ruang belakang toko layang-layang. Sekarang pukul sembilan pagi. Festival dimulai tengah hari. Seratus layang-layang tergantung berbaris warna-warni di dinding. Rasanya setiap layang-layang itu menatapnya.

Today he must give the welcome speech. Greta, the owner, gives it every year. This year she says, "You do it, Leif." He cannot say no. He still does not know why.

Hari ini ia harus membawakan pidato sambutan. Setiap tahun Greta, sang pemilik toko, yang membawakannya. Tahun ini ia berkata, "Kamu saja, Leif." Leif tidak bisa menolak. Ia sendiri masih tidak tahu kenapa.

He holds up his one good jacket to the window. It is dark blue and clean. Last night, it looked fine. Now he looks at the front, and he feels cold. The middle button is gone. The other two are small and white.

Ia mengangkat jaket satu-satunya yang bagus ke arah jendela. Jaket itu biru tua dan bersih. Semalam jaket itu terlihat baik-baik saja. Sekarang ia melihat bagian depannya, dan ia merasa dingin. Kancing tengahnya hilang. Dua kancing lainnya kecil dan putih.

"No, no, no," he says.

"Aduh, jangan," katanya.

He checks the floor. He checks the pockets. He looks under the table and behind the chair. He looks in the hall and by the front door. The window by the table is open. He finds a paperclip, a coin and half a sandwich. He finds no button.

Ia memeriksa lantai. Ia memeriksa saku-saku. Ia mencari di bawah meja dan di belakang kursi. Ia mencari di lorong dan dekat pintu depan. Jendela di dekat meja terbuka. Ia menemukan sebuah klip kertas, sekeping koin, dan setengah roti isi. Kancing itu tidak ketemu.

Greta comes in from the shop. She has a roll of string under her arm. "Why all the noise?" she asks.

Greta masuk dari toko. Ia membawa segulung benang di bawah lengannya. "Kenapa ribut sekali?" tanyanya.

"My button," says Leif. He holds up the jacket. "It fell off. I cannot give a speech with an open jacket."

"Kancingku," kata Leif. Ia mengangkat jaketnya. "Lepas. Aku tidak bisa berpidato dengan jaket yang terbuka."

Greta looks at it with her head to one side. "Why not? Nobody looks at a jacket."

Greta memandangnya sambil memiringkan kepala. "Kenapa tidak? Tidak ada yang memperhatikan jaket."

"They look at the speaker," says Leif. "They look at everything."

"Mereka memperhatikan pembicaranya," kata Leif. "Mereka memperhatikan segalanya."

"Hmm." Greta puts the string down. "Fine. Let's find you a button."

"Hmm." Greta meletakkan benangnya. "Baiklah. Ayo kita cari kancing untukmu."

They go to the big drawer under the counter. It holds thread, needles, tape and bits of cloth for kite repair. Greta pulls out a tin box. It has a picture of a boat on the lid. She opens it. It is full of buttons.

Mereka pergi ke laci besar di bawah meja kasir. Isinya benang, jarum, selotip, dan potongan-potongan kain untuk memperbaiki layang-layang. Greta mengeluarkan sebuah kotak kaleng. Di tutupnya ada gambar perahu. Ia membukanya. Kotak itu penuh dengan kancing.

Leif sits and sorts them one by one. There are pink buttons, round buttons and square buttons. One is shaped like a star. One has a tiny cat on it. None is white. None is the right size.

Leif duduk dan memilah-milahnya satu per satu. Ada kancing merah muda, kancing bulat, dan kancing persegi. Satu berbentuk bintang. Satu lagi bergambar kucing mungil. Tidak ada yang putih. Tidak ada yang ukurannya pas.

"Too big," says Leif. "Too bright. Too small." After ten minutes, he puts his head in his hands.

"Terlalu besar," kata Leif. "Terlalu mencolok. Terlalu kecil." Setelah sepuluh menit, ia membenamkan kepala di kedua tangannya.

Greta takes the jacket and counts the buttons. "You have two more. Could we move one?"

Greta mengambil jaket itu dan menghitung kancingnya. "Kamu masih punya dua. Bagaimana kalau kita pindahkan satu?"

"Then the jacket is open at the bottom," says Leif. "That is just as bad."

"Nanti jaketnya terbuka di bagian bawah," kata Leif. "Sama buruknya."

"Or you could hold the jacket shut with one hand," she says. Then she shakes her head. "No, that is silly."

"Atau kamu pegang saja jaketnya supaya tertutup dengan satu tangan," katanya. Lalu ia menggeleng. "Tidak, itu konyol."

It is a quarter to ten. Leif walks to the window and looks out at the sea wall. The long grey wall runs along the beach. Small waves touch the stones. Early visitors already walk along the top with kites under their arms.

Sudah seperempat jam menjelang pukul sepuluh. Leif berjalan ke jendela dan memandang tembok laut. Tembok abu-abu yang panjang itu membentang di sepanjang pantai. Ombak kecil menyentuh batu-batunya. Pengunjung yang datang awal sudah berjalan di atasnya dengan layang-layang di bawah lengan mereka.

An idea comes to him. "Greta," he says. "Do you have a strong needle? And thread that will not break?"

Sebuah gagasan terlintas di benaknya. "Greta," katanya. "Apakah kamu punya jarum yang kuat? Dan benang yang tidak mudah putus?"

"I have kite thread," says Greta. "It does not break, even if you pull a boat with it."

"Aku punya benang layang-layang," kata Greta. "Benang itu tidak putus, bahkan kalau kamu menarik perahu dengannya."

"Perfect," says Leif. He takes a needle and the green thread. He runs to the door.

"Sempurna," kata Leif. Ia mengambil sebuah jarum dan benang hijau itu. Ia berlari ke pintu.

"Where are you going?" Greta calls.

"Mau ke mana?" seru Greta.

"To the beach!" he shouts back.

"Ke pantai!" balasnya berteriak.

He runs down the steps to the sand. The beach is cool and nearly empty. He walks along the foot of the wall. He looks at the ground. He passes dry weeds, a bottle and a piece of rope. He finds one orange shell, then another. They are all wrong.

Ia berlari menuruni tangga menuju pasir. Pantai itu sejuk dan hampir kosong. Ia berjalan menyusuri kaki tembok itu. Matanya menatap tanah. Ia melewati rumput liar yang kering, sebuah botol, dan seutas tali. Ia menemukan sebuah kerang oranye, lalu satu lagi. Semuanya tidak cocok.

Near the end of the wall, he sees a small round shell. It is flat and grey-blue. It is the size of a button. In the middle, the sea makes two tiny holes. It looks almost like a real button.

Di dekat ujung tembok, ia melihat sebuah kerang kecil yang bulat. Kerang itu pipih dan berwarna abu-abu kebiruan. Ukurannya sebesar kancing. Di tengahnya, laut telah membuat dua lubang mungil. Bentuknya hampir seperti kancing sungguhan.

"Yes," says Leif. He picks it up and wipes it on his sleeve.

"Ya," kata Leif. Ia memungutnya dan mengelapnya di lengan bajunya.

He hurries back up the steps. Greta waits at the shop door with her arms crossed. "A shell?" she says.

Ia bergegas kembali menaiki tangga. Greta menunggu di pintu toko dengan tangan bersedekap. "Kerang?" katanya.

"A shell," says Leif. He grins.

"Kerang," kata Leif. Ia nyengir.

He sits on the stool by the counter. He takes the green thread. He pushes the thread through the needle on the third try. His hands are not quite steady. He goes through one hole in the shell, then through the cloth. Then he goes through the second hole and back to the cloth. He does it again and again. The thread pulls tight each time.

Ia duduk di bangku dekat meja kasir. Ia mengambil benang hijau itu. Ia berhasil memasukkan benang ke lubang jarum pada percobaan ketiga. Tangannya tidak begitu stabil. Ia menusuk lewat satu lubang di kerang itu, lalu menembus kain. Lalu ia menusuk lewat lubang kedua dan kembali ke kain. Ia mengulanginya lagi dan lagi. Setiap kali benang itu tertarik kencang.

Greta watches. "You sew well," she says.

Greta memperhatikan. "Kamu pandai menjahit," katanya.

"My mother taught me," says Leif. "I never planned to use it here."

"Ibuku yang mengajariku," kata Leif. "Aku tidak pernah menyangka akan memakainya di sini."

When he finishes, he bites the thread. Then he puts on the jacket. He pushes the shell through the hole. It fits perfectly. The grey-blue shell shines against the dark cloth.

Setelah selesai, ia menggigit benangnya. Lalu ia memakai jaket itu. Ia memasukkan kerang itu ke lubang kancing. Pas sekali. Kerang abu-abu kebiruan itu berkilau di atas kain yang gelap.

"Not bad," says Greta. She steps back to look at him. "It looks like you meant to do it."

"Lumayan," kata Greta. Ia mundur selangkah untuk memandangnya. "Kelihatannya seperti kamu memang sengaja."

Leif looks in the small mirror by the door. A young man looks back at him. He has a shell on his jacket. He looks strangely calm.

Leif bercermin di cermin kecil dekat pintu. Seorang pemuda balas menatapnya. Ada kerang di jaketnya. Ia tampak tenang secara aneh.

"I can do this," he says. He half believes it.

"Aku bisa melakukan ini," katanya. Ia setengah percaya.

At noon, the square by the sea wall is full of people. Hundreds of kites float up into the sky, blue, yellow and white. Leif walks to the little stage with his speech in his hand. Greta stands near the front. She has a proud look on her face.

Tengah hari, lapangan di dekat tembok laut penuh dengan orang. Ratusan layang-layang melayang naik ke langit, biru, kuning, dan putih. Leif berjalan ke panggung kecil dengan naskah pidatonya di tangan. Greta berdiri di dekat barisan depan. Wajahnya tampak bangga.

He climbs the three steps. He turns to the crowd and opens his mouth. Just then, he sees something on the sea wall behind them.

Ia menaiki tiga anak tangga. Ia berbalik menghadap kerumunan dan membuka mulut. Tepat saat itu, ia melihat sesuatu di tembok laut di belakang mereka.

A gull sits on the stones. Something small and white shines in its beak. It looks just like his lost button.

Seekor camar hinggap di atas batu. Sesuatu yang kecil dan putih berkilau di paruhnya. Rupanya persis seperti kancingnya yang hilang.

Leif forgets his first word.

Leif lupa kata pertamanya.