A Weak Torch at the Stage Door

Florin sits on a wooden stool at the stage door and studies a map. It is his fifth day as the theatre's door runner. His job is to sign people in and to answer one question: "Where do I go?"

Florin duduk di bangku kayu di pintu belakang panggung dan mempelajari sebuah peta. Ini hari kelimanya sebagai penjaga pintu teater. Tugasnya mencatat orang yang masuk dan menjawab satu pertanyaan: "Aku harus ke mana?"

The theatre is old, and it is not simple. It has three staircases, two trapdoors and a corridor that ends at a brick wall. Florin has drawn his own map, and he checks it every night. He counts steps, he names the doors, and he draws small arrows in green pen.

Teater itu tua dan tidak sederhana. Ada tiga tangga, dua pintu jebakan, dan sebuah lorong yang berakhir di dinding bata. Florin sudah menggambar petanya sendiri, dan ia memeriksanya setiap malam. Ia menghitung langkah, memberi nama pada pintu-pintu, dan menggambar anak panah kecil dengan pulpen hijau.

It is half past one, and the children's matinee starts at two. Everything is quiet. The cast arrived an hour ago, and the stage manager is somewhere upstairs, shouting about a missing prop.

Sudah pukul setengah dua, dan pertunjukan siang untuk anak-anak dimulai pukul dua. Semuanya sunyi. Para pemain tiba satu jam yang lalu, dan manajer panggung entah di mana di lantai atas, berteriak soal properti yang hilang.

Then the stage door bangs open. A very large yellow shape squeezes through the frame. It is a duck. It has a round yellow body, orange feet as big as pillows and a long orange beak. A man's face looks out from under the beak, and he is breathing hard.

Lalu pintu belakang panggung terbanting terbuka. Sesosok besar berwarna kuning menyelinap melewati kusen pintu. Seekor bebek. Tubuhnya bulat kuning, kakinya oranye sebesar bantal, dan paruhnya oranye panjang. Wajah seorang pria mengintip dari bawah paruh itu, dan napasnya tersengal.

"Good afternoon," says the duck. "I am Arvid. I play the Duck. I am late, and I am famous."

"Selamat siang," kata si bebek. "Aku Arvid. Aku memerankan si Bebek. Aku terlambat, dan aku terkenal."

"Famous for what?" asks Florin.

"Terkenal karena apa?" tanya Florin.

"For being the Duck," says Arvid. He signs the book with a wing, and the pen goes everywhere. "Do not worry. I know this theatre very well. I performed here twenty years ago, and I remember every corner."

"Karena menjadi si Bebek," kata Arvid. Ia menandatangani buku tamu dengan sayapnya, dan penanya melenceng ke mana-mana. "Jangan khawatir. Aku sangat hafal teater ini. Aku pernah tampil di sini dua puluh tahun lalu, dan aku ingat setiap sudutnya."

Florin says nothing. He has met actors like this before. They always remember the corners, and they always get lost in the corridors.

Florin tidak berkata apa-apa. Ia pernah bertemu aktor seperti ini. Mereka selalu ingat sudut-sudutnya, dan mereka selalu tersesat di lorong-lorongnya.

Arvid waddles toward the first door. At that exact moment, there is a loud click, followed by a long, low hum. Then every light in the building goes out.

Arvid berjalan terhuyung-huyung menuju pintu pertama. Tepat pada saat itu, terdengar bunyi klik keras, disusul dengung panjang yang rendah. Lalu semua lampu di gedung itu padam.

For a few seconds, nothing happens. The dark is complete, thick and soft like a blanket. Somewhere upstairs, someone says a word that is not allowed in a children's show.

Beberapa detik tak terjadi apa-apa. Gelapnya pekat, tebal, dan lembut seperti selimut. Di suatu tempat di lantai atas, seseorang mengucapkan kata yang tidak boleh diucapkan dalam pertunjukan anak-anak.

"Ah," says Arvid, in a smaller voice. "That is a problem."

"Ah," kata Arvid, dengan suara yang lebih kecil. "Ini masalah."

Florin reaches under the desk for the emergency torch. It is an old metal one, with a cracked handle and a bulb that has seen better days. He switches it on. A pale yellow circle appears on the floor. It is about the size of a dinner plate, and it flickers as if it is nervous.

Florin meraih senter darurat di bawah meja. Senter logam tua, dengan gagang retak dan bohlam yang sudah lewat masa jayanya. Ia menyalakannya. Sebuah lingkaran kuning pucat muncul di lantai. Besarnya kira-kira seukuran piring makan, dan berkedip-kedip seolah gugup.

"That is all?" asks Arvid.

"Cuma itu?" tanya Arvid.

"That is all," says Florin. "The new batteries arrive on Thursday."

"Cuma itu," kata Florin. "Baterai baru datang hari Kamis."

Arvid looks at the tiny circle of light and lets out a long breath. "My entrance is in eleven minutes," he says. "If I am not on stage, forty children will sit in the dark and watch nothing."

Arvid memandang lingkaran cahaya mungil itu dan menghela napas panjang. "Giliranku masuk sebelas menit lagi," katanya. "Kalau aku tidak ada di panggung, empat puluh anak akan duduk dalam gelap dan menonton kekosongan."

"Then we should go," says Florin.

"Kalau begitu kita harus pergi," kata Florin.

"You know the way?" asks Arvid. He sounds surprised.

"Kamu tahu jalannya?" tanya Arvid. Ia terdengar terkejut.

"I have a map," says Florin. He holds up the paper. "If you follow me, you will be on time."

"Aku punya peta," kata Florin. Ia mengangkat kertas itu. "Kalau Anda ikut aku, Anda akan tiba tepat waktu."

The two of them step into the corridor. The weak beam shows only a small piece of floor. Florin sees a worn board here, a nail there and the toe of Arvid's huge orange foot. Every time the duck moves, his costume makes a squeaky, rubbery noise. Squeak, squeak, squeak. It sounds like a very large toy.

Keduanya melangkah ke lorong. Berkas cahaya yang lemah itu hanya menyorot sepotong kecil lantai. Florin melihat papan yang aus di sini, paku di sana, dan ujung kaki oranye Arvid yang raksasa. Setiap kali si bebek bergerak, kostumnya berbunyi mencicit seperti karet. Cit, cit, cit. Seperti mainan yang sangat besar.

"Left at the broom," says Florin. He counts under his breath. "Eleven steps. Then a door."

"Belok kiri di sapu itu," kata Florin. Ia menghitung dengan suara pelan. "Sebelas langkah. Lalu ada pintu."

"I remember a door here," says Arvid. "It leads to the stage. I am nearly certain."

"Aku ingat ada pintu di sini," kata Arvid. "Menuju panggung. Aku hampir yakin."

Florin opens it and holds up the torch. Behind the door is a cupboard. It is full of mops, a bucket and a very surprised sign that reads "Do Not Enter."

Florin membukanya dan mengangkat senter. Di balik pintu itu ada lemari. Penuh pel, sebuah ember, dan sebuah papan yang tampak sangat terkejut bertuliskan "Dilarang Masuk."

"This is the cleaning cupboard," says Florin gently.

"Ini lemari alat kebersihan," kata Florin lembut.

"They moved it," says Arvid. "In my day, it was a staircase."

"Mereka memindahkannya," kata Arvid. "Di zamanku, ini tangga."

"I think it was always a cupboard," says Florin.

"Kurasa ini dari dulu lemari," kata Florin.

They close the door and carry on. The corridor bends to the right, then to the left. Arvid walks slightly behind, with his beak pointing at the ceiling. Twice he bumps into a wall. The second time, the beak hits a fire bell. The bell rings for two seconds before Florin catches it.

Mereka menutup pintu dan melanjutkan perjalanan. Lorong itu berbelok ke kanan, lalu ke kiri. Arvid berjalan agak di belakang, dengan paruh menunjuk ke langit-langit. Dua kali ia menabrak dinding. Pada kali kedua, paruhnya mengenai bel kebakaran. Bel itu berbunyi dua detik sebelum Florin menahannya.

"Sorry," says Arvid. "I cannot see my feet. The beak is too big."

"Maaf," kata Arvid. "Aku tidak bisa melihat kakiku. Paruhnya terlalu besar."

"Take it off," suggests Florin.

"Lepas saja," usul Florin.

"Never. The Duck cannot be seen without a beak. It would ruin the magic."

"Tidak akan. Si Bebek tidak boleh terlihat tanpa paruh. Itu merusak keajaibannya."

Florin shrugs. He gives Arvid the map to hold. Then he shines the torch at the wall to find the next arrow. The beam trembles and goes dim. Florin shakes the torch twice, and the light comes back in a worried yellow glow.

Florin mengangkat bahu. Ia memberikan peta itu kepada Arvid untuk dipegang. Lalu ia menyorotkan senter ke dinding untuk mencari anak panah berikutnya. Berkas cahayanya bergetar dan meredup. Florin mengguncang senter itu dua kali, dan cahayanya kembali dalam pendar kuning yang cemas.

"We have seven minutes," says Arvid. He sounds more serious now. "Florin, tell me honestly. Are we lost?"

"Tinggal tujuh menit," kata Arvid. Ia terdengar lebih serius sekarang. "Florin, katakan dengan jujur. Apa kita tersesat?"

"No," says Florin. "I am nearly sure we are not lost."

"Tidak," kata Florin. "Aku hampir yakin kita tidak tersesat."

"Nearly?"

"Hampir?"

"My map has a mistake on the second floor," Florin admits. "I drew the stairs on the wrong side. I found out on Tuesday."

"Petaku ada kesalahan di lantai dua," Florin mengaku. "Aku menggambar tangganya di sisi yang salah. Aku baru tahu hari Selasa."

Arvid stops. The costume squeaks one last time and goes quiet. For a long moment, the only sound is the hum of the dark.

Arvid berhenti. Kostumnya mencicit untuk terakhir kali lalu diam. Untuk beberapa saat yang panjang, satu-satunya bunyi hanyalah dengung kegelapan.

"Then we do it the other way round," says Arvid. "You tell me where the mistake is, and I tell you where I think the stairs should be. Between us, we find them."

"Kalau begitu kita lakukan dengan cara sebaliknya," kata Arvid. "Kamu tunjukkan di mana kesalahannya, dan aku katakan di mana menurutku tangganya seharusnya. Bersama-sama, kita temukan."

"That could work," says Florin.

"Itu mungkin berhasil," kata Florin.

"Of course it could. I am an actor. I am very good at pretending that I know the answer."

"Tentu saja berhasil. Aku seorang aktor. Aku sangat pandai berpura-pura tahu jawabannya."

Florin laughs, and the torch shakes in his hand. Together they climb the stairs, one step at a time. Arvid holds the rail, and Florin lights the way. At the top, the corridor opens into a space that smells of dust and paint. Ropes hang down from the ceiling like long, thin vines.

Florin tertawa, dan senter itu bergetar di tangannya. Bersama-sama mereka menaiki tangga, selangkah demi selangkah. Arvid berpegangan pada susuran, dan Florin menerangi jalan. Di puncak, lorong itu membuka ke sebuah ruang yang berbau debu dan cat. Tali-tali menjuntai dari langit-langit seperti sulur yang panjang dan tipis.

"This is the wings," whispers Florin. "The stage is straight ahead."

"Ini sayap panggung," bisik Florin. "Panggungnya tepat di depan."

Through a gap in the curtain, they can see the empty boards. There is a murmur of voices from the audience, impatient and high, like a flock of birds. A tiny voice asks loudly if the show has been cancelled.

Lewat celah di tirai, mereka bisa melihat papan-papan panggung yang kosong. Terdengar gumam suara dari para penonton, tidak sabar dan melengking, seperti kawanan burung. Sebuah suara mungil bertanya keras-keras apakah pertunjukannya dibatalkan.

"Three minutes," says Arvid. He looks at the torch, and then at Florin, and his voice becomes soft. "Thank you. I came in here like a man who owns the building. You are the one who really knows it."

"Tiga menit," kata Arvid. Ia memandang senter, lalu Florin, dan suaranya melembut. "Terima kasih. Aku masuk ke sini seperti orang yang memiliki gedung ini. Kamulah yang benar-benar mengenalnya."

"I only know where the mistakes are," says Florin.

"Aku hanya tahu di mana kesalahannya," kata Florin.

"That is the best way to know a place," says Arvid.

"Itu cara terbaik untuk mengenal sebuah tempat," kata Arvid.

At that moment, a worker shouts from the corridor, and the lights hum back on, all at once. The stage glows white and gold. The audience cheers, and somebody at the back starts to clap in time.

Saat itu, seorang pekerja berteriak dari lorong, dan lampu-lampu berdengung menyala kembali, sekaligus. Panggung berpendar putih dan keemasan. Para penonton bersorak, dan seseorang di barisan belakang mulai bertepuk tangan mengikuti irama.

Arvid stands very tall. He straightens his beak, and he pats Florin on the shoulder with a large yellow wing. "Wish me luck," he whispers.

Arvid berdiri sangat tegak. Ia meluruskan paruhnya, dan menepuk bahu Florin dengan sayap kuning yang besar. "Doakan aku," bisiknya.

"Break a leg," says Florin.

"Semoga patah kaki," kata Florin.

"Never say that to a duck," says Arvid, with a grin. "I only have two."

"Jangan pernah bilang begitu kepada bebek," kata Arvid sambil menyeringai. "Aku cuma punya dua."

Then he steps through the curtain. Florin stands in the wings with the weak little torch. He listens to the sudden hush of forty children. For one second, the whole theatre waits.

Lalu ia melangkah melewati tirai. Florin berdiri di sayap panggung dengan senter kecilnya yang lemah. Ia mendengarkan keheningan mendadak dari empat puluh anak. Selama satu detik, seluruh teater menunggu.

"Quack," says Arvid.

"Kwek," kata Arvid.