Forty Lanterns on a Cart

The lantern festival started at six o'clock. It was four o'clock. Zola and her grandfather Goran stood in the school hall. Forty paper lanterns sat on the floor. They were red, yellow, and white.

Festival lampion dimulai pukul enam. Saat itu pukul empat. Zola dan kakeknya, Goran, berdiri di aula sekolah. Empat puluh lampion kertas tergeletak di lantai. Warnanya merah, kuning, dan putih.

"The truck is late," Goran said. He looked at his phone.

"Truknya terlambat," kata Goran. Ia melihat ponselnya.

"The driver says the main road is closed. There is a street market there today."

"Sopirnya bilang jalan raya ditutup. Hari ini ada pasar jalanan di sana."

"Then how do we take the lanterns to the river?" Zola asked. Goran looked at an old wooden cart by the wall. Then he looked at Zola.

"Lalu bagaimana kita membawa lampion-lampion ini ke sungai?" tanya Zola. Goran melihat sebuah gerobak kayu tua di dekat dinding. Lalu ia menoleh kepada Zola.

"We walk," he said.

"Kita jalan kaki," katanya.

They put the lanterns in the cart with great care. Zola put a blanket over them. Goran took the front handle. Zola pushed from behind. The cart rolled out and down the hill.

Mereka menaruh lampion-lampion itu ke dalam gerobak dengan sangat hati-hati. Zola menutupinya dengan selimut. Goran memegang gagang depan. Zola mendorong dari belakang. Gerobak bergulir keluar dan menuruni bukit.

The first part was easy. The road was quiet, and the cart ran smoothly. Zola sang a little song. Goran walked fast for an old man. After ten minutes, the sky turned grey. "Rain?" Zola asked.

Bagian pertama mudah. Jalanan sepi, dan gerobak melaju mulus. Zola menyanyikan lagu kecil. Goran berjalan cepat untuk ukuran orang tua. Setelah sepuluh menit, langit berubah abu-abu. "Hujan?" tanya Zola.

"Maybe," Goran said.

"Mungkin," kata Goran.

"We must hurry."

"Kita harus bergegas."

The second part was not easy. They came to a narrow alley between two shops. The cart was too wide. Zola pushed. Goran pulled. The wheel hit the wall with a bang. "Stop!" Zola said. "A lantern bends."

Bagian kedua tidak mudah. Mereka sampai di sebuah gang sempit di antara dua toko. Gerobaknya terlalu lebar. Zola mendorong. Goran menarik. Rodanya menabrak dinding dengan bunyi keras. "Berhenti!" kata Zola. "Ada lampion yang bengkok."

She took two lanterns out and held them. Now the cart was thinner. They pushed it slowly through the alley. At the end, she put the lanterns back. Not one was torn.

Ia mengeluarkan dua lampion dan memegangnya. Sekarang gerobaknya jadi lebih ramping. Mereka mendorongnya pelan-pelan melewati gang. Di ujung gang, ia menaruh lampion-lampion itu kembali. Tidak satu pun yang robek.

The third part was the worst. They reached a footbridge over a small stream. It had twelve steps on each side. A cart could not go up twelve steps.

Bagian ketiga adalah yang terburuk. Mereka sampai di jembatan penyeberangan di atas sebuah sungai kecil. Ada dua belas anak tangga di tiap sisinya. Gerobak tidak bisa naik dua belas anak tangga.

Goran sat on the bottom step. He breathed hard. "I am too old for this," he said.

Goran duduk di anak tangga paling bawah. Napasnya terengah-engah. "Aku sudah terlalu tua untuk ini," katanya.

"You are not," Zola said.

"Kakek tidak tua," kata Zola.

"But you are tired. Let us carry them in groups."

"Tapi Kakek capek. Ayo kita bawa lampionnya per kelompok."

They made a plan. Zola took five lanterns in a big bag. Goran took five in a box. They went up the steps and over the bridge. Then they came back for more. They did this four times. Their legs hurt. A girl on a bicycle stopped and watched them.

Mereka menyusun rencana. Zola membawa lima lampion dalam sebuah tas besar. Goran membawa lima lampion dalam sebuah kotak. Mereka naik tangga dan menyeberangi jembatan. Lalu mereka kembali untuk mengambil lagi. Mereka melakukannya empat kali. Kaki mereka pegal. Seorang gadis bersepeda berhenti dan memperhatikan mereka.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Boleh aku bantu?" tanyanya.

"Yes, please," Zola said.

"Ya, tolong," kata Zola.

"Take this box. Be careful."

"Bawa kotak ini. Hati-hati."

The girl's name was Mina. She took one box, then another. Soon two boys from the park joined them too. With five people, the work was fast. In fifteen minutes, all forty lanterns were across the bridge. Then the first drops of rain fell. "Quick," Goran said. "Under the bridge!"

Nama gadis itu Mina. Ia membawa satu kotak, lalu satu lagi. Tak lama, dua anak laki-laki dari taman ikut bergabung. Dengan lima orang, pekerjaan jadi cepat. Dalam lima belas menit, keempat puluh lampion sudah menyeberangi jembatan. Lalu tetes hujan pertama jatuh. "Cepat," kata Goran. "Ke bawah jembatan!"

They pulled the cart under the stone arch. Everyone sat close together. The rain was loud on the road above. Nobody spoke. Zola held her breath and looked at the lanterns. They were dry. Every one of them was dry.

Mereka menarik gerobak ke bawah lengkung batu. Semuanya duduk berdekatan. Hujan terdengar keras di jalan di atas mereka. Tak seorang pun bicara. Zola menahan napas dan menatap lampion-lampion itu. Semuanya kering. Setiap lampion kering.

After ten minutes, the rain stopped. The clouds opened. A thin gold light came over the stream. They pushed the cart the last part of the way. It was just ten minutes to the river. At the park, a woman with a clipboard ran up. "You are here! We thought the lanterns were lost!"

Sepuluh menit kemudian, hujan berhenti. Awan menyingkap. Cahaya emas yang tipis menyinari sungai kecil itu. Mereka mendorong gerobak untuk bagian terakhir perjalanan. Tinggal sepuluh menit lagi ke sungai. Di taman, seorang wanita membawa papan jepit berlari menghampiri. "Kalian sudah sampai! Kami kira lampion-lampionnya hilang!"

"Almost," Goran said. He laughed. "But not quite." It was a quarter to six. People waited near the water with candles. Zola and Mina gave a lantern to each child. Goran gave the last one to the woman.

"Hampir," kata Goran. Ia tertawa. "Tapi tidak sampai hilang." Saat itu pukul enam kurang seperempat. Orang-orang menunggu di dekat air sambil memegang lilin. Zola dan Mina membagikan sebuah lampion kepada setiap anak. Goran memberikan yang terakhir kepada wanita itu.

At six o'clock, the music began. Zola lit the first candle. She held the lantern high, and the red paper glowed. Then Mina lit hers, and then the boys. One by one, the lights went up over the river.

Pukul enam, musik mulai. Zola menyalakan lilin pertama. Ia mengangkat lampion itu tinggi-tinggi, dan kertas merahnya bersinar. Lalu Mina menyalakan lampionnya, lalu kedua anak laki-laki itu. Satu demi satu, cahaya-cahaya itu naik ke atas sungai.