Halfway Over the Gorge

The ropeway crossed the gorge in three minutes. The drop below it was very long. Quincy ran the lower station. He knew every sound the cabin made. He liked the hum of the wheels. He liked the soft bump at each tower.

Kereta gantung itu melintasi ngarai dalam tiga menit. Jurang di bawahnya sangat dalam. Quincy mengelola stasiun bawah. Ia tahu setiap bunyi yang dikeluarkan kabinnya. Ia suka dengung rodanya. Ia suka benturan lembut di setiap menara.

On the day of the village festival, someone banged on his window. It was Reza, and he had a bag on his back.

Pada hari festival desa, seseorang menggedor jendelanya. Itu Reza, dengan sebuah tas di punggungnya.

"Quincy! Open the gate. I have a promise to keep."

"Quincy! Buka gerbangnya. Aku harus menepati janji."

"You look like a man who ran here," Quincy said.

"Kamu kelihatan seperti orang yang habis berlari ke sini," kata Quincy.

"I did run here." Reza took a breath. "The flag will not rise. The rope on the top pole is stuck. Nobody can fix it from the ground. I must go up with the new flag and fix it myself."

"Memang aku berlari." Reza menarik napas. "Benderanya tidak bisa naik. Talinya macet di tiang paling atas. Tidak ada yang bisa memperbaikinya dari bawah. Aku harus naik membawa bendera baru dan memperbaikinya sendiri."

Reza was the man who planned the festival. Last year, the old flag tore in two. A group of children stood around him and asked a small question. "Will we have a new one?" Reza said yes. Then he said more. "I promise it will fly over the gorge at noon. Next year. I promise."

Reza adalah orang yang merencanakan festival itu. Tahun lalu, bendera lama robek jadi dua. Sekelompok anak berdiri mengelilinginya dan mengajukan pertanyaan kecil. "Apa kita akan punya yang baru?" Reza menjawab ya. Lalu ia menambahkan lagi. "Aku janji bendera itu akan berkibar di atas ngarai pada tengah hari. Tahun depan. Aku janji."

The children made the new flag with their own hands. The cloth was blue. Each child pressed a hand in white paint on it. There were many small hands, in rows, like birds. It was the best flag the village ever owned.

Anak-anak membuat bendera baru itu dengan tangan mereka sendiri. Kainnya biru. Setiap anak menekankan telapak tangan yang dicat putih di atasnya. Ada banyak telapak tangan kecil, berbaris, seperti burung. Itu bendera terbaik yang pernah dimiliki desa itu.

Now it was twenty to twelve. The whole village waited in the square below the gorge. The band was ready. The mayor was ready. The flag was in a bag on Reza's back.

Sekarang pukul dua belas kurang dua puluh. Seluruh desa menunggu di alun-alun di bawah ngarai. Band sudah siap. Kepala desa sudah siap. Bendera ada di dalam tas di punggung Reza.

"Come," said Quincy. "I will take you up myself."

"Ayo," kata Quincy. "Aku sendiri yang akan mengantarmu naik."

They stepped into the cabin. It was small and clean and smelled of oil. Quincy closed the door and pressed the green button. The cabin shook, and then it moved out over the edge.

Mereka masuk ke kabin. Kabin itu kecil dan bersih dan berbau oli. Quincy menutup pintu dan menekan tombol hijau. Kabin bergetar, lalu bergerak keluar melewati tepi.

Reza did not like heights. He told almost nobody. He sat down on the bench and looked at his shoes.

Reza tidak suka ketinggian. Hampir tidak ada yang ia beri tahu. Ia duduk di bangku dan menatap sepatunya.

"It is a short ride," Quincy said. "You can look at your shoes the whole way."

"Perjalanannya singkat," kata Quincy. "Kamu boleh menatap sepatumu sepanjang jalan."

"I am not afraid," said Reza.

"Aku tidak takut," kata Reza.

"Of course not."

"Tentu saja tidak."

Halfway over the gorge, the cabin stopped.

Di tengah ngarai, kabin itu berhenti.

First came a click. Then a long quiet. The hum of the wheels died. The cabin swung a little and hung still.

Mula-mula terdengar bunyi klik. Lalu keheningan yang panjang. Dengung roda menghilang. Kabin berayun sedikit dan menggantung diam.

Quincy pushed the green button. Nothing happened. He pushed it again. He took the radio from the wall.

Quincy menekan tombol hijau. Tidak terjadi apa-apa. Ia menekannya lagi. Ia mengambil radio dari dinding.

"Station, this is Quincy. I am stopped over the gorge. What happened?"

"Stasiun, ini Quincy. Saya berhenti di atas ngarai. Apa yang terjadi?"

The radio made a noise, and then a voice came back. "The power went out for a moment. The brake locked. We must restart it by hand. Maybe ten minutes. Maybe twenty."

Radio itu berbunyi, lalu sebuah suara menjawab. "Listrik sempat padam sebentar. Remnya terkunci. Kami harus menyalakannya kembali secara manual. Mungkin sepuluh menit. Mungkin dua puluh."

Quincy put the radio down. He did not say the time, but Reza looked at his watch. It was a quarter to twelve.

Quincy meletakkan radio. Ia tidak menyebut waktunya, tetapi Reza melihat jam tangannya. Pukul dua belas kurang seperempat.

"Twenty minutes is too long," Reza said.

"Dua puluh menit terlalu lama," kata Reza.

"I know. The cabin will not fall. It is only waiting."

"Aku tahu. Kabin ini tidak akan jatuh. Ia hanya menunggu."

"The flag cannot be late. I promised them." Reza stood up too fast. The cabin rocked. He sat down again and held the bench with both hands. "I promised the children. They worked on that cloth for three weeks."

"Bendera tidak boleh terlambat. Aku sudah berjanji kepada mereka." Reza berdiri terlalu cepat. Kabin bergoyang. Ia duduk lagi dan memegang bangku dengan kedua tangan. "Aku berjanji kepada anak-anak. Mereka mengerjakan kain itu selama tiga minggu."

Quincy said nothing. He looked out of the window. Far below, the village square looked as small as a plate. Tiny people stood in rows. A few of them pointed up at the cabin.

Quincy tidak berkata apa-apa. Ia memandang keluar jendela. Jauh di bawah, alun-alun desa tampak sekecil piring. Orang-orang mungil berdiri berbaris. Beberapa dari mereka menunjuk ke arah kabin.

"They can see us," Quincy said.

"Mereka bisa melihat kita," kata Quincy.

"Please do not say that."

"Tolong jangan bilang begitu."

"Look."

"Lihat."

Reza did not want to look. But he lifted his head, just a little. He saw the square. He saw the tiny crowd, and the white-and-blue line of the band. He saw the tall pole on the top station. It was empty. Then he saw something else. He saw the cable above them, thick and grey.

Reza tidak mau melihat. Tetapi ia mengangkat kepalanya, sedikit saja. Ia melihat alun-alun. Ia melihat kerumunan mungil, dan barisan band berwarna putih dan biru. Ia melihat tiang tinggi di stasiun atas. Tiang itu kosong. Lalu ia melihat hal lain. Ia melihat kabel di atas mereka, tebal dan abu-abu.

He looked up at the roof. There was a round hatch. Above the hatch, a strong metal bar ran across the ceiling.

Ia menengadah ke atap. Ada sebuah palka bundar. Di atas palka itu, sebatang besi kuat melintang di langit-langit.

"Quincy," he said slowly. "Where do you keep the long pole?"

"Quincy," katanya pelan. "Di mana kamu menyimpan tiang yang panjang?"

"The pole? For the emergency?" Quincy pointed to a long metal pole on the wall. "There. Why?"

"Tiang? Untuk keadaan darurat?" Quincy menunjuk sebatang tiang logam panjang di dinding. "Itu. Kenapa?"

"A flag needs two things," Reza said. "It needs a pole. And it needs to go up."

"Bendera butuh dua hal," kata Reza. "Butuh tiang. Dan harus naik ke atas."

Quincy looked at the pole. He looked at the hatch. Then he started to laugh.

Quincy menatap tiang itu. Ia menatap palka. Lalu ia mulai tertawa.

"You are a very strange man," he said.

"Kamu orang yang sangat aneh," katanya.

"Help me."

"Bantu aku."

Quincy took the pole from the wall. Reza opened his bag. The flag came out in his hands. It was soft and heavy. He did not let himself look down. He looked only at the cloth.

Quincy mengambil tiang itu dari dinding. Reza membuka tasnya. Bendera itu keluar di tangannya. Rasanya lembut dan berat. Ia tidak membiarkan dirinya melihat ke bawah. Ia hanya menatap kainnya.

They tied one corner to the end of the pole. Reza's fingers shook, and Quincy helped with the knots. They tied the second corner. Then they stood on the bench and opened the hatch. Cold air came in.

Mereka mengikat satu sudutnya ke ujung tiang. Jari Reza gemetar, dan Quincy membantu menyimpul. Mereka mengikat sudut kedua. Lalu mereka berdiri di atas bangku dan membuka palka. Udara dingin masuk.

"Push it up," said Quincy.

"Dorong ke atas," kata Quincy.

Reza pushed. The pole slid through the hatch. The flag followed it into the sky. It hung for a moment, then opened. The blue cloth snapped once, loud and clear. Far below, a sound came up from the square. It was a small, thin sound. It was a cheer.

Reza mendorong. Tiang itu meluncur melewati palka. Bendera mengikutinya ke langit. Bendera itu menggantung sesaat, lalu terbentang. Kain biru itu menyentak sekali, keras dan jelas. Jauh di bawah, sebuah suara naik dari alun-alun. Suara kecil yang tipis. Itu sorak-sorai.

"Hold it straight," Quincy said.

"Pegang yang lurus," kata Quincy.

"I have it."

"Sudah kupegang."

"Your knees shake."

"Lututmu gemetar."

"My knees are not important."

"Lututku tidak penting."

Quincy took a rope from the wall. He tied the pole to the bar. He pulled each knot hard. The pole stood up through the hatch, tall and straight. The flag lifted above the cabin and above the gorge. It was a real flag now. The whole village could see it.

Quincy mengambil tali dari dinding. Ia mengikat tiang itu ke besi melintang. Ia menarik setiap simpul dengan kuat. Tiang itu tegak menembus palka, tinggi dan lurus. Bendera terangkat di atas kabin dan di atas ngarai. Sekarang itu bendera yang sesungguhnya. Seluruh desa bisa melihatnya.

At two minutes to twelve, the radio spoke again.

Pada dua menit sebelum pukul dua belas, radio berbicara lagi.

"Quincy, we are ready. I start the motor now."

"Quincy, kami sudah siap. Saya nyalakan motornya sekarang."

"Wait," Quincy said. He looked at Reza. "Are you ready?"

"Tunggu," kata Quincy. Ia menatap Reza. "Kamu siap?"

Reza stood very straight. He did not look at his shoes. He looked at the flag over his head. For the first time that day, he smiled.

Reza berdiri sangat tegak. Ia tidak menatap sepatunya. Ia menatap bendera di atas kepalanya. Untuk pertama kalinya hari itu, ia tersenyum.

"Yes."

"Ya."

Quincy pressed the green button, and the cabin began to climb.

Quincy menekan tombol hijau, dan kabin mulai naik.