Soup Across Two Time Zones

Xia lives in a small flat in the north. Adrian lives in a big city very far away. When she eats breakfast, he eats dinner. When he goes to bed, she starts work.

Xia tinggal di sebuah flat kecil di utara. Adrian tinggal di kota besar yang sangat jauh. Saat dia sarapan, Adrian makan malam. Saat Adrian pergi tidur, dia mulai bekerja.

They talk on the phone every Sunday. Xia puts the phone on the kitchen table. Adrian puts his on a shelf. They see each other on small screens.

Mereka bertelepon setiap hari Minggu. Xia menaruh ponselnya di meja dapur. Adrian menaruh ponselnya di rak. Mereka saling melihat di layar kecil.

Tonight the call is not the same. Xia has a cold. Her nose is red, and her voice is low.

Malam ini panggilannya tidak seperti biasa. Xia sedang pilek. Hidungnya merah, dan suaranya pelan.

"You look tired," says Adrian.

"Kamu kelihatan capek," kata Adrian.

"I am tired," says Xia. "I want soup. But I have no one to make it."

"Aku memang capek," kata Xia. "Aku ingin sup. Tapi tidak ada yang membuatkannya."

"You can make it," he says.

"Kamu bisa membuatnya sendiri," katanya.

"I do not want to. I want someone else to make it for me."

"Aku tidak mau. Aku ingin orang lain yang membuatkannya untukku."

Adrian is quiet. He thinks. Then he smiles. "Wait," he says. "I have an idea."

Adrian diam. Dia berpikir. Lalu dia tersenyum. "Tunggu," katanya. "Aku punya ide."

He goes to his kitchen. The phone shakes in his hand. Xia sees a window and a pan. She sees a loaf of bread.

Dia pergi ke dapurnya. Ponselnya bergoyang di tangannya. Xia melihat jendela dan panci. Dia melihat sebongkah roti.

"What is the plan?" she asks.

"Apa rencananya?" tanyanya.

"I make soup," says Adrian. "You make soup too. We cook it together."

"Aku membuat sup," kata Adrian. "Kamu juga membuat sup. Kita memasaknya bersama-sama."

"We are very far apart."

"Kita terpisah sangat jauh."

"Yes, but the soup is the same," he says. "Do you have an onion?"

"Iya, tapi supnya sama," katanya. "Kamu punya bawang bombai?"

Xia looks in the cupboard. She finds one onion and two carrots. She finds a bag of rice. "Yes," she says.

Xia melihat ke dalam lemari. Dia menemukan satu bawang bombai dan dua wortel. Dia menemukan sekantong beras. "Ada," katanya.

"Good. Cut the onion."

"Bagus. Potong bawangnya."

Xia leans the phone against a milk bottle. She takes a knife. Adrian takes a knife too. They cut the onions at the same time.

Xia menyandarkan ponselnya pada sebotol susu. Dia mengambil pisau. Adrian juga mengambil pisau. Mereka memotong bawang pada saat yang sama.

"My eyes hurt," says Xia.

"Mataku perih," kata Xia.

"Mine too," says Adrian. "This is the sad part of love."

"Mataku juga," kata Adrian. "Ini bagian yang menyedihkan dari cinta."

She stops. He goes red. "I mean, the sad part of soup," he says.

Xia berhenti. Wajah Adrian memerah. "Maksudku, bagian yang menyedihkan dari sup," katanya.

Xia laughs so hard that she coughs. Adrian laughs too. For a minute, nobody can speak.

Xia tertawa begitu keras sampai batuk. Adrian juga tertawa. Selama semenit, tak ada yang bisa bicara.

They put the onions in the pans. They add a little oil. Then they add the carrots. Xia adds rice. Adrian adds a handful of beans. The smell rises in both kitchens, many hours apart.

Mereka memasukkan bawang ke dalam panci. Mereka menambahkan sedikit minyak. Lalu mereka menambahkan wortel. Xia menambahkan beras. Adrian menambahkan segenggam kacang. Baunya naik di kedua dapur, terpisah banyak jam.

"What is your smell?" Adrian asks.

"Bau apa di tempatmu?" tanya Adrian.

"Onion and carrot. It is warm."

"Bawang dan wortel. Hangat."

"Mine is warm too," he says. "I think the smell travels."

"Tempatku juga hangat," katanya. "Kurasa baunya bisa berpindah."

"That is not possible," says Xia.

"Itu tidak mungkin," kata Xia.

"Maybe not," he says. "But I smell it."

"Mungkin tidak," katanya. "Tapi aku menciumnya."

The soup cooks for twenty minutes. They do not hang up. Xia drinks tea and watches him stir. Adrian tells her about his bad day at work. His boss lost a meeting room. It was a funny story, and she laughs again.

Sup itu dimasak selama dua puluh menit. Mereka tidak menutup telepon. Xia minum teh dan memperhatikan Adrian mengaduk. Adrian bercerita tentang harinya yang buruk di kantor. Atasannya menghilangkan sebuah ruang rapat. Ceritanya lucu, dan Xia tertawa lagi.

At last, Adrian says, "Taste it."

Akhirnya, Adrian berkata, "Cicipi."

Xia takes a spoon. The soup is hot and plain and good. She says, "It is not bad."

Xia mengambil sendok. Supnya panas, sederhana, dan enak. Katanya, "Lumayan."

"Mine is too salty," says Adrian. He takes a sip and makes a face.

"Punyaku terlalu asin," kata Adrian. Dia menyeruput sedikit dan meringis.

"Then send me yours," Xia says. "I will eat it."

"Kalau begitu kirim punyamu ke aku," kata Xia. "Aku akan memakannya."

"It will be cold by then."

"Sudah dingin kalau sampai."

"I do not mind."

"Aku tidak keberatan."

Adrian holds up his bowl to the screen. Xia holds up hers. They touch the screens with their bowls. It makes a small clink in two rooms.

Adrian mengangkat mangkuknya ke layar. Xia mengangkat mangkuknya. Mereka menyentuhkan mangkuk ke layar. Terdengar denting kecil di dua ruangan.

"Same time next Sunday?" he says.

"Jam yang sama hari Minggu depan?" katanya.

"Same time," she says. "You cook. I will bring the bread. Somehow."

"Jam yang sama," kata Xia. "Kamu yang masak. Aku akan membawa rotinya. Entah bagaimana."